Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology issued a standard aligning with ISO 45001:2019

Governments in the MENA region have made concerted efforts to drive up standards and embed a positive safety culture in the workplace, enacting new regulations, proactively enforcing adherence and conducting safety awareness campaigns, in collaboration with businesses.

Speaking ahead of the Intersec 2024 Safety & Health Conference in January, Dr Waddah S. Ghanem Al Hashmi, Hon Chairman of the Energy Institute Middle East and Chairman, Federal Occupational Health and Safety Committee, highlighted that the UAE, along with the broader Middle East, has made substantial strides in developing frameworks and practices for Occupational Health and Safety (OHS).

In December 2022, the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology issued a standard aligning with ISO 45001:2019, which aims to strengthen leadership engagement in OHS within organisations.

Dr Al Hashmi said, “These updated standards are expected to drive a shift from mere compliance to a culture of value creation and sustainability. Greater leadership involvement will elevate OHS performance and employee engagement and foster a reduction in incidents across industries…I see positive thinking developing in the region.”

In recent developments, the Dubai Government Human Resources Department (DGHR) has launched a guide creating a unified reference for the health, occupational safety and environment of all Dubai Government employees, and cultivating a culture for effectively managing such risks. 

“We are confident that implementing this handbook will result in the establishment of a strong culture of prevention and risk management, making our institutions more equipped and prepared to handle future challenges and advance sustainable growth,” said Abdullah Ali Bin Zayed Al Falasi, Director-General of the DGHR Department.

Other GCC countries

In Saudi Arabia, initiatives of the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health have included the creation of a national platform for reporting and investigating work-related accidents, injuries, and occupational diseases to identify root causes of accidents, establish appropriate rules to reduce them and prevent their recurrence. It is also developing a system to verify OSH practitioners, improving their knowledge and capabilities to implement mandatory health and safety regulations, and running programmes to enhance companies’ compliance with OSH requirements.

According to the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, the Kingdom's work-related injury rate has declined from 416 to 288 injuries per 100,000 workers, marking a 30.7% decrease over recent years, as a result of policies and initiatives to advance worker safety.

All the GCC countries have implemented a midday work ban, prohibiting outdoor activities during the peak heat of summer days. This is designed to protect workers from heat stress, with migrant workers, who make up a large proportion of the construction workforce, being particularly at risk. Noncompliance can lead to penalties ranging from fines to shutting down the violating businesses.

In Qatar, for example, new legislation has been introduced to enhance protections for workers against heat stress during the summer months, including the expansion of the hours during which outdoor work is prohibited. Specific thresholds for suspending outdoor work, whatever the time of day or year, have also been established.

Safety is an integral part of the business culture at Aramco. (Image source: Aramco)

In its latest Sustainability Report, Aramco highlights its focus on safety as a core value throughout its global operations, where its “total workforce concept” is built on a robust safety culture and safe environment across its employees, contractors, and suppliers

This is complemented by innovative digital solutions that drive safety performance, elevate emergency readiness, and enhance safety governance.

A key factor in maintaining high safety standards is Aramco's monthly Executive Management Safety Review program, which it has run for over 40 years. This involves a management team visiting one of the company’s major operational areas to review HSE performance and engage directly with employees and contractors to discuss safety matters.

Aramco reports that its Total Recordable Case (TRC) rate has decreased by 22% since 2021, which it attributes to its investment in training initiatives and implementing a comprehensive lessons learned programme to prevent incidents re-occuring. All incidents are evaluated to identify root causes, following which corrective actions are introduced and lessons learned shared with all relevant departments and stakeholders.

The NOC has expanded its corporate safety assessment programmes, which assess all Aramco organisations against its robust Safety Management System (SMS) guidelines, to include in-kingdom and international affiliates, with more than 50 SMS assessments performed in 2023. supporting the reinforcement of their safety management system and providing the necessary resources,training, and guidance to improve and continually enhance their safety performance.

Ensuring contractor safety

One of the enduring challenges for major companies in Saudi Arabia is ensuring high and consistent standards across multicultural contractor workforces, where there may be variations in safety culture and behaviour as well as disparities in levels of competence. Ensuring contractor safety is a strong focus for Aramco, which partners with its contractors to build a strong safety culture across the value chain, with bespoke tools used to monitor contractor safety performance and compliance to corporate safety requirements. Along with its contractor safety index and turnaround safety index Aramco has introduced the Rig Safety Index, which monitors onshore and offshore drilling rig contractor safety performance. Another recent initiative has been the introduction of the ‘Line of Fire’ campaign to address risks associated with danger zones at construction sites. This aimed to raise the safety awareness of the contractor site workforce, improving their capabilities to identify work site hazards and enhancing safe behaviour.

In terms of emergency preparedness, Aramco’s Corporate Emergency Management Taskforce ensures resilience and readiness pre-planning, as well as risk based, and site-specific emergency response plans. A quarterly forum for emergency preparedness coordinators is held to continually improve emergency readiness, and the company has recently enhanced its digital safety system – SafeLife – to enable a company-wide tracking of emergency exercise schedules, as well as drill critique items until closure in a unified system.

The energy giant has also expanded safety training programmes, working closely with five National Training Centers (NTCs) to evaluate and enhance existing Safety Diploma Programs and to establish new ones.

With its focus on safety as a core value and the introduction of new methodologies, initiatives and technologies, Aramco ensures that it drives a culture of continuous improvement in health and safety across its global operations.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) stands as a global leader in energy production, with its vast oil reserves fueling industries worldwide. As one of the largest producers of petroleum, the country’s industrial and economic activities span oil and gas, petrochemicals, mining, and infrastructure development.

These sectors bring unique Health, Safety, and Environmental (HSE) challenges shaped by the Kingdom’s climate, geography, workforce composition, and economic priorities. Addressing these challenges requires innovative solutions and adherence to international best practices to ensure worker safety, environmental preservation, and operational efficiency.

Extreme Climate and Geography

Saudi Arabia’s harsh environmental conditions pose one of the most significant HSE challenges. The Kingdom experiences extreme heat, with summer temperatures often exceeding 50°C (122°F). Prolonged exposure to such high temperatures can lead to heat exhaustion, heatstroke, and dehydration, putting workers in construction, oil fields, and industrial sites at significant risk. Managing these conditions requires robust safety protocols, such as hydration programmes, shaded workspaces, and modified work schedules during peak heat hours.

Furthermore, vast desert landscapes and remote locations add logistical challenges for emergency response and worker safety. Oil fields, refineries, and mining operations are often situated in isolated areas, making it essential to have well-equipped emergency medical facilities and efficient evacuation plans in place.

Diverse and Multinational Workforce

Saudi Arabia’s workforce in key industries is highly diverse, comprising Saudi nationals and a large number of expatriates from various countries. This diversity presents challenges in communication, safety training, and cultural alignment. HSE policies and safety procedures must be communicated across language barriers to ensure all workers understand and comply with regulations. Employers often utilise multilingual training programs and visual safety aids to bridge these gaps.

Additionally, fostering a unified safety culture can be difficult when workers come from regions with differing safety standards. To address this, organisations are increasingly implementing global HSE frameworks, such as ISO 45001 for occupational safety and ISO 14001 for environmental management, ensuring consistency and best practices regardless of workforce composition.

High-Risk Industrial Operations

Saudi Arabia’s economic backbone relies heavily on industries like oil and gas, petrochemicals, and construction—sectors inherently fraught with risks. In oil and gas, hazards include flammable materials, gas leaks, explosions, and operational failures. The Kingdom’s petrochemical plants operate under extreme pressure and temperature conditions, necessitating strict safety measures to prevent catastrophic accidents.

The construction sector, driven by Saudi Vision 2030 megaprojects such as NEOM and the Red Sea Development, presents additional safety risks. High-rise construction, heavy machinery usage, and working in confined spaces require thorough risk assessments and advanced safety equipment to protect workers. Ensuring compliance with stringent safety protocols becomes critical to mitigate accidents and maintain productivity.

Environmental Preservation and Sustainability

Saudi Arabia’s commitment to sustainable development introduces unique environmental challenges. Industrial operations, particularly in oil and gas, carry risks of emissions, oil spills, and water contamination. The Kingdom’s fragile ecosystems, such as the Red Sea coastline and desert environments, must be protected from industrial byproducts. Companies are increasingly adopting technologies to minimise environmental impact, including carbon capture, emission reduction systems, and zero-flaring initiatives.

Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 emphasises environmental sustainability through projects like the Saudi Green Initiative, which aims to reduce carbon emissions, increase renewable energy usage, and plant billions of trees to combat desertification. Companies operating in the Kingdom must align their HSE strategies with these national priorities to ensure compliance and support long-term sustainability goals.

Regulatory Landscape and Compliance

Saudi Arabia has established robust regulatory frameworks to address HSE challenges. The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD) oversees labour laws, while the Saudi Aramco HSE standards serve as benchmarks for safety in the oil and gas industry. Organisations are required to comply with national and international regulations, and enforcement mechanisms ensure accountability. Regular audits, inspections, and training programs play a crucial role in maintaining compliance.

Addressing these challenges requires a multifaceted approach that incorporates advanced technology, comprehensive safety training, and alignment with global standards. By fostering a culture of safety, environmental stewardship, and regulatory compliance, Saudi Arabia continues to demonstrate its commitment to protecting workers and preserving its natural resources while advancing its economic ambitions under Vision 2030.

The companies were awarded for their commitment to ensuring the welfare and safety of their workforce. (Image source: Al Ghurair)

Dubai-based AG Engineering and Power and AG Metal Industries, have been awarded the prestigious Sword of Honour by the British Safety Council, underlining their efforts and commitment to ensuring the wellbeing and safety of their workforce

AG Engineering and Power and AG Metal Industries, part of Al Ghurair, one of the largest diversified family businesses in the Middle East, were among 71 successful applicants that have received the honour, following a stringent Five Star Occupational Health and Safety Audit conducted by an independent adjudication panel. It is the second year in a row that an Al Ghurair company has received the award, with AG PCS Switchgear being honoured with this achievement in 2023.

Jacob John, chief executive officer - Construction and Services Sector, Engineering Cluster at Al Ghurair, said, “Winning the Sword of Honour for two of our business units is a major achievement for Al Ghurair. We dared to benchmark our Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) standards against the best practices of the world's most esteemed organisations, and found ourselves at par. In this endeavour, the globally renowned British Safety Council has served as our partner, advisor and assessor. This collaboration has been instrumental in our diligent and rewarding journey towards safeguarding our people, related stakeholders and strengthening Al Ghurair’s position as a leader in the industry.”

To compete for the Sword of Honour, the companies first had to achieve the maximum Five Stars in British Safety Council’s audit scheme, which verified the divisions’ HSE Managements Systems and their approach to identifying and mitigating risks at the workplace. The companies were also required to demonstrate a proven track record and culture of best practice for excellence in health and safety management throughout the business, from the shop floor to the boardroom.

The British Safety Council's Swoard, Globe and Sheidl of Honour awards ceelbrate and reward those organisations that have reached the pinnacle of health, safety, wellbeing and environmental management.

The Middle East was well represented in the list of award winners in 2024, illustrating the growing focus on raising health and safety standards in the region. Other recipients of the award in the Middle East included Al Ain City Municipality, Al Hamra Industrial Zone, Bapco Refining, Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (which also received the Globe of Honour for environmental management), NFZ Ral Al-Khaimah, Qatar Gas Transport, Company Ltd (Nakilat), and Qatar Shipyard Technology Solutions.

Applications for the 2025 awards are now open. See https://www.britsafe.org/p/international-safety-awards-application

Image Credit: Canva Pro

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is going through a far-reaching social and economic transformation, driven by Saudi Vision 2030, its blueprint aimed at creating a vibrant society, building a diverse economy and championing environmental sustainability. This includes health and safety, with Vision 2030 objectives aiming to minimise workplace injuries, diseases, and fatalities across all sectors.

The last decade has seen a steady decline in work injuries recorded by GOSI (the General Organization for Social Insurance), with figures down by two thirds since 2012 (from 73,896 to 27,133 in 2023).

For the trend to continue in line with the ambition of Vision 2030, however, cooperation between all layers of the HSE ecosystem, from corporate entities to contractors, must continue.

Many challenges and concerns remain among members of that ecosystem, some of which relate to the sheer scale and pace of the developments underway in the Kingdom. At the heart of the Kingdom’s diversification efforts are several massive transformative gigaprojects, backed by the Kingdom’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), designed to widen employment opportunities, open up new sectors such as tourism, leisure and culture, enhance Saudi Arabia’s position regionally and internationally and set new standards of sustainability and innovation.

Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 is transforming every aspect of life in Saudi Arabia, and the HSE sector is no exception, with a positive drive from the government to improve standards and promote safe and healthy workplaces in line with international best practices. The scale and pace of developments pose both challenges and opportunities, with scope for partnerships and collaborations in areas ranging from training and consultancy to technology and equipment supply.

There is also a thirst for sharing knowledge and expertise more widely and building more valuable business connections.

This extract is from a 2024 outlook on the Saudi Arabia HSE landscape published by Offshore Network: the full report and others can be downloaded here.