RIYADH: V-LINE Europe, a German company active throughout the world as a specialist in the procurement of maintenance, repair and preventive-maintenance components for all types of industrial installations, has played an active role in Saudi Arabia for 40 years.

This has allowed it to gain a great appreciation and unparalleled insight into the Saudi market.

“V-LINE has succeeded over time to develop and foster an unequaled understanding of the Kingdom’s socioeconomic needs,” said Detlef Daues, the company’s chief executive officer, in the run-up to Germany’s National Day.

Daues first came to Saudi Arabia 40 years ago and was quickly captivated by the country and its culture. It was 1978, just two years after the Kingdom announced the formation of SABIC. Jubail was still emerging from the desert and the Yanbu seaport was beginning to transform a fishing village into an industrial hotspot.

A 24-year-old working for a Sarstedt firm that supplied spare parts to German sugar factories and Saudi desalination plants, Daues spotted an opportunity in the emerging Saudi industries for spare parts.  Helped by a loan from his parents, a few associates and a telex machine, he launched V-LINE. Over the next 30 years, industrial growth in the Kingdom was dynamic. Thanks to his foresight in bringing advances in computing and supply chains to Saudi Arabian plants, Daues’ firm broadened its industry scope and grew rapidly, eventually opening its first V-LINE office in Saudi Arabia at Jubail in 2008.

The years since 2010 have been the most satisfying for Daues, as he has increasingly accommodated German and Saudi interests. He is proud to have recognized early on the coming empowerment of women in the Kingdom and the greater role they are set to play in the country, and is especially pleased with V-LINE’s participation in the German pavilion at the Janadriyah Festival in 2016.

In 2017, the company opened an office in Riyadh. Oct. 3, 2018, marks the 29th anniversary of German reunification. For Daues and V-LINE, October also marks the 40th anniversary of the beginning of the important role the firm has played in advancing the Kingdom’s industrialization.

Daues is not looking back, however, but forward to the future and Saudi Vision 2030, NEOM and other exciting developments in the Kingdom. Already from V-LINE’s Saudi base he has branched out into data-handling services and is broadening the geographical markets served by the company to include India and Asia. In fact, V-LINE Europe has announced the establishment of V-LINE Middle East in the Kingdom, with a full trading license.

“This development marks one of the largest investments from a foreign small and medium size enterprise (SME) in Saudi Arabia, and one that advances the goals of a robust and diversified economy from the Kingdom’s Vision 2030,” the company said.  Daues said his firm will now “focus on expanding our established portfolio in Saudi Arabia by encouraging further local value creation, and reflect our deep commitment to Saudi Vision 2030 by availing opportunities to develop the talents of young Saudis.”

He added: “I am very thankful to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for introducing Saudi Vision 2030. The establishment of V-LINE Middle East affords us an opportunity to contribute to the Kingdom’s National Transformation Program by encouraging international SMEs to invest in Saudi Arabia and to support international Saudi-based businesses.”