• 1983 – 1986
BSc. Mechanical Engineering + MBA
• 1986 - 1991
Air Products – Speciality Gases Sales and Engineering
• 1992 - 1997
Engineering Contracting for 5 years
• 1998 - 2006
Air Liquide – Director Calgaz. Set up Calgaz
in Europe, Middle East, Africa and Singapore
Hub for Asia
• 2007
Acquired controlling interest in StG
• 2009
Took over as MD / Chief Executive
• Founded in 1996
• Manufacturers of Calibration Gas Mixtures in
refillable and Non-Refillable Cylinders
• Sales to over 72 countries worldwide
• Manufacturing Operations in UK and Dubai
• Winner of 2013 – Sentinel “International Trade Award”
• Markets
• Marine, Gas Detection, Oil, Gas, Petrochemical,
Laboratory & Analytical
• Global Distribution Hubs
• UK, Rotterdam, Dubai, Shanghai, Singapore,
Rio, Sydney, Perth and Houston
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High Purity Gases – He, Ar, H2 N2 (5.0 to 6.0 grades)
Liquid Helium
Mixtures
• Simple Mixtures – percentage range through to PPM /
PPB levels
• Hydrocarbon Mixtures
• Gravimetric filling for accuracy of mixture and traceable
analysis
• Laser mixtures
Rare Gases (Xenon, Krypton etc) / Bulk Gases (e.g. Chlorine)
Medical Reference Gases
Generally NOT Semi Conductor, Welding, Medical, Laser or
Industrial uses
• Oil, Gas and Petrochemical
• Analytical Gases – carrier gases and calibration
gases.
• MRI / Super conductivity
• Laboratory and Research
• Environmental Compliance and Monitoring
• Food and Beverage preparation
• Safety Testing and Calibration
• Engine Emission and Air Monitoring Testing
• Lighting
• Medical Device Calibration + many others
Air Products
Linde
Air Liquide
Praxair
• Almost impossible to define and evaluate. Best to evaluate niches and
industry applications
• Generally estimated at 5-10% the value of the industrial gas of each
major player
• Key markets
– KSA largest, huge potential
throughout GCC and MENA
• Tier one companies investing heavily into industrial gases in the region:
– Air Separation Units
– CO2 manufacture
– Argon production
– Acquisition
• Limited investment into Special Gas production
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Abdullah Hashim (AHG)
Buzwair
Bristol Special Gases / StG
NIGP
Gulf Cryo
EIGC
Customer Service Levels
Logistics
Pricing
Safety and Quality
• Service levels offered by some MENA Spec Gas companies are suboptimal
• Majority of Special Gas mixtures are imported from outside the region
(Europe or USA) giving long lead times
• Time zone / working week issues with Europe / USA responses
• Trading / Intermediary companies
– Claim local supply / repackaging
– Often low quality sourced product
– Limited technical knowledge
• Cross border trade – border delays and fee complexity adding to delays
and price
• Difficulty in obtaining and understanding the requisite permits and
approvals for producing, shipping and storing gas country by
country
• Bureaucracy
• Purchasers treat Special Gases as a commodity – therefore price driven
down
• Customer needs education on placing a value on quality
• Imported products have higher costs
• No rental charges - leads to cylinder loss and there is little
understanding of the asset value in prices offered in the market
• Traders, with little or no technical knowledge, in danger of bringing
down the value of the market through price trading
• Non-reputable / short term companies
– Questionable quality
– Not manufactured to accepted industry standards
– No legitimate traceability and safety data availability
• Poor quality is an accident waiting to happen
Customer expectations on product quality, reliability and delivery continue
to increase providing both a threat and an opportunity for Specialty Gas
supplier companies.
Successful Speciality Gas companies recognise that they must:
• Adhere to “industry best practice” with regards to
technical and safety standards
• Offer an excellent, consistent and on-going customer service experience
• Place a premium on training and developing a Logistics team that
understand the rules and regulations with regards to Dangerous Goods
Transportation
• Educate the market place about the true value of quality
• Major growth potential for Specialty Gas in the next 10 years. Driven by
economic and infrastructural growth across the region
• Greater requirements for specialist, niche products, greater traceability
and improved technical expertise from the suppliers
• Key drivers include, greater safety legislation and the freeing up of cross
border trade
• Financial and technical investment required in local advanced
manufacturing / laboratory facilities