"In the Middle East and Africa trust often beats price and technology in importance."
Based in Dubai, Sven Baumgarten manages KSB’s largest geographical market: The region Middle East, Africa and Central Asia spans 80 countries with almost two billion people and has seen a surging demand for water, energy and infrastructure. In the interview with "Stream of Stories" he discusses the growth markets in Africa and the Middle East, touches on how to handle crises and conflicts – and delves into why trust and a local presence are decisive in his region.
Stream of Stories: Mr Baumgarten, after you had already been working for KSB for a long time, you shifted to Johannesburg in 2015 to manage KSB in South Africa. At the time you were 49 years old. Why did you go abroad this late in your professional life?
Sven Baumgarten: I had always wanted to go abroad. And also I had long been wanting to get into company management. At KSB in Frankenthal I had been managing a department with more than 200 employees, but managing a company is different. KSB South Africa cannot be compared with a department; it’s more like a complete unit in itself with about 500 employees, a factory, service, and various branches throughout the country. That was extremely attractive to me.
Did you know Africa at all back then?
No, I didn't. I simply boarded the plane. Right from when I landed, I knew: This is exactly what I am looking for. When it comes to Africa there are two types of people: Those who like it instantly and those who will always find it quite foreign. I am definitely among the ones who loved it straightaway. Arriving at Johannesburg airport still feels very special to me every time: The smell of nature, the fantastic weather.
You now live and work in Dubai and are responsible for a region that is much larger than South Africa, namely the region Middle East, Africa and Central Asia. Could you give us a rough idea of this region?
The region spans 80 countries in total, namely all of the countries on the African continent as well as the Middle East and Central Asia. From west to east, it spans from Morocco to Pakistan, from south to north from South Africa to Russia. The population is just under 2 billion. We have got 18 KSB companies in this region. South Africa is still the largest. Further large KSB companies with their own factories are located in Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. Almost 2000 people work for KSB in this region.
Keeping an eye on 80 countries: Sven Baumgarten
Sven Baumgarten is looking back on nearly 30 years with KSB. After studying mechanical engineering, he started working in research and development in Frankenthal in 1997. In 2005, he changed to pump sales for nuclear applications. In 2015, he took the leap abroad: As Managing Director he headed KSB South Africa in Johannesburg. Since June 2019 he has been based in Dubai, managing the region Middle East, Africa and Central Asia – one of the geographically largest and culturally most diverse of KSB’s regions.
In 2025 your region’s sales revenue increased by 7.6 percent, the highest percentage growth of all KSB regions. What is behind this?
In the last few years, growth mainly occurred in Saudi Arabia and in the United Arab Emirates. Here, we saw a rise in projects surrounding the topic of water: water supply, waste water disposal, desalination plants, and water transport. KSB is traditionally very strong in this field.
Another major source of revenue is the oil and gas industry. Saudi Arabia is certainly number one worldwide, but the UAE and North Africa are also strong players. Mining is also a key application – especially on the African continent, but also in Saudi Arabia and Central Asia.
In addition, business in Africa and other parts of the region has been going well because the infrastructure needs some major investments. There is still a lot of catching up to do, compared to Europe. Population growth is particularly high in Africa, which drives the growing demand for energy, water and infrastructure.
What do you need to consider, coming from Europe and wanting to manage a company in Africa or the Middle East?
Generally, you need to be more flexible. Things can change faster here than in Europe, and many things are less predictable.
You also need to be open-minded and receptive. In many countries in Africa and the Middle East, concluding a contract is based on relationships and trust rather than on facts alone. A lot of business is based on how long the partners have known each other and on whether trust has been established. Price and technology only come in second place. At the end of the day, purchases are made when price and performance are right, but first of all a deep customer relationship has to be established and maintained.
"Here in Dubai we have people from 20 nationalities working together harmoniously."
Sven Baumgarten
What are the greatest challenges in your region?
There is hardly any other region with so many conflicts. This is something we have to be able to deal with. We are generally neutral. We manufacture peaceful products, don’t get involved in political conflicts and comply with all regulations and sanctions.
Nevertheless, creating economic stability is challenging in this context. We cannot influence when a crisis might occur, but we can stabilise our companies and partners. For this reason we are currently founding a company in Iraq. We want to demonstrate that we are going to be present and reliable in the long term – we are not here to do some quick export deals and then disappear.
Another major challenge is finding qualified staff. The education system in many countries is not as well-structured and as broad as in Germany. This is why the region lacks a middle layer of well-educated office and workshop staff. I may have well-qualified finance experts or engineers, but am lacking skilled workers or industrial mechanics. Training our employees is key. We train staff ourselves, hold our own training events and promote job rotation for professional development. The people in this region are very fond of this approach.
The city you live and work in, Dubai, is presently affected by the conflict between the USA and Iran. What is the situation like for you right there?
It is certainly quite an unusual situation. Until the ceasefire in April, the situation felt absurd, with drones flying over regularly. At the same time, the UAE’s aerial defence is excellent. For safety reasons, our employees in Dubai are currently working from home. This is not an option for Abu Dhabi where we operate a service site with a workshop.
Economically speaking, the situation in the UAE has had a clear impact as no exports can leave via the Port of Jebel Ali at the moment. The Strait of Hormuz continues to be blocked, which has considerably restricted the movement of goods with immediate consequences for our business.
The team of KSB Middle East: Hardly any KSB site has got people from as many different nationalities working together as the one in Dubai.
In the past, German companies saw Africa and the Middle East mainly as export markets. Why is this model no longer adequate today?
I wouldn’t say these times are over yet, but the approach has changed considerably. Today, more and more countries follow the motto: Local for Local. Saudi Arabia is the perfect example. They would rather produce goods locally than simply import them. KSB’s success in Saudi Arabia is based on us having a factory there.
Naturally, we cannot have a production site in every country. But it starts with not simply flying from Frankfurt to Tanzania on a Monday to do business and then flying back home on Wednesday. You have to be present locally – ideally with you own company, local employees and a service workshop. This is how you create trust and prove to your customers: If something breaks down, there will be someone here for you, from your country, who speaks your language – not someone from Europe arriving quite some time later.
Hardly any KSB site has got people from as many different nationalities working together as the one in Dubai. How do you like working in such a multi-cultural environment?
We have employees from almost 20 different nationalities. Traditionally, many Indians, Pakistanis and Filipinos have been working in Dubai. There are also Europeans, Moroccans, Egyptians, South Africans, Kenyans and numerous others – a very colourful mix. It always fascinates me to see these nationalities live together so peacefully. One reason is the country itself. About 90 percent of the people living in the UAE are workers from other countries. They have come to live here because there are enough jobs and opportunities for development – as long as you live by the rules. If you don't, you'll be sent packing in no time.
KSB's culture certainly also contributes to us getting on so well. As a company we are non-political and unprejudiced. Whether someone comes from Kenya, Pakistan, France or Italy makes no difference. We are a family.
What would you miss if you came back to live in Germany?
I would definitely miss the cultural diversity of this region. And all the travel I want and have to do – which means I am frequently in contact with colleagues from the most diverse of countries and cultures. That's something I really enjoy.
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