Daikin Insight

Message from our Chairman and President, Mr. Masaaki Miyatake

Let me first start by extending my new year greetings to everyone. 2020 was definitely a year like no other. Despite the unprecedented circumstances brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, we went on doing what we do best -- support human health and provide comfort while creating new value for air and the environment.

The journey would not have been so effortless without the trust and confidence placed in Daikin by our partners, dealers, distributors from the Middle East and Africa and most importantly, our customers. Thank you for your continued support!

The excellent performance that Daikin posted in 2020, as the group market value had doubled, can be attributed to the robustness of our business resilience strategy amid a volatile global economy, as well as the aggressive investments and various measures that were undertaken in line with our Fusion 20 Strategic Management Plan.

Going forward, Daikin will continue to remain steadfast in its commitment towards making strategic investments that are aimed at further growing the business, while still living up to our promise of giving back to society. For sure, we will continue in our promotion of energy-efficient air conditioners and refrigerants that have less of an impact on the environment and have the potential to reduce carbon emissions that cause global warming. Our aim is to deliver good indoor air quality through whole building climate control with energy-efficiency and comfort as our core mission in the region.

Looking ahead, 2021 might bring its own share of challenges, but I am sure by working together, staying focused on our priorities, and putting our customers first, we will be able to scale greater heights, challenge new initiatives, increase brand awareness, strengthen our operations in all markets that we operate in, and introduce new technologies and solutions.

As we embark on another year that brims with possibilities and opportunities, I am very pleased to extend my very best wishes to you and your family for health and prosperity in 2021.

Message from our Vice President – Sales, Mr. Tuna Gulenc

Without a doubt, the year 2020 was a challenging period for many of us. It was during this period that we saw unprecedented difficulties and seemingly insurmountable barriers that were brought about by the still raging pandemic. While this is so, we have also witnessed an opportunity to demonstrate the resilience of the human spirit.

All of us have quickly adopted to the new normal --wearing facemasks, practicing social distancing, and remote working. As a result of joint collaboration between governments, companies and scientists, multiple vaccines have been created within less than one year giving us a key sense of confidence in our capacity to fight with the pandemic and maintain our optimism in addressing more challenges such as climate change.

We, at Daikin MEA, had ended the year celebrating this resilience as part of our long-held values and commitment to advancing major initiatives with a positive impact on global society. This is the reason Daikin has taken it upon itself to become a proactive contributor to the global environmental sustainability movement. Our commitment stems from knowing that Daikin and the whole HVAC industry have a pivotal role to play to promote the wellbeing of communities worldwide.

As such, designing green technologies that are capable of enhancing air quality and reducing carbon emissions remains a top priority of our organization. It is our mission to harness the full potential of our innovative solutions in energy efficiency, air quality, and environmental protection, not just to lead the HVAC industry but to transform global society as well.

In this challenging year, as Daikin MEA, we prioritized the health, wellbeing and stability of our employees and customers by taking quick steps and countermeasures. We supported our business partners, dealers, and distributors during the tough times, and concentrated on creating new solutions for the rapid changing needs of our customers. Despite the slowdown in the construction industry, we have been awarded several mega projects in the GCC region, particularly in UAE and KSA, and took concrete steps to further strengthen our Africa business foundation by establishing our Nigeria Office. Another great achievement was having been selected and awarded with the 2020 Superbrands UAE Choice Award. The award was given in recognition of our continuing commitment towards excellence in providing customers with environment-friendly HVAC products.

2020 was a year for both tackling the unprecedented changes in the social and business environment by taking quick decisions to fight with the unknown and at the same time prepare our 5 years Strategic Management Plan towards 2025. We formulated our Fusion 25 plan on the pillars of further localization and penetration actions in the MEA region, transformation towards solution business, aggressive development of Daikin brand awareness and the creation of solid business foundation in Africa to make it the next growth engine of Daikin Group.

As we welcome the new year, rest assured that we will continue in our sustainability path while bearing in mind the importance of showing resiliency amidst adversities. We look to the future with optimism and high hope.

I thank you all for your unwavering support for Daikin. I wish you and your family a prosperous and healthy 2021!