With so much talk on integration and IP, the Middle East is probably one of the few places in the world that brings out the best qualities of the two in real-life installations. Aside from Dubai, the rest of the United Arab Emirates is booming with Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and Oman in infrastructural development and greenfield commercial projects. While market potential is tremendous, challenges surrounding market access and talent management remain. a&s talks to some of the most active players in the region to find out what's ticking in the region after the 2009 financial crisis and economic slowdown.
With so much talk on integration and IP, the Middle East is probably one of the few places in the world that brings out the best qualities of the two in real-life installations. Aside from Dubai, the rest of the United Arab Emirates is booming with Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and Oman in infrastructural development and greenfield commercial projects. While market potential is tremendous, challenges surrounding market access and talent management remain. a&s talks to some of the most active players in the region to find out what's ticking in the region after the 2009 financial crisis and economic slowdown.
Johnson Controls
We are starting a new products group worldwide , wi th the Middle East ahead of the other regions. This speaks volume as to how we approach the market, how we are trained, and how much we value the building HVAC and fire and security business. We will also focus on service more and work with customers and consultants more before project bidding starts. For example, when building life cycle is taken into consideration, cheaper low-end products actually cost end users more in the long run. This is the kind of education and service that we can offer upfront
The recent financial turmoil has forced everyone to do a much better job. We have taken on a consultative role, rather than reactive, that ultimately guarantees operation and efficiency savings. While outperforming ourselves in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, Egypt and Libya after the recession, we are doing particularly well in Abu 
Dhabi, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, with a lot of service and maintenance contracts. Instead of selling products and engaging in price negotiations, we ensure proper understanding and education early on. Coupled with increasing legal requirements for security and safety systems at certain establishments like hotels, the market will only grow, with more than 30 percent projected for 2011.
Of these emerging requirements, more are becoming IP-based only (about 85 percent of new builds), which facilitates major IT/telco integrators to merge with manufacturers specializing in controls and products. These new partnerships, such as with Cisco Systems, can help address more fundamental issues like network design and bandwidth traffic, which are usually encountered in large-scale projects such as universities, hospitals, airports and mega shopping centers.