ENOC Group wrapped up its 2024 Summer Safety Campaign, aimed at providing retail employees with the knowledge and tools needed to safely navigate the summer season.

The Group conducted a workshop on electrolyte drinks, with the aim of raising awareness among employees about the importance of hydration and getting enough water during the summer.

The campaign also comprised the distribution of over 9,000 essential summer supplies across its three company-owned accommodations. These supplies included, water bottles, fruits, cooling bags, vitamin water, ice cream and mini sunblock. 

The campaign concluded with a recognition of key partners, including Sharjah Police, Medcare Royal Speciality Hospital, and the Occupational Health Services Centre, for their contributions. In line with the UAE's mandatory midday break from 15 June to 15 September 2024, the initiative highlighted ENOC Group's commitment to employee safety and wellbeing.

Additionally, ENOC honoured 55 employees during its annual HSE Excellence Awards as part of the World Safety and Health Day at Work 2024 celebrations.

His Excellency Saif Humaid Al Falasi, Group CEO at ENOC, said, “The safety and wellbeing of our people is of paramount importance to us at ENOC. Our proactive approach to ensuring all our retail staff is equipped with the necessary know-how during the summer season is reflective of our commitment to employee safety. Our Summer Safety Campaign 2024 is an integral aspect of our core brand value to enhance and ensure a safe working environment for our people across all operations.”

Crescent Petroleum, based in Sharjah, has rolled out a specialised Oil & Gas solution tailored to its operations, provided by global technology firm SAP.

This implementation is part of Crescent Petroleum’s broader solutions roadmap, which began in 2020 with the initial phase. At that time, it became the first company worldwide to deploy SAP S/4HANA Oil & Gas Model Company 1809, integrating essential functions such as plant maintenance, procurement, project systems, finance, human resources, and health, safety, and environment (HSE).

Achieving operational efficiency

The second phase was delivered through a hybrid approach, where activities such as solution workshops, user acceptance testing, and cutover were conducted on-site, while the build phase was managed remotely.

Ravi Kumar, chief corporate officer of Crescent Petroleum and board member of the Crescent Group, said, "Having completed the Phase 1 of the SAP roadmap in a record eight months, we set out to integrate Crescent Petroleum's operations, providing a seamless flow of data, from Wellhead to Customer, in Phase 2. The benefits are significant as we have integrated data across disparate parts of the plant, allowing us to seamlessly integrate plant systems with SAP systems and ensure a single source of truth across the company."

Kumar added that digitising the processes has accelerated Crescent Petroleum's broader objectives of determining real-time visibility of information across the entire company and providing insightful data for a range of digital initiatives planned for the future.

Sergio Maccotta, senior vice president of SAP Middle East & Africa - South, said, "We enjoy a strategic relationship with Crescent Petroleum, which is a strong advocate of 'best practice adoption' in the Oil & Gas industry, as confirmed when it won the SAP Quality Gold Award for best implementation in 2021 for Phase 1 of this project.

"A large part of the success of Phase 2 has been due to the close collaboration of all the team members involved. The result is an integrated solution delivering relevant and reliable data, streamlined processes, enhanced operational efficiency and easily managed reporting for compliance purposes. This plays a crucial role in the next phase of Crescent's digital transformation."

Kevin Killeen, global product line manager for Flame Detection at MSA Safety, outlines how advanced diagnostic technologies help minimise false alarms in flame detectors

In industrial environments where flammable materials are handled, flame detection systems are crucial for safety. They serve as an essential layer in safety programmes, helping to prevent fires and explosions by detecting the presence of flames early on. However, false alarms can be a significant issue, disrupting operations and potentially desensitising personnel to real alerts. Different flame detection methods exhibit varying false alarm profiles depending on the application, which is why advanced diagnostic technologies, like artificial neural networks (ANNs), have been developed to enhance these systems and reduce false alarms.

Traditional flame detection systems rely on sensors such as infrared (IR) and ultraviolet (UV) detectors to identify flames. These sensors, however, can be prone to interference from sources like sunlight, arc welding, and hot surfaces, which may lead to false alarms. Environmental factors like dust, smoke, and fog can further limit the effectiveness of flame detectors, making it challenging to distinguish between genuine threats and false alarms.

Addressing the challenges

ANNs are a powerful solution to these challenges. They are computational models inspired by the structure and function of the human brain, capable of learning complex patterns and making decisions based on vast datasets. When applied to flame detection, ANNs can discern subtle differences between actual flames and potential sources of interference, significantly reducing false alarms.
ANNs are trained using extensive datasets of spectral data from both real flames and common sources of interference. Through supervised learning, the network adjusts its internal parameters to optimize its ability to accurately classify input data.

Once trained, the ANN can quickly analyse incoming sensor data and determine whether a detected anomaly corresponds to a genuine flame or a false alarm. Since 2005, MSA has been at the forefront of using artificial neural networks in flame detection technology.

Numerous industries, including oil and gas, chemical processing, and manufacturing, have adopted ANNs for flame detection with remarkable results. By integrating ANNs into their safety systems, companies have reported significant reductions in false alarms, leading to enhanced operational continuity and improved worker safety.

Additionally, the scalability of ANNs allows them to be deployed in diverse environments, from offshore platforms to industrial plants, highlighting their versatility and effectiveness.

Key advantages

The key advantages of using ANNs in flame detection include:
1. Adaptability: ANNs can handle varying environmental conditions and sources of interference due to their extensive training library, making them robust in real-world applications.
2. Accuracy: ANNs leverage sophisticated pattern recognition capabilities to differentiate between genuine flames and false alarms with high precision.
3. Efficiency: ANNs can process large volumes of data in real-time, enabling rapid decision-making and minimizing response times in critical situations.
4. Reduced maintenance: With fewer false alarms, flame detection systems that incorporate ANNs require less frequent maintenance, resulting in cost savings and improved operational efficiency

The FL5000 Multi-Spectrum Infrared (MSIR) Flame Detector is our latest generation flame detector. It builds on the foundation set by the FL4000H, with increased neural network capabilities that further reduce false alarms. The proprietary MSIR flame algorithm ensures that the detector verifies the presence of a legitimate flame before initiating an alarm, protecting both assets and budget.

Additionally, the FL5000 is the first flame detector to incorporate Bluetooth technology. With the exclusive Flame Connect App, users can easily set up, configure, and download event logs from mobile devices.

Advanced diagnostic technologies, especially artificial neural networks, offer excellent accuracy and efficiency in flame detection while minimizing false alarms. By harnessing the power of ANNs, industries can mitigate risks, protect assets, and safeguard personnel. As technology continues to evolve, the integration of next-generation ANNs is poised to set new benchmarks for excellence in industrial flame detection.

Ducab Metals Business (DMB), part of the Ducab Group, has announced a major expansion, doubling its annual aluminium production capacity from 55,000tpa to 110,000tpa, and increasing its bare copper output to meet growing global demand.

This move strengthens DMB’s competitive edge in the international metals sector while contributing to the UAE’s Operation 300bn strategy, which aims to boost industrial growth and enhance the nation’s role as a leader in advanced manufacturing.

Sustainability options

The expansion was unveiled at the ‘Ducab Metals Business Expansion Forum: Advancing Capacity, Driving Innovation,’ held in collaboration with Middle East Economic Digest (MEED).

The forum brought together leading industry, government, and academic figures to discuss the future of the UAE’s industrial development and explore key strategies for achieving the objectives of Operation 300bn. The event also highlighted DMB’s progress in innovation and sustainability, including its groundbreaking work in green aluminium production.

Among the prominent attendees were Ducab Group CEO Mohammed Almutawa, DMB CEO Mohamed Al Ahmedi, and key representatives from the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology, Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi - KEZAD Group, and the Abu Dhabi Investment Office.

Mohammad Almutawa, CEO of Ducab Group, said, "At Ducab, we are committed to boosting our industrial and production capacities through strategic, forward-looking investments that are perfectly aligned with Operation 300bn. This expansion enhances our ability to meet international demand, elevates the 'Made in the Emirates' brand, and boosts our global competitiveness, all while supporting sustainable business growth and strengthening industrial resilience. These efforts further establish the UAE as a leading hub for future industries and attract greater global investments." 

Mohamed Al Ahmedi, CEO of DMB, said, "Doubling our aluminium production and expanding our copper capabilities reflects our dedication to strengthening the UAE's industrial sector. This move secures our leadership in metal manufacturing, drives innovation, and reinforces our status as a major global producer. By adopting advanced, sustainable technologies and pioneering new industrial solutions, we continue to lead in industrial and technological advancement."

This recent enlargement of DMB's facilities at KEZAD Group, which increased the total space by 51,015 sqm, along with the strategic acquisition of GIC Magnet—a leading global supplier of paper-insulated aluminum strips—underscores DMB’s role as a key manufacturing hub. This development enables DMB to better serve industries such as healthcare, automotive, and packaging, thereby broadening its product range and expanding its global footprint.

Organisations across the Middle East are becoming more exposed to supply chain vulnerabilities stemming from human behaviour.

This critical issue will be a focal point at the Security Leaders’ Summit during Intersec 2025, where industry experts will examine the complex link between human actions and supply chain security.

The 26th edition of Intersec, the global flagship event for safety, security, and fire protection, is set to run from 14-16 January 2025 at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC).

Risk assessments

Speaking ahead of the Summit, where he will highlight the impact of human fallibility on security measures, Stuart Frost, BEM, head of enterprise security and risk management within the UK Government, said, “The primary risk in any supply chain is not just the failure of security controls, but the fact that “humans are fallible and make mistakes simply because they are human.”

Kamco Invest’s GCC Projects Market Update from January 2024 highlights that the UAE’s contract awards surged to US$79.5bn in 2023, a significant increase from the US$29.7bn recorded in 2022.

Frost notes that security often takes a backseat in contract decisions, with business, financial, and commercial considerations dominating the process. He stresses the importance of conducting comprehensive risk assessments to ensure that security concerns are properly integrated alongside other business priorities.

In the Middle East, organisations face distinct challenges where supply chain risks are intensified by the region’s geopolitical and economic complexities. Many businesses overlook the vulnerabilities within their lower-tier suppliers, potentially triggering wider disruptions.

“Supply chain breaches can threaten the very survival of an organisation and, if resilience is not built into the system, the organisation might not be able to recover from such an event,” Frost added. "Post-contract assurance should be performed at least annually to ensure the controls are still effective and the risk position is managed."

Emirates Steel Arkan, the UAE’s largest listed company in the steel and building materials sector, has unveiled a new identity as EMSTEEL, reflecting its ambitions for accelerated transformation and enhanced global reach.

The rebranding was officially presented at a high-profile event in Abu Dhabi, attended by prominent officials, over 400 clients, partners, and employees.

This new identity marks the successful integration of Emirates Steel and Arkan Building Materials, a merger finalised in late 2021. The union has created the UAE’s foremost steel and construction materials company, with an estimated value of US$3.5bn (AED 13 billion). The merger positions EMSTEEL for significant expansion both locally and internationally.

Incorporating safety tech

Operating under the EMSTEEL banner, the company is divided into two key sectors: Emirates Steel and Emirates Cement. Emirates Cement oversees brands such as Al Ain Cement Factory, Emirates Blocks Factories, ANABEEB, and Arkan Bags. These divisions form the backbone of EMSTEEL's operations, ensuring the delivery of top-tier products to meet the growing demands of both domestic and global markets in the construction and manufacturing sectors. The group’s structure is flexible, designed to accommodate new business lines and expansions into fresh markets.

At the core of EMSTEEL’s strategy are innovation and sustainability. The group is investing in advanced technologies and clean energy initiatives, driving the development of cutting-edge solutions that focus on safety, quality, and efficiency. Producing low-carbon products remains a central objective as the company works towards offering environmentally sustainable solutions.

EMSTEEL controls 11% of Abu Dhabi’s manufacturing output and holds a 60% share of the UAE’s steel market. As a key player in supporting the UAE’s "Operation 300bn" industrial strategy, the company is also championing digital transformation across the sector. This is exemplified by its receipt of five prestigious "UAE Industry 4.0 Digital Leader" awards from the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT).

Eng. Saeed Ghumran Al Remeithi, Group Chief Executive Officer of EMSTEEL, said, “Today’s unveiling of our new brand identity marks a milestone in our evolution, as the group forges ahead to support its customers and add value to its shareholders with a unified vision. Our EMSTEEL brand carries us forward into a future full of opportunities for expansion, business growth and digital transformation. It represents our commitment to creating products, services and solutions to build a better world, in addition to driving global sustainability efforts in our sector through promoting a low-carbon supply chain in collaboration with our partners.

He added, “The company is committed to reducing carbon emissions in alignment with the UAE's Net Zero by 2050 Strategic Initiative, where the use of clean energy in our operations is at 80%.  EMSTEEL is a global leader in low-carbon steel production and the first steelmaker in the world to capture its CO₂ emissions, enabling us to operate with 45% less carbon than our peers.”