There’s been a paradigm shift in the business landscape in Saudi Arabia, where environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations are at the heart of corporate strategic decision-making and long-term strategies. More than ever, businesses nationwide have become increasingly focused on embracing stricter environmental policies and emission-reduction technologies in tandem with the country’s pivot towards a green economy.
This has led to a rise in demand for sustainability-focused consulting firms to assist businesses in the Kingdom in their quest for environmentally sustainable economic growth. One prime example is RSK, the UK-based sustainability solutions-led consultancy offering a versatile mix of engineering, environmental, technical, and laboratory services. Besides its founding country, the company has operations in many markets across Asia, Africa, Europe, Australia, South America, and the Middle East.
The opportunity in the Kingdom remains visible for RSK, with corporations recognizing the need to transform their operations sustainably and contribute to Saudi Arabia’s goal to reach net zero emissions by 2060.
Giga Projects: Leading Sustainability Efforts in the Kingdom
The Saudi market is rapidly gaining momentum as a choice destination for innovators embracing cutting-edge solutions to solve global climate challenges in light of the country’s ongoing transition to a low-carbon economy. The growth push in the sustainability sector primarily emerges from giga and mega projects, which have taken center stage in the country’s shift away from hydrocarbons and Vision 2030 to diversify its economy. To cater to the rising demand, RSK has strengthened its focus on establishing a strong foothold in the country, with the support of AstroLabs.
“Our principal driver for expanding to the Saudi market was to bring our skills and expertise to the various [PIF megaprojects] for Vision 2030. RSK also has a commitment to a substantial sustainability roadmap to align with the UN Sustainability Development Goals (USDGs), and within the region, we see the commitment in Saudi Arabia to the UDGs as our best regional alignment to diversify from a once-heavy reliance on the oil and gas sector,” said Fergus Collie, regional manager at RSK.
“RSK is very fortunate to have secured targeted framework agreements with NEOM, Red Sea Global, Amaala, and the Royal Commission for AlUla for our environmental and sustainability services” Collie revealed.
Further elaborating on RSK’s impact, Collie added that the company supports megaproject clients across various areas. That includes environmental impact assessment and permitting services, in addition to offering technical services covering “environmental baseline surveys and studies across both terrestrial and marine biodiversity, ambient noise and air quality, and soil and water conditions, as well as detailed modeling of the potential impacts of future development.”
Strengthening Saudi Presence to Support Increased Demand
For 17 years, RSK Middle East business has been assisting organizations of diverse backgrounds in accelerating carbon-reduction strategies.
The footprint expansion in Saudi Arabia is an integral part of the company’s commitment to deliver results within a fast turnaround time, leveraging its in-depth knowledge of regulatory and international standards based on frequent and direct engagements with local stakeholders and regulators. RSK’s journey to expand its operations in Saudi Arabia was rather expedited by AstroLabs, utilizing the latter’s on-ground presence, expertise, and a strong network of private and public partners.
As it continues to shore up its presence in the country, RSK looks to broaden the breadth and scope of its services, positioning itself at the forefront of steering business toward making a positive impact on the planet while improving the overall bottom line.
“From our national address in Riyadh and our newly established office and operations center in Tabuk, we plan for those services to evolve over the coming years into a broader-based technical services business, including physical geotechnical and geoenvironmental investigations, supporting laboratory services, and land and marine surveying,” Collie added.
The business sector is in the midst of a sea of change in Saudi Arabia. As such, RSK is spearheading a transformative shift in the industry by strategically investing in developing new processes and solutions at scale, setting a benchmark globally for the broader corporate sustainability industry.
Expand to Saudi Arabia with AstroLabs