Schneider Electric and AVEVA have signed an Alliance Partner agreement with Obeikan Digital Solutions (ODS). The partnership will support Saudi Arabia’s industrial sector, and the three companies will collaborate to help the Kingdom’s factories on their path to Industry 4.0 through digital transformation.

Part of the Obeikan Group, ODS offers case-tailored consultancy services and industrial apps for logistics, utility reliability, compliance management, spare part management, organizational optimization and audit management. The company has worked to transform dozens of manufacturers across Saudi Arabia through digital technologies.

The three companies will collaborate to roll out proof-of-concept projects; Schneider Electric’s and AVEVA’s Internet-of-Things hardware and cloud-based software will be complemented by local expertise from ODS.

“Obeikan and ODS have a vision of transforming Saudi Arabia’s manufacturing capabilities through technology and digitalization,” said Abdallah Obeikan, ODS. “Schneider Electric and AVEVA share this belief in how technologies such as the Internet-of-Things and cloud computing can make plants smarter, more efficient, and more sustainable. We want to accelerate the nation’s manufacturing sector through technology, and we’re excited about this partnership.

Smart manufacturing technologies have the potential to reshape how factories operate. Concepts such as 5G, the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and artificial intelligence (AI) can drastically decrease equipment downtime by as much as 50% and increase overall equipment effectiveness by a double-digit percentage.

“The next generation of manufacturing will use digital technologies to connect every machine on the plant floor, collect data streams and analyze that information in real time to improve efficiency, increase safety, and reduce energy and water usage,” said Oseid Faqih, Industrial Automation VP, Schneider Electric. “Obeikan is a leader in this space, and ODS is a highly respected name thanks to the number of digital transformation projects they’ve undertaken. This partnership will hasten the Kingdom’s growth into a manufacturing hub for the entire region.”

“Digital technologies will account for a significant portion of economic value over the next decade, a fact recognized by policies such as the UAE’s Operation 300bn and the second phase of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, which was initiated in 2020. The force multiplier effect of AI, IIoT and cloud computing is already beginning to pay productivity and financial dividends for the industrial sector and AVEVA’s partnership with Obeikan Digital Solutions will elevate these efficiencies for sustainable and equitable growth across the region by synergizing digital solutions from AVEVA’s portfolio with the advanced skills of implementation available with ODS inside Saudi Arabia and the wider Middle East,” said Dr Tariq Aslam, Head of MEA, AVEVA.