GE hosts event to discuss future of power industry

Khalid Al-Tuaimi, executive vice president — generation at Saudi Electricity Company (SEC), second from right, speaks at the ‘Transforming Power’ conference hosted by GE.

Saudi Arabia has adopted various digital industrial solutions to make the Kingdom’s power systems more reliable and flexible with reduced unplanned downtime and maintenance costs, said Khalid Al-Tuaimi, executive vice president — generation at the Saudi Electricity Company (SEC).
Al-Tuaimi shared insights on the transformation of Saudi Arabia’s power sector at a conference recently held in Dubai. The event, hosted by GE, brought together more than 200 global and regional energy experts who shared their experiences and identified the next generation of solutions to boost the efficiency of the power sector and discuss new business models for the industry.
The conference titled “Transforming Power” was held in collaboration with MEED and highlighted trends and innovations in the energy ecosystem that could help unlock further productivity, diversification and operational efficiency in the industry across the Middle East, North Africa (MENA) and Pakistan.
Al-Tuaimi said: “In line with Saudi Vision 2030 and what we see in many other parts of the world, Saudi Arabia has undertaken a process of energy sector diversification and improvements to the existing infrastructure to enhance efficiency and asset utilization.”
Joseph Anis, president and CEO of GE’s Power Services business in the Middle East and Africa, said: “Despite the evolving economic environment, we see an intense appetite for innovation and the desire to learn and lead by example across MENA and Pakistan. Power sector operators today require partners who can look at the entire electricity value network — from power generation, to transmission and distribution, to consumption — as well as across a range of solutions, to help them unlock the greatest benefits.”
GE has over eight decades of partnership in the Kingdom. It has more than a 4,000-strong workforce, including Baker Hughes, a GE company, with 50 percent of its talent in highly skilled engineering and technology roles.
GE also aims to double leadership, technical and engineering training across sectors to over 10,000 Saudi professionals through local and global programs. A key partner in the Kingdom’s power sector, GE has more than 500 gas turbines installed in Saudi Arabia, which provide over 50 percent of the country’s electricity.