Adnan Merhaba
Partner
Global Head, Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Competence Center
Adnan advises Energy & Utilities companies on growth and investment strategies with broad, cross-sector experience and expertise in organization transformation and restructuring.
Areas of Focus
Education
Indian School of Business, Hyderabad, India
Master of Business Administration
Ohio State University (Columbus, Ohio, US)
Masters’ degree in Materials Science and Engineering
Birla Institute of Technology and Science (Pilani, India)
Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering
Past Experience
American Technical Ceramics
Process Engineer
Adnan is a partner within the Energy & Utilities Practice at Arthur D. Little Middle East. He is also Global Head of the Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Competence Center.
Adnan serves Energy & Utilities clients across the region, covering wide-ranging topics such as renewable energy, market regulation, and investment & diversification strategies.
Since joining Arthur D. Little in 2010, Adnan has been actively involved in complex strategy development, organization design, and transformation projects for clients spanning broad sectors in the Middle East.
Prior to joining Arthur D. Little, Adnan worked in the microelectronics industry in the US for over eight years, gaining deep experience in strategy and operations topics.
In addition to consulting, Adnan is passionate about child health and education-related causes; he has also served as president of a charitable organization, Association for India's Development (AID), in the US.
The kingdom’s growth engine
With guidance from its Vision 2030 strategy, The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) aspires to become one of the world’s 15 largest economies. Unlocking the growth potential outside its urban centers will play a vital role in achieving this ambitious objective, alongside other growth drivers. This Viewpoint analyzes the primary success factors that are available to state and non-state actors to realize the full potential of KSA’s regions.
Successful private sector participation in noncore defense activities
Defense entities are facing increasing complexity. While defense budgets are decreasing in real terms, the range of threats is widening. Managing the integration of technology and capabilities across land, sea, air, and space is ever more crucial. These challenges require an emphasis on core defense activities. Expanding private sector participation (PSP) in noncore defense services and assets is an option that improves focus, meets challenges, and frees up budgets for frontline activities.
Technology foresight: anticipating future impact
THE GROWING IMPORTANCE OF TECHNOLOGY FORESIGHT
What is technology foresight?
The National Innovation Ecosystem
Innovation is key in driving social and economic development and bridging the wealth gap between emerging and developed countries. Over the last 50 years, only a few countries, such as South Korea and Singapore, have succeeded in unlocking the full benefits of nation-wide innovation. Instrumental to their success is a systematic approach tackling innovation in a holistic manner that captures policy, governance, innovation engines and innovation enablers to shape their innovation ecosystem and bridge systemic and market gaps.
Upscaling digital pilots in oil and gas
The oil and gas sector has been applying cutting-edge technologies and digital solutions for years but failed to tap the full potential of digital. Companies have been able to sustain these inefficiencies during the period of high oil prices. However, with the increasing market pressures, they must better utilize the available digital applications to remain competitive. Moreover, the COVID-19 crisis is changing the sector, with oil prices plummeting to lows not seen since 1998, forcing oil and gas companies to further accelerate the incorporation of digital solutions.
Capturing value from earth observation analytics
The increasing number of satellites, the growing variety of earth observation (EO) sensors, and the adoption of new analytics techniques are driving the growth of the satellite-based EO analytics industry. Over the next decade a wide number of sectors will further leverage EO to enhance their decision-making and operational processes. However, as of today, EO analytics is a fragmented, niche industry, with several players evolving their value chain positioning and business models. In light of this, Arthur D.
The Space Agency of the Future
The space sector has been increasingly moving from specialized activity within the domain of superpowers and large industrial conglomerates and corporations to a more democratized and accessible undertaking. The spur of new actors, both public and private, as well as emerging space countries, creates a new impetus for space agencies and governments as key space sector enablers.
A sky full of eyes – Commercial opportunity in Earth observation
600+ Earth observation satellites are constantly keeping an eye on us from space – is there a commercial opportunity in Earth watching, and how can companies play in this space?
The Earth observation satellites are orbiting our planet, collecting data and images, as well as monitoring and tracking changesIn eight executive briefing series, Arthur D. Little shares key insight into the commercial opportunity in Earth observation and how companies can play and win in this space. We look into:
Future of batteries
Battery technologies are central to delivering significant advances in a wide range of industries, from electric vehicles to renewable power. This has catapulted battery technology to the top of the priority list for many players, leading to a huge boom in investment, as companies try to build key positions in the market.
Balancing the positives and negatives – The rise of the battery ecosystem
Expanding markets such as electric vehicles, renewable energy storage and consumer electronics are driving enormous interest and investment in the battery sector, from both incumbents and new players. Based on a new ADL study, this article explores the drivers, challenges and likely outcomes in the market, providing key lessons to inform future strategies.
Saudi Arabia: World leader in solar power?
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has laid out an ambitious plan to modernize the country and move its economy away from its dependence on oil. A key part of this plan is to begin meaningfully tapping one of the country’s most abundant natural resources: solar power. Already, the Kingdom has pledged to have 9.5 GW of installed capacity by 2023.
Diversification in the Era of Convergence
Corporations have pursued diversification strategies for decades as a means by which to create long-term value and achieve sustained growth. Historically, companies such as General Electric diversified via inorganic acquisitions1, in;addition to investing heavily in R&D programs. We characterize these traditional diversification investment models as “Acquire” and “Invent”:
Agility in managing electricity grids: The case for batteries
The rise in renewable energy has created unprecedented challenges for the planning and operation of an electricity grid that was built on the assumption of power being provided predominantly by large, centralized generation sources and consumed as soon as it is produced. As a means of addressing these challenges, batterystorage technologies are therefore attracting great interest, and this article looks at their future role and the drivers and barriers to their greater adoption in major markets.
Battery Storage: Still Too Early?
Renewable energy deployment over the last decades has posed unprecedented challenges for the planning and operation of power systems. In the context of increasingly decentralized and intermittent generation, power utilities1 and system operators need to rethink their portfolios, business models and positions in the market in order to be resilient to these changes and benefit from them.
Smart Cities – Turning challenge into opportunity
The 100 largest cities in the world produce 25% of the planet’s wealth. To succeed more and more cities are going “Smart” in order to meet their biggest challenges and enrich the quality of their citizens’ lives. This unstoppable trend is driving double-digit growth in a trillion-dollar global market. What are the opportunities for telecom companies, utilities, financial institutions, transportation companies, software developers, equipment manufacturers and others in this market?
Emerging technologies in Solar
The rapidly declining unit cost of silicon-based photovoltaic (PV) cells over the past four decades has facilitated the advent of PV as a commercially viable energy source. However, emerging PV technologies currently in development show the potential to disrupt and replace the dominant market incumbent crystalline silicon (c-Si) technology in the future.
GCC Solar Energy: Turning plans into reality
The potential for solar energy in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is indisputable. Underpinned by the acute need to find alternative energy sources to reduce the opportunity cost of burning fossil-fuels, as well as the requirements to drive economic development, employment and technology intensive industries, the “solar industry” is no longer a sector this region can afford to ignore and not develop. Acknowledging this, the region has announced ambitious plans to exploit the solar-energy opportunities in the last half-decade.
Feed the Lion
The African continent is seeing rapid economic growth, coupled with a substantial increase in middle-class population and disposable income levels. Global companies are eyeing the African market for future growth and investing accordingly, especially in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) segment. For companies planning to enter/expand in Africa, the key is to look beyond the obvious and invest in emerging economies in the African continent for sustained growth.
Adnan is a partner within the Energy & Utilities Practice at Arthur D. Little Middle East. He is also Global Head of the Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Competence Center.
Adnan serves Energy & Utilities clients across the region, covering wide-ranging topics such as renewable energy, market regulation, and investment & diversification strategies.
Since joining Arthur D. Little in 2010, Adnan has been actively involved in complex strategy development, organization design, and transformation projects for clients spanning broad sectors in the Middle East.
Prior to joining Arthur D. Little, Adnan worked in the microelectronics industry in the US for over eight years, gaining deep experience in strategy and operations topics.
In addition to consulting, Adnan is passionate about child health and education-related causes; he has also served as president of a charitable organization, Association for India's Development (AID), in the US.
The kingdom’s growth engine
With guidance from its Vision 2030 strategy, The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) aspires to become one of the world’s 15 largest economies. Unlocking the growth potential outside its urban centers will play a vital role in achieving this ambitious objective, alongside other growth drivers. This Viewpoint analyzes the primary success factors that are available to state and non-state actors to realize the full potential of KSA’s regions.
Successful private sector participation in noncore defense activities
Defense entities are facing increasing complexity. While defense budgets are decreasing in real terms, the range of threats is widening. Managing the integration of technology and capabilities across land, sea, air, and space is ever more crucial. These challenges require an emphasis on core defense activities. Expanding private sector participation (PSP) in noncore defense services and assets is an option that improves focus, meets challenges, and frees up budgets for frontline activities.
Technology foresight: anticipating future impact
THE GROWING IMPORTANCE OF TECHNOLOGY FORESIGHT
What is technology foresight?
The National Innovation Ecosystem
Innovation is key in driving social and economic development and bridging the wealth gap between emerging and developed countries. Over the last 50 years, only a few countries, such as South Korea and Singapore, have succeeded in unlocking the full benefits of nation-wide innovation. Instrumental to their success is a systematic approach tackling innovation in a holistic manner that captures policy, governance, innovation engines and innovation enablers to shape their innovation ecosystem and bridge systemic and market gaps.
Upscaling digital pilots in oil and gas
The oil and gas sector has been applying cutting-edge technologies and digital solutions for years but failed to tap the full potential of digital. Companies have been able to sustain these inefficiencies during the period of high oil prices. However, with the increasing market pressures, they must better utilize the available digital applications to remain competitive. Moreover, the COVID-19 crisis is changing the sector, with oil prices plummeting to lows not seen since 1998, forcing oil and gas companies to further accelerate the incorporation of digital solutions.
Capturing value from earth observation analytics
The increasing number of satellites, the growing variety of earth observation (EO) sensors, and the adoption of new analytics techniques are driving the growth of the satellite-based EO analytics industry. Over the next decade a wide number of sectors will further leverage EO to enhance their decision-making and operational processes. However, as of today, EO analytics is a fragmented, niche industry, with several players evolving their value chain positioning and business models. In light of this, Arthur D.
The Space Agency of the Future
The space sector has been increasingly moving from specialized activity within the domain of superpowers and large industrial conglomerates and corporations to a more democratized and accessible undertaking. The spur of new actors, both public and private, as well as emerging space countries, creates a new impetus for space agencies and governments as key space sector enablers.
A sky full of eyes – Commercial opportunity in Earth observation
600+ Earth observation satellites are constantly keeping an eye on us from space – is there a commercial opportunity in Earth watching, and how can companies play in this space?
The Earth observation satellites are orbiting our planet, collecting data and images, as well as monitoring and tracking changesIn eight executive briefing series, Arthur D. Little shares key insight into the commercial opportunity in Earth observation and how companies can play and win in this space. We look into:
Future of batteries
Battery technologies are central to delivering significant advances in a wide range of industries, from electric vehicles to renewable power. This has catapulted battery technology to the top of the priority list for many players, leading to a huge boom in investment, as companies try to build key positions in the market.
Balancing the positives and negatives – The rise of the battery ecosystem
Expanding markets such as electric vehicles, renewable energy storage and consumer electronics are driving enormous interest and investment in the battery sector, from both incumbents and new players. Based on a new ADL study, this article explores the drivers, challenges and likely outcomes in the market, providing key lessons to inform future strategies.
Saudi Arabia: World leader in solar power?
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has laid out an ambitious plan to modernize the country and move its economy away from its dependence on oil. A key part of this plan is to begin meaningfully tapping one of the country’s most abundant natural resources: solar power. Already, the Kingdom has pledged to have 9.5 GW of installed capacity by 2023.
Diversification in the Era of Convergence
Corporations have pursued diversification strategies for decades as a means by which to create long-term value and achieve sustained growth. Historically, companies such as General Electric diversified via inorganic acquisitions1, in;addition to investing heavily in R&D programs. We characterize these traditional diversification investment models as “Acquire” and “Invent”:
Agility in managing electricity grids: The case for batteries
The rise in renewable energy has created unprecedented challenges for the planning and operation of an electricity grid that was built on the assumption of power being provided predominantly by large, centralized generation sources and consumed as soon as it is produced. As a means of addressing these challenges, batterystorage technologies are therefore attracting great interest, and this article looks at their future role and the drivers and barriers to their greater adoption in major markets.
Battery Storage: Still Too Early?
Renewable energy deployment over the last decades has posed unprecedented challenges for the planning and operation of power systems. In the context of increasingly decentralized and intermittent generation, power utilities1 and system operators need to rethink their portfolios, business models and positions in the market in order to be resilient to these changes and benefit from them.
Smart Cities – Turning challenge into opportunity
The 100 largest cities in the world produce 25% of the planet’s wealth. To succeed more and more cities are going “Smart” in order to meet their biggest challenges and enrich the quality of their citizens’ lives. This unstoppable trend is driving double-digit growth in a trillion-dollar global market. What are the opportunities for telecom companies, utilities, financial institutions, transportation companies, software developers, equipment manufacturers and others in this market?
Emerging technologies in Solar
The rapidly declining unit cost of silicon-based photovoltaic (PV) cells over the past four decades has facilitated the advent of PV as a commercially viable energy source. However, emerging PV technologies currently in development show the potential to disrupt and replace the dominant market incumbent crystalline silicon (c-Si) technology in the future.
GCC Solar Energy: Turning plans into reality
The potential for solar energy in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is indisputable. Underpinned by the acute need to find alternative energy sources to reduce the opportunity cost of burning fossil-fuels, as well as the requirements to drive economic development, employment and technology intensive industries, the “solar industry” is no longer a sector this region can afford to ignore and not develop. Acknowledging this, the region has announced ambitious plans to exploit the solar-energy opportunities in the last half-decade.
Feed the Lion
The African continent is seeing rapid economic growth, coupled with a substantial increase in middle-class population and disposable income levels. Global companies are eyeing the African market for future growth and investing accordingly, especially in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) segment. For companies planning to enter/expand in Africa, the key is to look beyond the obvious and invest in emerging economies in the African continent for sustained growth.
More About Adnan
- Indian School of Business, Hyderabad, IndiaMaster of Business Administration
- Ohio State University (Columbus, Ohio, US)Masters’ degree in Materials Science and Engineering
- Birla Institute of Technology and Science (Pilani, India)Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering
- American Technical CeramicsProcess Engineer