1. Air Liquide
in Middle East & Africa
元 team

2. Facts & figures
Middle East
Africa
Establishment strategy

3. Facts & figures Air Liquide: a world leader Financial specificities:
Turnover: 12 billion
22% market share
43,000 people in 75 countries
Financial specificities:
40% of shareholders are private
Capital intensive industry

4. Facts & figures The different trades of the company
Large industries > plants directly connected to pipes
Industrial customers > Sales of bottled gas and gas liquid
Healthcare > medical gas / therapy gas
Electronics > pure gases (semiconductor, photovoltaic)
Related activities > specialty chemicals, welding, diving,…

5. Facts & figures Main competitors: Strengths and strategy:
Strong presence in Europe (especially Western Europe)
Strong presence in Asia (No. 2 in Japan)
Strategy: racing for new geographical areas and different fields.

6. Middle East Characteristics: Air Liquide’s development: Low demography
High purchasing power
Oil & Gas oriented
Air Liquide’s development:
Mostly recent (last 10 years)
Based on large industries

7. Africa Characteristics: Air Liquide’s development: High demography
Low purchasing power
Raw material oriented
Air Liquide’s development:
Historical zone (colonies) + recent development
Based on industrial customers and healthcare

8. Establishment strategy
Air Liquide golden rules:
Be open, curious, travel, meet local people.
Have locals in the Board of Directors
Relationship with the IFRI, the Chamber of Commerce in Paris, embassies, missions economiques
Few expatriates
sets up gradually (easier to leave in necessary)

9. Establishment strategy
Specific challenges
Electricity consumption
Local financial resources
Human resources
No need a lot of space

10. Establishment strategy
Few failures:
Mexico: poor internal analysis + external condition (devaluation)
In other countries (Algeria, China, Iran, ...): threw out

11. Thank you for your attention!
Any questions?
元 team 11