Message from General Manager for Middle East & Africa

As geopolitical shifts and the energy transition drastically alter the global industrial structure, Sumitomo Corporation Middle East & Africa Group, established in April 2022, is accelerating new strategic developments with the aim of achieving sustainable growth together with the high-profile Middle East and Africa region.

In addition to its traditional role as an oil and gas supply hub, the Middle East is at the forefront of the energy transition to a decarbonized economy, with countries in the region expanding their hydrogen, renewable energy, and carbon credit markets. Furthermore, the MENA region as a whole has grown to a scale comparable to ASEAN in terms of population, economy (GDP), and energy consumption. Infrastructure development and urbanization are driving economic growth, and growing domestic demand is creating new market opportunities.

The population of Africa is expected to grow rapidly from approximately 1.4 billion in 2022 to 1.7 billion in 2030 and 2.5 billion, or a quarter of the world's population, in 2050, making Africa a global growth engine in the mid-21st century and beyond. Its leapfrogging has accelerated through the evolution of digital finance, HealthTech, and AgriTech and the continent is attracting attention as a frontier of the global economy.

While continuing our ongoing collaboration with nearby Sumitomo Corporation Group in Europe, the CIS, and Asia, Sumitomo Corporation Middle East & Africa Group will achieve sustainable growth by responding to social issues and needs unique to the region based on regional characteristics and in line with Sumitomo's Business Philosophy and unwavering values. We will expand our existing business base of tubular products, automotive sales & marketing, and infrastructure, which is the foundation of our growth, and add the intersections of "energy transition," "agriculture and food," and "DX" in order to grow together with local communities and serve as a partner in co-creating a sustainable future.