SCHNEIDER Electric, a global specialist in energy management, has named Saudi Arabia its best market for 2011 in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region, accounting for 60 per cent of GCC sales and 30 per cent of Middle East sales.

Its commendable performance in the kingdom comes thanks to some major contract wins that complement the company’s regional growth during last year. These include the ambitious Information Technology and Communication Complex (ITCC) in Riyadh, one of Schneider Electric’s largest and most important ongoing projects; the electrical infrastructure solution for the girls’ campus at the King Saud University (KSU), for which the company received the Best Electricity Project of the Year Award at the 2011 Saudi Buildinfra Awards; a Saudi Telecom Company (STC) project; Microsoft Innovation Centre (MIC) at Al Yamamah University; and the Arab National Bank (ANB) that saw Schneider Electric implementing advanced mission critical data centre solutions.

The company, which has recently completed commercial buildings in Makkah, Jubail, and Riyadh, now intends to set up a new manufacturing unit, additional warehousing space, and launch fresh production localisation programmes in the kingdom.

Christophe Campagne, Schneider Electric’s country president for Saudi Arabia, says: “2011 has been a highly eventful year for Schneider Electric in Saudi Arabia. We have completed numerous projects and won significant high-profile assignments in addition to launching creative initiatives and expanding our footprint in the country. ‘You Deserve an Efficient Enterprise’ (UDEE) exhibition offers evidence of our reach and position as a strategic energy management partner in Saudi Arabia.”

The company’s flagship event, UDEE exhibition is currently on a three-city tour across Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam. Featuring over 16 booths that showcase Schneider Electric’s wide-ranging portfolio of solutions and applications, the exhibition is expected to draw the participation of key stakeholders including partners, distributors, system integrators and VIPs including energy management specialists, consultants and contractors, as well as ministry, governmental, educational, and healthcare organisation representatives. The travelling exhibition concludes in Dammam on May 6.

Campagne continues: “Moving forward, we aim to replicate our high standards of energy management across all regions through our vast network of offices, manufacturing plants and sales offices. Our operations in Saudi Arabia demonstrate a clear example of Schneider Electric’s best practices.”

Schneider’s recognition ... partner panel builders from Saudi Arabia were taken on a five-day trip to Malaysia.

The global pioneer in energy management has put in place plans to tackle the growing energy challenge confronting Saudi Arabia and aims to significantly reduce carbon emissions in the country.

“The move, which reiterates our leading role in tackling the country’s energy dilemma, comes on the back of Saudi Arabia registering the world’s highest energy consumption per capita, fastest population growth, and significant industrialisation plans that translate into a seven to eight per cent rise in energy demand,” says Campagne.

Additionally, the statistics from the Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Centre, a United Nations affiliate, show that Saudi Arabia is estimated to be the 10th largest  carbon dioxide (CO2) emitting nation.

Through implementing a calendar of initiatives and launching key solutions for the market, Schneider Electric will target the root causes of CO2 emissions and urge the adoption of sustainable practices for inefficient buildings – the most significant cause of  these emissions. It will also call for effective energy management in next-generation healthcare facilities and public infrastructure management with Schneider Electric’s SmartCity offering.

Last year, Schneider Electric also continued to make an emphatic presence at global platforms. Underlining the importance of the Saudi Arabian market for Schneider Electric, president and CEO Jean-Pascal Tricoire attended the sixth annual Global Competitiveness Forum (GCF) in Riyadh in January (21 to 24). Tricoire’s participation came on the back of the company’s success in winning the prestigious Zayed Future Energy Prize (ZFEP) at the World Future Energy Summit (WFES) in Abu Dhabi (January 16 to 19).

Overall, Schneider Electric recorded 12 per cent growth in new economies. It says the momentum has also been robust in other parts of the Middle East, as well as in Russia and Latin America, driven by the continued investment in infrastructure and natural resource sectors.

Looking ahead, the company has unveiled plans for significant investment and expansion strategies that entail the recruitment of up to 30 per cent more workforce in 2012, which includes a substantial increase in its Saudi workforce.

As a global specialist in energy management with operations in more than 100 countries, Schneider Electric offers integrated solutions across multiple market segments, including leadership positions in utilities and infrastructures, industries and machine manufacturers, non-residential buildings, data centres and networks and in residential projects.

Focused on making energy safe, reliable, efficient, productive and green, the group­’s 130,000-plus employees achieved sales of €22.4 billion ($29.13 billion) in 2011, through an active commitment to help individuals and organisations make the most of their energy.