P&SC LIVE Dubai: Transforming Procurement in the Middle East
Presenting at Procurement & Supply Chain LIVE Dubai, Piyush Malviya, Head of MEA at Moglix, detailed how to navigate and implement key procurement trends and strategies in the Middle East.
Digital transformation
Piyush began his discussion by outlining the importance of digital transformation to procurement in the Middle East, explaining that is it "about keeping up with the market."
"We have to anticipate and innovate, not just respond to the market," he continued. He also placed high importance on this transformation being more customer-centric, to ensure the investment is always reflected in a business' reputation and market performance.
Supply chain resilience
"Local cultural differences within the MEA also pose challenges to address all customer needs and combat geopolitical instability"
We asked Piyush about the specific challenges the Middle East faces and how important it may be to form a tailored approach to supply chain management in that region.
"Its linked largely to the supply chain needing to be more resilient because there are specific macro-challenges relating to supply chains depending on many other countries, for example on imports from China. There is a very high dependence on how that ocean route works, and any instability there which may affect the predictability of arrival of goods."
"There are also challenges in the sense of local cultural differences you have, like Arabic is a key language across the region, but there are also countries like UAE which are very multicultural," he continued.
"If you are a retail focused company you have to solve those particular challenges and address all the client needs, for every type of customer across the region."
Procurement sustainability
Piyush also described in his fireside discussion, how sustainability and ESG are influencing procurement decisions in the Middle East.
"I would say it started as more of a pledge that we want to be more sustainable and responsible towards environmental and social factors, but now we're seeing a lot more actual ground action happening."
"When it comes to procurement, one of the important factors to consider is brand reputation; how can I help my company's brand remain a leading player in ESG?" he explained.
"Local sourcing is a big factor in terms of reducing carbon footprint and working with suppliers, you have to collaborate with vendors to make sure you know they are aligning towards your company's ESG goals."
"This also leads to cost savings long-term and can help with risk management- local sourcing means no longer relying on those imports."
He explained the region is one of the fastest evolving in this sector, "sustainability sets the region apart in terms of pace change and execution."
To hear more insightful discussions like this, secure your tickets to Procurement & Supply Chain LIVE London here.
P&SC LIVE continues to expand
Procurement & Supply Chain LIVE continues to expand its repertoire of events, with more to come in 2024 and 2025. Discover our essential diary dates below.
2024 diary dates:
- Procurement & Supply Chain LIVE London | 24-25 September 2024
- Procurement & Supply Chain Awards | 24 September 2024
- Manufacturing & Mobility LIVE | 6 November 2024
2025 diary dates:
- Procurement & Supply Chain LIVE Singapore | 11 February 2025
- Procurement & Supply Chain LIVE: Scope 3 | 5-6 March 2025
- Manufacturing & Mobility LIVE | 5-6 March 2025
- Procurement & Supply Chain LIVE Dubai | 29 April 2025
- Procurement & Supply Chain LIVE Chicago | 4-5 June 2025
- Procurement & Supply Chain LIVE London | 23-24 September 2025
- Procurement & Supply Chain Awards | 24 September 2025
- Manufacturing & Mobility LIVE Chicago | 4 November 2025
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