James Pecz, Head of Global Business Development and Customer Experience at Ramtech, highlights new fire safety technologies set to transform Saudi Arabia’s construction industry
Fire safety is a crucial consideration for projects taking place throughout the world, and Ramtech, an expert in global wireless solutions, has recently inked an exclusive distribution agreement with Mimar, a prominent provider of engineering and equipment solutions in Saudi Arabia.
This partnership is set to introduce Ramtech’s advanced fire safety technologies, including the Wireless Evacuation System (WES3) and the REACT platform, into the Saudi construction sector.
With a proven track record, including success in safeguarding a $2.5 billion Dubai megaproject, Ramtech is poised to revolutionise fire safety standards during the critical construction phases of projects within the region, where the potential for growth is underscored by an ambitious $1.2 trillion in capital projects.
The mission
Ramtech is on a mission to foster a safer world through innovation, and the Middle East, particularly Saudi Arabia, represents a pivotal opportunity for us to make a significant impact.
We are committed to expanding globally into key regions and ensuring that markets worldwide can access our diverse product lineup, and our expansion into Saudi Arabia through our partnership with Mimar is an exciting step towards this goal.
Our products are expertly designed for use in challenging and dynamic environments, including the Construction, Industrial, Marine, and Mining sectors, and Saudi Arabia is bustling with activities in these sectors, propelled by the ambitious “Vision 2030.” As this vision unfolds across the Kingdom, we see a tremendous opportunity to contribute by introducing our leading fire and life safety solutions to flagship projects like Neom and the Red Sea project.
The opportunity and relationship with Mimar
Mimar has established itself as a premier supplier of construction and safety products within the Saudi construction and industrial sectors, and will serve as an extension of Ramtech throughout the kingdom, providing comprehensive services including sales, technical support, training, and after-sales service for our WES and REACT product lines.
They have earned the trust of key stakeholders and have a reputation for delivering high-end, premium products that lead the market globally.
This aligns seamlessly with our partnership strategy at Ramtech and gives us great confidence in the potential for a long and successful relationship.
We’ll also be guaranteeing that our products serve the Saudi Arabian construction industry to the highest quality.
All our systems at Ramtech are meticulously designed and manufactured with their specific applications in mind, and this careful consideration encompasses everything from the radio frequencies used for connectivity to the sound and tone of the alarms, ensuring each system is tailor-made for the market it serves.
We also maintain the highest quality standards and certifications to facilitate swift approvals by governing bodies like the Civil Defence.
To guarantee full compliance, all our testing and approval processes are conducted by an independent global testing laboratory.
This ensures that our systems are not only compliant but also specifically tailored to meet the unique needs of the industries we serve.
Shifting attitudes and tackling challenges
There is currently a significant shift in mindset occurring in Saudi Arabia, especially in terms of safety, and our offerings support this change by providing the construction industry with access to leading solutions in site evacuation, fire protection, and medical alerts.
Our long-term goal involves collaborating with key stakeholders, insurance companies, and top contractors to redefine safety standards on construction sites, aiming to establish mandatory requirements for fire protection and sitewide notifications during emergencies, but we understand that this will take time.
There will also always be challenges when introducing a new product into the market.
This primarily hinges on raising awareness and providing education, and companies must be aware of the product’s availability, its functions and its benefits to them before they can adopt it.
Once this foundation is established, the process becomes significantly smoother.
In the initial months of this partnership our primary focus will be on increasing awareness through exhibitions, webinars and digital platforms, as well as conducting workshops and educational sessions with key stakeholders and training our partners to become proficient in the Ramtech systems.
In these early stages it can be challenging to persuade contractors to invest in a system that is not legally required, but effective education can help contractors understand the value of our solutions, encouraging them to develop their best practices and integrate these systems into their fire safety processes.
A success story and looking ahead
Our new partnership with Mimar is poised to build on the success we’ve achieved in the UAE recently, and the Sobha Hartland project stands out as one of the premier developments we’ve engaged with.
Sobha has consistently championed the use of WES systems, largely driven by Nelson George, the senior manager for health, safety, security and environment at Sobha.
His efforts were recognised when he received an award from Sobha for his role in implementing WES across its projects.
Sobha was able to develop internal best practices to integrate our system effectively, and the company’s commitment to quality and sustainability aligns perfectly with our safety solutions at Ramtech.
Sobha’s construction and development in Mohammed Bin Rashid City is particularly impressive and we were delighted to protect this $2.5bn Dubai megaproject.
This is a very exciting time for Ramtech as we are in advanced discussions with some of the largest projects throughout the kingdom and we’ve already achieved a significant deployment of WES in Neom, with several other promising opportunities developing for us across the region.
Long-term, our goal is to lead the movement of the shift in mindset we’re seeing amongst contractors and developers in the region, and our aim is to become the preferred system for enhancing site safety through our innovative wireless technologies.
Many contractors and developers in the Middle East have dedicated innovation departments tasked with leveraging new technologies to create safer, more sustainable, and efficient projects.
We are committed to supporting these efforts with our current products and collaborating with key stakeholders to develop new systems that align with their objectives.
At Ramtech we view our customers as partners, not merely as transactions, and our long-term aim is to become a respected and trusted partner in innovation and safety within the region.
About the author
James Pecz is Head of Global Business Development and Customer Experience at Ramtech.
Over the past seven years, have been actively engaged with our sales and marketing teams, working across various global markets.
His experience includes spearheading market development initiatives in North America, the Middle East, and Australia.
Presently, he is primarily focused on expanding our sales and operational activities in Saudi Arabia.
Ramtech designs and develops industry-leading end to end Internet of Things (IoT) and innovative wireless solutions to suit a variety of different industries, including construction and holiday parks.
Its wide-ranging communications and hardware expertise has been developed for more than 30 years.
Ramtech’s solutions – which are used across almost 30 countries worldwide – provide businesses with improved safety, security, operational efficiency, data insight, profitability, and more.
This article was originally published in the July 2024 issue of International Fire & Safety Journal. To read your FREE digital copy, click here.