Saudi Journal of Engineering and Technology Abbreviated Key Title: Saudi J Eng Technol ISSN 2415-6272 (Print) |ISSN 2415-6264 (Online) Scholars Publishers, Dubai, Journal homepage: https://saudijournals.com

Review Article

IKTVA and Vision 2030 Rajesh Savio*

Senior Project Engineer- IGCC-05 Utilities & Common Area Jazan Project Management Team

DOI: 10.36348/sjet.2021.v06i08.002 | Received: 02.07.2021 | Accepted: 05.08.2021 | Published: 12.08.2021

*Corresponding author: Rajesh Savio

Abstract

The In-Kingdom Total Value Add (IKTVA) Program, launched in December 2015, is an initiative of to drive additional domestic value creation in Saudi Arabia. This was launched in order to support the rapidly changing economic environment and promote future prosperity. It is the bedrock of the strategy at Saudi Aramco, A Saudi Arabian and Company that is based in . According to Al-Ghalayni, Chairman and CEO of BMG Financial Group, “Made in Saudi Arabia” as a slogan carries the vision and will be crucial to the long-term economic growth of the Kingdom. To date, Saudi Aramco has held 5 Annual IKTVA forums and exhibitions. The 2-day 2020 forum attracted more than 70 exhibitors, 14 government bodies, and 8 international energy players in the industry. This alone was a significant boost to the efforts made locally towards localization of the Kingdom’s economy. Keywords: Saudi Arabia, (IKTVA) Program, economic environment, Natural Gas Company. Copyright © 2021 The Author(s): This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0) which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium for non-commercial use provided the original author and source are credited.

A) INTRODUCTION Vision 2030 acts as a guide for the country's aspirations What is IKTVA? towards the new phase of development that is being The In-Kingdom Total Value Add (IKTVA) rolled out. It creates a vibrant society for its citizens, Program, launched in December 2015, is an initiative of allowing them to fulfill their dreams, goals, hopes, and Saudi Aramco to drive additional domestic value ambitions. The IKTVA Program's Vision 2013 aims to creation in Saudi Arabia. This was launched in order to establish at least 30 training centers that will prepare support the rapidly changing economic environment over 360,000 highly skilled technical graduates for the and promote future prosperity. It is the bedrock of the marketplace by the year 2030, according to Dr. strategy at Saudi Aramco, A Saudi Arabian Petroleum Mohamed Ramady, an energy economist and and Natural Gas Company that is based in Dhahran. geopolitical expert. Overall, this allows them to achieve According to Al-Ghalayni, Chairman and CEO of BMG success in a thriving economy that enables them to do Financial Group, “Made in Saudi Arabia” as a slogan so. Meeting these ambitious targets set by IKTVA will carries the vision and will be crucial to the long-term not be an easy task, but it is crucial if the economic and economic growth of the Kingdom. To date, Saudi social transformation of the Kingdom is to be achieved. Aramco has held 5 Annual IKTVA forums and exhibitions. The 2-day 2020 forum attracted more than According to the Ministry of Labour and 70 exhibitors, 14 government bodies, and 8 Social Development, Saudi Arabia, the IKTVA international energy players in the industry. This alone program was officially launched in December 2015. was a significant boost to the efforts made locally There was a need to increase employment opportunities towards localization of the Kingdom’s economy. for Saudis. In the years leading to the 1980s and 1990s, many Saudi men found employment in the government. Saudi Arabia Vision 2030 With the increase in population, there was a scarcity of The Saudi Arabia Vision 2030, announced in government jobs as more than 65% of the population of 2016, is aimed towards a primary goal to be an native Saudi men were of working age. There was, exemplary, leading nation in all of the aspects of the therefore, a serious need to redirect the local economy, culture, and other major standards. Its long- recruitment of jobs towards these unemployed citizens. term targets and expectations are all built upon Saudi Arabia's unique strengths and capabilities, including its role in the global playing field. The Saudi Arabia

Citation: Rajesh Savio (2021). IKTVA and Saudi Arabia Vision 2030. Saudi J Eng Technol, 6(8): 227-231. 227

Rajesh Savio; Saudi J Eng Technol, Aug, 2021; 6(8): 227-231 Efforts to Solve this Problem - Saudi Nationalization There were also other efforts prior to the Scheme IKTVA program. For instance, there was a move to One of the efforts that are in place in a bid to promote Saudization, which is officially known as the promote the nationalization or, rather, localization of Saudi nationalization scheme, which began to take form economic efforts is Saudization, also known as Saudi in the 1980s. Among other goals, this seeks to ensure Nationalization Scheme, also as Nitaqat in . It that Saudi nationals receive fair opportunities to access was a new policy launched and implemented by the jobs in the workforce. It ensures that there is a Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Ministry of Labour minimum percentage of citizens of Saudi Arabia that and Social Development. Under this directive, each company is expected to hire, depending on the companies and business enterprises are required by law company’s size and industry. There was also a need to to have a given number or percentage of Saudi nationals increase the export margins of energy-related goods and in their labor workforce, depending on their levels. This services from Saudi Arabia to at least 30% by the year is also determined by their industry and the size of the 2021. This also meant that the percentage of energy- entity. related goods that are locally produced and contracted by Saudi Aramco by at least 70%, also in 2021. Reducing the number of Saudi nationals who are unemployed was the main driving force of the Why IKTVA is Superior nationalization scheme. Why have so many investments There are other programs that have been sprouting in every sector, from food to beverage, implemented before in an attempt to promote clothing, manufacturing, oil, petroleum, cosmetics, and Saudization, but not all companies fulfilled their tourism, but the ripple effect does not trickle down to Saudization quotas. Some who managed to do so did the locals? At what point will the economy begin to not remain compliant over the consequent years. The absorb the graduates and professionals who are trained IKTVA program is considered superior to other and are available locally and utilize the local content nationalization plans that have been implemented that the country produces each year? Most of these before because it is in line with initiatives to localize sectors were mostly dominated by other nationals who labor and the production of goods and services. This would repatriate dividends and profits. According to the initiative is undertaken by the National Transformation Ministry of Labour and Social Development, most of Program as well as Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030. Both these workers were mainly from , Pakistan, the are particularly intent on promoting the development of , and even other Arab countries like Lebanon local content, allowing the Saudi population access to and . The local citizens were largely maligned and numerous job opportunities, and stimulating growth and under-utilized, thus undermining the potential and value diversification of the . of the local workforce.

Structure of this Paper Incentives for Nationalization This paper intends to look at other efforts that One of the incentives to ensure that companies have been put in place in a move to support comply with the nationalization scheme was the fact nationalism. It looks at how relevant they are to IKTVA that they would not be awarded government contracts. and how IKTVA has managed to mitigate its Although most political elites agreed that Saudization is shortcomings. It also critically looks at IKTVA as a the way to the future, this did receive some backlash. solution towards Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, its Nevertheless, other businesses still complained of its implementation, and how it works. There are various implementation and have since sought ways to avoid it. tools used to evaluate IKTVA as a solution. This can be This has been an ongoing conundrum since the 1980s. looked at in various ways through testing, conducting In the Fourth Development Plan (1985 – 1989), there comparisons with other solutions, establishing to what was a directive to advocate for the replacement of degree IKTVA is a better solution than others, and how foreign nationals in local companies with Saudi natives successful it is in solving the problem at hand. as workers. Immigration was starting to become tightened, with the consequent deportation of b) Related Work undocumented foreign workers. This program only There are numerous efforts that are aimed achieved marginal success and had to be amended. towards the nationalization of economic efforts and opportunities in Saudi Arabia. Most of them have A Saudization goal set for 2003 aimed at stemmed from the constant influx of international reaching a margin of at least 30% of employees in each companies and personnel who invest in the country and company, with 20 or more workers being local natives. repatriate their profits. This has been the current norm As it were, only 300,000 workers were employed by for the past few decades, with the enormous economic companies of this size, which meant that lots more boom that has been experienced in Saudi Arabia. These Saudi men were unemployed. Lots of companies moved efforts have cumulatively contributed towards the to renegotiate this figure, which led to some revisions. nationalization effort that IKTVA is realizing. These negotiations were held between business executives, government leaders, and local labor force

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Rajesh Savio; Saudi J Eng Technol, Aug, 2021; 6(8): 227-231 representatives. This resulted in the reduction of developed action plans and strategies work better than Saudization targets to the benefit of the companies. The bluntly issued government directives. These have a 30% margin was reduced to 10%, which was track record of achieving better responses and considered more palatable. There were also companies interactive dialogue with the said players and that received full waivers and exemptions; an example stakeholders in each industry. Inclusivity in such is given of some companies from . This is where decision-making has proved to be key in economic the nationalization scheme began to exude loopholes, growth as well as creating a harmonious environment to which do not serve the employment needs of local do business. The third aspect is mutual benefit and citizens. By 2014, the unemployment rate was still commitment. This can only be a result of joint efforts in scaling high, leading to the need for efforts to bring it developing action plans and implementing them in down to at most 5.5%, with all directives pointing tandem. towards Saudization. This was one of the goals under the Ninth Development Plan (2010 – 2015). One of the Another angle that Saudi Aramco took in aspects that these previous plans overlooked was the alignment with the IKTVA program is by signing role that youth and women workers play in the growth agreements and joint ventures with international of the Kingdom's economy. companies. In particular, Saudi Aramco has signed different agreements with American companies to Another angle that looks at why previous facilitate and promote bilateral trade between the two schemes may not have been as successful as the IKTVA countries and thus foster investment. These were signed program and the Saudi Arabia Vision 2030 is to in 2019 in , with the Custodian of The Two Holy perceive it through the different moving parts that are Mosques, King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and the necessary for results. Al-Ghalayini, Chairman and CEO then President of the , Donald Trump, both of BMG Financial Group, recommends that localization present. According to the Saudi Aramco President and may require drastic restructuring of the crucial supply CEO, Amin H. Nasser, these agreements will foster chains and the local distribution agreements. It may also purposeful collaboration between the Kingdom of Saudi need the moving or re-establishing of manufacturing Arabia and the United States. The areas touched will be and other trade centers for the locally operated those of significant and strategic importance, linking the companies. and the economic depth and strength of the United States. This is a milestone agreement c) Implementation estimated at $50 Billion, highlighting the vast The main problem is unemployment; the magnitude of strategic diversification and growth IKTVA program is created to drive economic value underway at Saudi Aramco. It also aims at creation domestically and maximize efforts aimed at strengthening the company's reputation and position as long-term economic growth and diversification. This is a leading energy and chemicals company in the world in a way designed to support the rapidly changing while focusing on the local capacity building of the economic of Saudi Arabia. country's expertise and workforce.

The Solution An example of such an agreement is with the In short, IKTVA's mandate is to create a level American conglomerate Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. playing field to enable natives to achieve their dreams to form a joint venture company based in Saudi Arabia. and successes using locally available resources. It does The company is to provide professional program and this in three main ways. The first is through uniform management services, also known as evaluation of products, materials, and services, PMCM. These services are for the buildings and other assessing their position in the GDP and how they utilize infrastructure services in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. the local workforce. The second is allowing access to They also agreed to expand the joint venture to provide information, documentation, and any other resources these PMCM services across the Middle East and that companies need in order to support this agenda. include North Africa too. A result of these will be over The third is a supplier solution center that aims to 3,000 jobs for the local natives. address an emerging issue that may arise from the implementation of this program. d) Evaluation According to , the IKTVA program How the Solution Works has already created a boost in the nationalization of the This Solution is heavily based on partnership economy of Saudi Arabia from 35% in the year 2015 to and collaboration. This would mean cooperation 50% by 2018. This is a commendable effort in such a between the different players and stakeholders in each short amount of time. The procurement of commodities industry. The first being a supplier-focused approach, from other local companies by Saudi Aramco has also which would be an effort towards maximizing resources doubled over this same period instead of favoring available locally. This would mean putting in place foreign vendors. incentives and support for local suppliers through government waivers and exemptions. Secondly, jointly

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Rajesh Savio; Saudi J Eng Technol, Aug, 2021; 6(8): 227-231 How to test the Solution ix. A Memorandum of Understanding with Another basis for evaluating the progress and Weatherford to deliver services and projects in success of the IKTVA program and the Saudi Arabia the oil industry will create over 900 jobs as well. Vision 2030 is against the underlying problem that it is x. An agreement with Emerson to oversee digital aiming to solve: unemployment. At the forefront are the transformation in Saudi Aramco’s operations and trade agreements that have created numerous jobs other oil field initiatives will also create locally: numerous jobs. i. As mentioned earlier, the agreement with Jacobs Engineering Group created 3,000 jobs, providing Comparison with other Solutions professional program and construction The creation of jobs and livelihoods for management services for building and citizens of Saudi Arabia already places the IKTVA infrastructure projects in Saudi Arabia. program as a solution that has performed better than ii. The joint venture between Saudi Aramco and earlier nationalization schemes. It has promoted local National Oilwell Varco (NOV) to provide high- talent and stimulated the diversification of the economy specification oil drilling rigs, advanced drilling of the Kingdom. The trade agreements have also equipment, and other after-market services is enabled local industries to do businesses effectively in expected to create 1,000 jobs. It will also train their sectors, allowing them to compete globally. It does local Saudi technicians in the said technology's contribute to the normalization of the slogan "Made in service, maintenance, and operation. Saudi Arabia," which carries the vision of IKTVA and iii. A Memorandum of Understanding with Broader is crucial to the long-term economic growth of Saudi Oil and Gas Investment Feasibility Study, which Arabia. While this may require significant and aims at researching the feasibility of new substantial investment in Saudi Arabia from business development in areas across the energy international suppliers, which may be an irony, it may value chain, including manufacturing and provide numerous opportunities for local companies services, is expected to create 2,000 jobs. that know the market better. This is because they will iv. A Memorandum of Understanding with GE to be able to enter into partnerships and agreements with initiate a digital transformation of the operations multi-national companies and ease the entry process for at Saudi Aramco includes setting up a Digital them, thus fostering mutual growth. In summary, the Transformation Office that generates over 250 aim is to source crucial supply chains locally by high-tech jobs in Saudi Arabia. This will boost incentivizing international corporations and local local industrial engineers and train and create providers to partner and invest within Saudi Arabia. process experts and technologists. It will work with the Saudi Visio 2030 to create an enhanced e) Conclusion and Future Work STEM educational curriculum for schools and higher education institutions to groom the Saudi What is the problem? digital industrial talent to meet the future market There is a need for localization of supply demand for developers and data scientists. chains and boosting the capacity of the local workforce v. An agreement with McDermott International with in Saudi Arabia. Citizens need a vibrant society that Saudi Aramco seeks to expand and develop their allows them to pursue and fulfill their dreams, goals, physical and human capital in the Kingdom. This and ambitions. A thriving economy is one that cripples demonstrates their support for Aramco's IKTVA unemployment and builds the skills and talents of the program and Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030. By local population towards economic gain. increasing the number of Saudi nationals working in McDermott, the agreement is expected to How the Solution performed compared to others create 3,000 jobs. Since the 1980s, there have been efforts vi. A Memorandum of Understanding with towards nationalization, as the population increased, Honeywell seeks to advance the digitization of leading to fewer jobs for the native Saudis. Programs Saudi Arabia’s oil and gas industry. It also such as the Saudi Nationalization Scheme but the accelerates the benefits of using the Industrial IKTVA program has proved to be superior to date. It is Internet of things hand in hand with Aramco’s in line with the initiatives that aim to localize labor and operations. It is expected to create over 400 jobs enhance the production of goods and services within the as well as attract significant funding for suppliers. Kingdom. vii. A Memorandum of Understanding with Schlumberger seeks to deliver projects related to Why the Solution is better the localization of oil field goods and services. It Specifically, through the IKTVA program, the is expected to create over 2,600 jobs in Saudi Kingdom has entered into several trade agreements and Arabia. joint ventures with international corporations, which viii. An agreement with Halliburton to deliver projects have created thousands of jobs locally and have the involving oil fields and services is estimated to potential to leave more impact. As already reported by create over 750 jobs as well as support services. the Arab News, the program has already created a great

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Rajesh Savio; Saudi J Eng Technol, Aug, 2021; 6(8): 227-231 boost towards the nationalization effort. This is because partnerships-help-drive-job-creation-business- it has already achieved a rise in the nationalization of localization-and-economic-growth-and- the Saudi economy from the year it was launched from diversification/ 35% to 50% by 2018.  By Saudis for Saudis. The In-Kingdom Total Value Add Program, IKTVA. Retrieved: March 2021. Improving the Solution https://iktva.sa/by_saudis_for_saudis/ Other areas of improvement may be enhancing  Country focus Saudi Energy Sector at Forefront of its adaptability to other leading sectors in the Kingdom's IKTVA. (2021). Oil and Gas Middle East. economy, such as tourism and cosmetics. Retrieved: March 2021. https://www.oilandgasmiddleeast.com/article- REFERENCES 17307-country-focus-saudi-energy-sector-at-  Agreements signed to promote bilateral trade and forefront-of-iktva investments between Saudi Arabia and us. (2021).  GOIC and Aramco to Support Industrial Jobs at Aramco. Retrieved: March 2021. Development and Localization. (2021). The In- https://www.jobsataramco.eu/people- Kingdom Total Value Add Program, IKTVA. projects/agreements-signed-promote-bilateral- Retrieved: March 2021. https://iktva.sa/goic-and- trade-and-investment-between-saudi-arabia-and-us aramco-to-support-industrial-development-and-  Al-Ghalayini. (2019). Aramco’s In-Kingdom localization/ program will localize, boost economy. Arab News.  In-Kingdom Total Value Add (iktva). (2021). Retrieved: March 2021. Aramco. Retrieved: March 2021. https://www.arabnews.com/node/1475261 https://www.aramco.com/en/creating-  Business partnerships help drive job creation value/sustainable-business-operations/commercial- business: Localization and Economic Growth and ecosystem Diversification. The In-Kingdom Total Value Add  Saudi Vision. (2030). Retrieved: March 2021. Program, IKTVA. Retrieved: March. (2021). https://www.vision2030.gov.sa/en https://iktva.sa/saudi-aramco-ceo-business-

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