As practitioners deepen their engagement with the complexities of economic diversification and industrial strategy, In-Country Value (ICV) has become a cornerstone of national planning and corporate execution—particularly in resource-rich economies. For seasoned professionals seeking to enhance the effectiveness and strategic alignment of their ICV programs, Dr. Syham Bentouati offers both a wealth of expertise and a fresh perspective.
A leading voice in the Middle East’s ICV evolution, Dr. Bentouati brings decades of cross-sector experience to DAI’s Local Content Masterclass, an advanced training platform tailored for professionals tasked with refining, scaling, and innovating local content initiatives.
Founder and Managing Director of NAFAS International, Dr. Bentouati has built her career at the cutting edge of technology, sustainability, and economic empowerment. Her work helps companies and governments redefine value creation through a locally anchored, globally competitive lens—an approach she brings with clarity and conviction to DAI’s flagship training program.
“In the Middle East, particularly the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), ICV has moved from a ‘nice-to-have’ to a necessity,” says Dr. Bentouati. “With fast-growing populations, a young workforce, and ambitious national visions like Oman Vision 2040 and Saudi Vision 2030, economic diversification and job creation are no longer optional—they’re urgent.”
A Strategic Imperative for the Middle East
Dr. Bentouati’s insights are grounded in years of hands-on experience. Before founding NAFAS, she spent nearly a decade at Petroleum Development Oman (PDO), where she helped shape the company’s approach to ICV through innovation strategy and R&D leadership. Her pioneering work on the Middle East’s first Solar Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) project earned her the prestigious World Oil Innovative Thinker Award in 2013.
Her transition into ICV from a high-tech engineering background (including roles at Rolls-Royce in the UK and the Nordics) is no accident. She views ICV not as a bureaucratic metric, but as a mechanism for sustainable national development—one that can and should be embedded across all sectors, not just energy. “ICV can drive local capability development, stimulate small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), foster long-term partnerships, and support national innovation agendas,” she explains. “But to do that, we need to rethink ICV as more than just a compliance requirement. It has to become a strategic enabler of global competitiveness.”
This vision is precisely what she brings to the Local Content Masterclass.
Real-World Strategies for Real-World Challenges
DAI’s Local Content Masterclass, built on decades of advisory work and long-term projects with governments and multinational companies, offers a deep dive into designing and executing robust local content strategies. With a curriculum focused on practical tools, global benchmarks, and stakeholder engagement, it is uniquely positioned to serve leaders across sectors and regions.
Dr. Bentouati’s role in the program is to ensure ICV is not just understood in theory, but contextualized through lived experience. “What participants really value are real examples and multi-sector case studies,” she says. “Because I’ve worked across industries, I can respond to questions in a practical, tailored way. That’s essential for learning—especially when you’re working in regions where ICV frameworks are still evolving.”
She highlights that one of the key takeaways from the masterclass is the resolution of common internal tensions—such as between contract engineers and ICV managers—through clear methodologies and role alignment. “The training bridges gaps. It creates a shared understanding of what good local content looks like and how to measure it.”
Learning Across Borders, Scaling Across Sectors
While her experience is steeped in the MENA region, Dr. Bentouati is careful to point out that the value of the Local Content Masterclass extends well beyond the Gulf. “Although ICV strategies in the Middle East are often driven by government mandates and national visions, the core principle—maximizing economic value in-country—is universally relevant,” she says. “In other markets, it may align more with sustainability goals or ESG frameworks, but the strategic value remains.”
In the masterclass, participants explore both perspectives. They compare state-led and market-driven models, enabling them to return to their organizations with tools that are not only globally informed but locally adaptable.
That global-local duality is especially powerful in Dr. Bentouati’s own practice. Through NAFAS International, she advises clients on technology transfer, innovation ecosystems, and East-West business collaboration—helping them integrate local value creation into the fabric of their business models.
The Bold Shift: Rethinking ICV for the Next Decade
As Dr. Bentouati looks to the future, she calls for a bold shift in how the world approaches ICV. “To meet the challenges of the next decade, we must stop viewing ICV purely as a regulatory or national policy tool,” she asserts. “Instead, we must frame it as a strategy for building globally competitive, sustainable industries that still maximize local value.”
This shift will require not just policy changes but a fundamental reframing of ICV around innovation, environmental sustainability, and cross-border competitiveness. It’s a tall order—but one Dr. Bentouati believes is entirely achievable with the right mindset and tools.
“Countries and companies must embrace global integration and technological evolution while maintaining a strong commitment to developing their local economies, workforces, and environmental sustainability,” she says. “When done right, ICV doesn’t just fulfill requirements—it becomes a driver of long-term resilience.”
Empowering the Next Generation of ICV Leaders
At the heart of Dr. Bentouati’s work, both in the classroom and the boardroom, is a deep commitment to capability building. She is particularly passionate about aligning academic institutions with industry needs, and sees ICV as a vehicle for doing so. “Governments and companies need to align research funding with ICV and sector priorities, establish innovation hubs, and incentivize co-investment in training,” she notes. “It’s about building systems where local knowledge directly supports economic and industrial growth.”
And perhaps most importantly, she believes in the power of community and collaboration. “One of the most valuable aspects of the Local Content Masterclass is the global network it creates. Participants learn from one another, and often continue to collaborate long after the training ends.”
A Leader with Global Vision and Local Impact
Fluent in English, French, and Arabic—and with a career that bridges Europe, the Middle East, and beyond—Dr. Syham Bentouati embodies the global vision that modern ICV strategies demand. Her deep technical expertise, combined with an ability to lead cross-sector innovation, makes her a trusted advisor to governments, corporations, and communities alike.
In DAI’s Local Content Masterclass, she offers more than knowledge—she offers a roadmap for reimagining local value in a connected, rapidly evolving world.
As the world rewires its economies for resilience, inclusion, and sustainability, leaders like Dr. Bentouati are proving that local content isn’t just policy—it’s potential.
