Covid-19, DES supports clients worldwide
The worldwide COVID-19 crisis is a stress test for service organizations. It spotlights their engagement, resilience and capacity to adapt to a radically transformed business environment.
DES’ main challenges are employees’ security and work conditions. By protecting employees' health and rethinking work organization, companies can play a leading and proactive role in finding solutions to business continuity.
In order to cope with these challenges, our group stands alongside our clients with the same ambition in France and around the world, such as in Jeddah in Saudi Arabia.
DES has been established in Saudi Arabia since 2016 through DES KSA, a subsidiary under local law. We provide services to Naval Group for maintenance and modernization works of part of the Saudi Arabian military fleet. Technical scope of work covers mechanical works (shaftline, propulsion system), auxiliaries, piping and hull structure operations. On top of shipyard logistics, temporary networks and site safety coordination, DES also provides maintenance works of the port facilities in the naval base King Faisal.
Being a subsidiary of both VEOLIA and NAVAL GROUP, DES has a strong expertise in services to the naval industry. DES KSA also benefits from the experience of VEOLIA, established in Saudi Arabia since 1979, with an excellent knowledge of local industry and administrative practices. This is a key success factor to secure operational effectiveness at each contracts steps.
In Jeddah, our team stayed on site in Saudi Arabia to ensure continuity of services. Today, for many companies operating in Saudi Arabia, the absence of international flights makes it impossible to resume business.
"As soon as the crisis started, quickly followed by the repatriations of foreign companies’ staff, we decided to stay in the country - remembers Sébastien Dincuff. At no time we envisaged to leave, considering the Saudi administration took the right décisions, leveraging a solid and well organized health infrastructure, and offering in parallel the proper solutions for children to participate in distance learning classes.
In this context, we had all the reason to pursue our strategic works. It was for us out of question to abandon the client. When you are entrusted with strategic missions, you have the duty to assume your responsibility, whatever the circumstances. And we have resisted. I’m very proud of my staff team spirit and commitment. And two months after the beginning of the crisis, we know that we made the right choice."