A growing storage and logistics player in MENA

UAE

Zakee Siddiqi, chairman and CEO of the SIDDCO Group, talks to The Energy Year about expanding the group’s capabilities for storing Class 1 petroleum products and chemicals and its ongoing investment in logistics in Africa. The SIDDCO Group is an industrial group that offers bulk liquid storage for petroleum and chemical products and engages in plastic and polymer manufacturing, petroleum and chemicals trading, and engineering.

What is your assessment of ADNOC’s and the UAE’s in-country value (ICV) initiatives?
We take pride in being an Emirati company, based in DIFC [Dubai International Financial Centre]. While DIFC doesn’t hold financial significance for us, it symbolises our commitment to compliance, which we uphold rigorously with a dedicated department. The “Emirati company” and “DIFC” labels are greatly respected internationally, which is something we deeply value and cherish. Our partners recognise and appreciate our origins, and as we expand globally, we take our expertise and culture with us.
We have campaigned for social impact and ICV long before ICV became a formal initiative in the UAE. I have always been vocal about the importance of industrialisation and job creation in the region. Our commitment is reflected in our efforts to train and empower local talent, which includes an affiliation with the University of Sharjah. Many interns have come to us for training, and we take them in gladly to foster the growth of local expertise, especially in process engineering and technology.

Can you provide an overview of your business growth strategy?
Through regional diversification into Africa, we aim to expand our core businesses of plastics manufacturing, oil blending and refineries, engineering and fabrication, logistics and trading to a point where we will employ at least 5,000 people and make a positive impact on society.
Expanding our plant in Al Hamriyah, Sharjah, is also a top priority. We aim to add 45,000 cubic metres of tank storage capacity for Class 1 petroleum products and chemicals and reach an aggregate capacity of 120,000 cubic metres.
Technology is another major focus, and we are developing TIMS [Terminal Integrity Management System], a cloud-based software platform that integrates every aspect of compliance into operations and addresses some overwhelming gaps in conventional enterprise resource planning and workflow management systems. It incorporates AI and we plan to expand its functionality into our management and legal departments.
Additionally, we are incorporating robotics to monitor and inspect oil and gas facilities. We are introducing sensor-equipped robots for safety and efficiency and are setting new standards in operational safety.
Our growth strategy is based on logistics technology and we are developing certain innovations to revolutionise LPG logistics. We are replacing costly gas carriers and monopolistic infrastructures with ISO-compliant containers that can carry the product. By creating a virtual pipeline of simplified transport via regular vessels, we can reach consumers directly – even in landlocked areas – with smaller, affordable shipments. This plan will reduce costs and reshape the energy supply chain. We aim to start implementing it in 2026.

How important are African markets for your business?
After years of slow growth, Africa is poised to enter 2025 with accelerated economic activity powered by easing inflation, interest-rate cuts, key funding and market reforms. The region’s largest and most exposed economies have secured support to tackle economic imbalances and sovereign debt pressures.
There is demand all over Africa for goods and services from reliable companies that uphold quality, compliance and ethical practices, and we are always looking to deepen our penetration into the continent. For instance, we are in the process of establishing a fully automated state-of-the-art facility to manufacture lubricants, speciality oils and greases in Ghana. It will have a capacity of 5,000 tonnes per month.
In addition, we are shifting our plastic moulding unit. It is based on multi-layer Italian technology that can comply with regulations for post-consumer recycled content. It will be capable of producing 5 million bottles of various formats and sizes per month and be the largest facility of its kind in Africa.

Where else in Africa do you hope to establish a presence?
We are active in Senegal and Tanzania and are seeking to gradually expand into Mali, Mauritania, Gambia, Burkina Faso and Guinea-Bissau. As some countries still face significant political challenges, we will establish our operations in stable countries such as Ghana, Senegal and Tanzania. We aim to establish Class 1 bulk liquid terminals and depots that are compliant with international HSE and traceability standards.
Efficient logistics is key, and we are exploring the use of electric trucks and charging stations to reduce our carbon footprint. The region’s rising consumption and the presence of valuable natural resources are creating opportunities that we are eager to pursue.

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