GE today opened its new office and technology centre in Bahrain, which will provide enhanced levels of service and support for customers in the kingdom and around the region.

The facility will house more than 100 employees, including engineering and service specialists. It will include GE Energy’s Customer Application Center (CAC), featuring optimization and control technology, assembly and testing capability. 

The new facility will enable faster response to meet the needs of GE’s regional municipal, utility and industrial customers and is a reflection of GE’s growing commitment to support the Kingdom’s infrastructure development, particularly in the area of energy, the company said.

The CAC also features product demonstration and training areas where educational programmes, conferences, product training and hands-on operational experience will be offered to customers. It will also have the ability to conduct systems testing, GE said.

“The CAC provides customers with an up-close opportunity to interact with the technologies in GE’s optimisation and control portfolio including GE’s Bently Nevada Asset Conditioning Monitoring products, its Mark Vle machinery controls, plant DCS, excitation controls Ex2100 and drilling measurement and Sondex wireline products,” it said.

In the assembly area, some 70 control cabinets can be assembled at a time. The new assembly unit, which serves Gulf and Middle East customers, replaces a smaller one in Sitra, Bahrain, where last year 180 panels were assembled.

The control cabinets will be used in power plants and oil and gas industries for measuring steam and gas turbines and generators, enabling optimisation of equipment in terms of efficiency, safety and reliability.

The facility is similar to ones established by GE in Florence (Italy), Singapore, Shanghai (China), Houston (US) and Moscow (Russia).

The office and technology facilities will enable faster response to meet the needs of GE’s regional municipal utility and industrial customers and is a reflection of GE’s growing commitment to support the kingdom’s infrastructure development, particularly in the area of energy, GE said.

“The office will enable GE to more effectively expand its power, water, oil and gas, aviation and enterprise solutions businesses while creating job opportunities for the Bahraini population,” it added.

GE already has in Bahrain an ongoing graduate management programme for engineering students.

The company’s role in Bahrain includes servicing different rotating machinery, providing energy optimisation and control solutions as well as security solutions and a partnership with Gulf Air to provide engines and machines for Airbus 320s.

Shaikh Mohammed Bin Essa Al-Khalifa, chief executive of the Bahrain Economic Development Board, opened the office and technology facilities.

“GE’s new facility in the Kingdom of Bahrain demonstrates GE’s long-tern commitment to investing in the region to support the Middle East’s economic and infrastructure development,” said Nabil Habayeb, president and CEO, GE Middle East and Africa. “The new facility also reflects our localisation and knowledge-sharing strategy, expanding opportunities for local employment and training in high-tech engineering positions for the new generation of Bahrainis.”

“With a long-standing presence and over 1,000 gas turbines installed in the Middle East, GE Energy has developed a successful track record with the public and private sectors based on delivering innovative and tailored energy solutions, as well as growing our presence, which is now established throughout the region,” said Joe Anis, GE Energy Regional Executive and General Manager for the Middle East. “As the Kingdom of Bahrain’s demand for reliable power and sustainable water supply continues to increase, GE Energy is committed to support the country’s goals for energy security, ef