Technological innovations driving HSE growth in the MENA region

The health, safety, and environment (HSE) market in the MENA region is experiencing significant growth, driven by developing economies, advancements in technology, increasingly stringent standards and new HSE approaches, frameworks and practices.

Industries are undergoing a transformation, driven by a focus on safety, compliance, and sustainability. In the oil and gas sector, advancements in technology and artificial intelligence are proving instrumental in strengthening safety protocols and improving operational efficiency.

These innovations enable companies to predict and mitigate risks more effectively, fostering safer and more sustainable practices.

The construction sector is similarly embracing technological progress to enhance safety measures and address the challenges posed by climate change.

Governments across the region are actively raising standards by fostering a positive safety culture in workplaces. Through the introduction of new regulations, strict enforcement, and collaborative safety awareness campaigns with businesses, they are driving significant improvements.

Ahead of the Intersec 2024 Safety & Health Conference in January, Dr Waddah S. Ghanem Al Hashmi, Honorary Chairman of the Energy Institute Middle East and Chairman of the Federal Occupational Health and Safety Committee, emphasised the substantial progress the UAE and the wider Middle East have made in establishing robust 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.”

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