Leading procurement and supply management experts discussed key industry issues such as Iran's entry into the global economy and opening up of supply chains across the region at an event in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia.

The special one-day event 'Building Procurement Capabilities in Saudi Arabia,' was hosted by Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (Cips) at the Sofitel hotel in Al Khobar, in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, to celebrate the success of Saudi nationals in procurement and supply management and for discussion about the challenges for the profession in the region.

More than 80 attendees met David Noble, Cips Group CEO, Sam Achampong, Cips general manager for Middle East and North Africa (Mena) and Diya Nasereddin, the country manager for Saudi Arabia.

Cips has been active in Saudi Arabia since 2013 and in the Mena region since 2011.

Since then, there have been increasing demands from a number of organisations and sectors to register for the Cips corporate award  programme and not only receive a professional internationally-recognised qualification but to use Cips expertise for their business.

Both Noble and Nasereddin addressed the attendees and gave updates on the latest practices and the growth in Cips memberships in the Mena region which has now reached over 4,000 members in four years.

These members have stayed engaged as part of the global community of around 118,000.

During the day, there was a talk on Cips and procurement excellence in the GCC by Waleed Al Saeedi, Fellow of Cips and also head of procurement and contracts at Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority.
This was followed by a panel discussion about opportunities and challenges in procurement and supply management in Saudi Arabia.
 
The day also included an introductory speech on procurement in the kingdom given by Ehab Zain AlAbdeen, the general manager of Rolls Royce SAL.

"This is a fascinating region for global business and we are pleased to have strong contacts and so many active members in the region," remarked Noble.

“There are many challenges and opportunities faced by procurement here. For instance, the re-introduction of Iran into the global economy, the opening up of supply chains across the region with an increased flow of goods in and out will mean change will be momentous," he pointed out.

"We must be certain that procurement and supply chain practices are robust, fit for this new world, and operate with efficiency and efficacy as these significant trade and investment opportunities arrive," stated Noble.

"We will do all we can to support our members and anyone who has the responsibility and accountability to manage supply chains in the region," he added.

Nasereddin said a growing number of entities within Saudi Arabia not only see the increasing value of Cips providing qualifications, training and practical procurement and supply chain solutions to support personal career development but also make a big difference to the organisation they work for.

"This personal development opportunity is particularly important in the region as procurement and supply management training and qualifications are not available from academia in the region," stated the official.

Cips offers training and opportunities to fill this gap and gives individuals the background and knowledge to use CIPS procurement solutions for their own challenges," added Nasereddin.

On the closing day, 36 procurement professionals received certificates of achievement from Noble and Sam Achampong for their studies on the Cips corporate award programme.-TradeArabia News Service