The Middle East and in specific, the GCC region, is expected to realise significant growth across its manufacturing and industrial sectors over the next 14 years, especially with announcements of Dubai Industrial Strategy 2030 and Saudi Vision 2030 amongst others. As these countries begin to diversify their economies, the demand for Personal Protection Equipment (PPE), particularly for welding will most certainly increase.

Leading up to 2030, Dubai is planning to invest Dh160 billion ($43.56 bilion) and Saudi Arabia aims to invest SR447 billion ($122 billion) in their respective visions. Dubai aims to leverage its advanced infrastructure to transform UAE into a global platform for innovative industries, whereas Saudi Arabia aims to reduce its dependency on oil and enhance its industries that include: defense, mining, oil and Gas, renewable Energy and more.

Welders during this time will be one of key pillars on which these visions will be built upon. However, they are most susceptible to injuries that include: electrical shock, exposure to fumes and gases, excessive noise, fires and explosions, optical hazards, difficult work environments, hot metals and more.

According to Transparency Market Research’s Personal Protective Equipment market report, the global PPE market is projected to reach Dh 202.7 billion ($55.18 billion) by 2020.

Furthermore, in terms of which products are expected to generate the most revenue in PPE, head, eye and face protection tops the list followed by hearing protection, protective clothing, respiratory protection, protective footwear, fall protection, hand protection and more.

The GCC region is taking proactive measures to protect workers from poor standards in workplace safety. In fact, in the Emirates, the new Standard Limited-Term Employment Contract states that financial assistance will also have to be provided by the employer following the injury.

The developments made in the region to safeguard their workforce will only further increase the projected value of the PPE market by 2030.

These stricter regulations have encouraged companies to take proactive measures and invest in more equipment such as in-ear earpieces, headsets, heat stress monitors, air quality monitors, welding respirators and welding helmets such as the 3M Speedglas 9100 welding helmets with auto-darkening filter (ADF) kit 9100Xxi.

Specifically referring to the 3M Speedglas ADF, the innovative product sets a new standard for visibility, convenience and ease of use. It provides the welder with better control of the weld puddle with a view that appears lighter, brighter and more realistic. It also facilitates greater precisions with set-up and finishing operations as well as simplifies workflow with a convenient, ‘gloves-on’ memory mode switching feature that puts a clearer view of welding machine controls.

Access to state-of-the-art and responsive technology like this that enhances visibility in low light conditions enables welders to have maximum control of their work process and mitigate the potential injuries that can occur while conducting a certain welding task.

In addition, by equipping workers with the most advanced protection equipment, companies can reap the benefits of reduced downtime that is caused by injuries, replacement, delays and more resulting in projects being completed on time or perhaps well ahead of schedule.

At 3M, we are committed to invest in research and development that not only focuses on improving technical standards, but also on improving comfort, value for money as well as durability.