DMS Interview -

Mr. Abdullatif Abdul Hadi

Executive Director - Abdulhadi & Al Moaibed Consulting & Design Engineers (AMCDE), , Saudi Arabia.

We are pleased to release an interview with Mr. Abdullatif Abdul Hadi,Executive Director of Abdulhadi & Al Moaibed Consulting & Design Engineers (AMCDE), Saudi Arabia.

Mr. Hadi completed his degree in civil engineering from the University of Florida and has served as the Director of AMCDE since its conception in 1992. He was interviewed by DMS Editor for Saudi Arabia, Mr. Abdul Naeem.

Good evening and thank you for giving us the opportunity to interview you.
               

Thank you, the pleasure is all mine.                 
               

What is AMCDE’s  association with KBR?
                 

We have a contract with KBR with regards to the in-kingdom export refinery.
               

How is AMCDE cashing in on the influx of major projects in the Gulf?
     

We are expanding our resources to meet market requirements. We are very active in Dubai, Qatar Petroleum and in-kingdom  PMC projects.

Kindly highlight the recent projects that AMCDE has accomplished in Saudi Arabia?
    

We have recently successfully completed work on the Water Injection Well Heads and Transport Systems of the Khurashiniyah Producing Facilities.

We are now in the last phase of completion of a major plan for the Dammam Municipality. The plan comprises feasibility studies for transportation, social economic studies, satellite studies and regional urban planning from Rastanura to the Half Moon region of Al Khobar.

It also includes a twenty five-year development plan. A total of one hundred thousand man-hours have been spent on the job which has taken us three years to accomplish.
               

Are there any other industry sectors that you are interested in venturing into at the moment ?
   

We are interested in bidding for Saudi Arabian transportation upgrade projects.

With regards to our operations in Dubai, we are involved in the Dubai MEP projects and design contracts for major construction works.
               

Which ongoing projects are AMCDE currently involved in?
               

Some of the major projects AMCDE is currently involved in are the Control Room Upgrades in Qatar Petroleum and the in- kingdom PMC for the Yanbu Export Refinery with KBR.
               

If you were to compare the energy sector in the Middle East versus Europe who do you think is currently leading the field?
               

Definitely the Middle East because the volume of work is present both in upstream and downstream projects.
               

Considering the current boom in projects in the energy sector, how do you see the industry in five years time ?
               

In terms of projects and production we are at a peak now and the industry will slow down in the next five years.
               

What would you say is the main reason for AMCDE’s success in the Middle East during this time?
               

We at AMCDE give priority to quality which we are continuously aiming to improve.  
               

Kindly highlight AMCDE’s  global presence?
               

AMCDE has business interests in Dubai, Qatar, Egypt , Morocco, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.
               

What is AMCDE’s target for the next five years?
 

The future looks very promising for us. We will strive to provide engineering services on an international level.

We will also strive to educate the present Saudi generation in technical fields and achieve a Saudi work force of 50-60%. We intend to train and hire more Saudi engineers.
               

What is AMCDE’s point of view on the GES Conference being organised by DMS?
   

We would love to participate and interact with our colleagues in the GES and EPC community. We wish DMS the very best and offer our support.

It is rumoured that Saudi Aramco is reducing the number of their GES qualified contractors. How do you think that would affect business? In your opinion what would be the best alternative?

That is a tricky question. We would not like to comment on this matter.

However, it would be in the interest of Saudi Aramco to have a large engineering office in the kingdom and encourage mergers within the GES contractors.

Saudi Aramco is depending more on international EPC contractors for major in-kingdom projects. However there is a view that other local EPC contractors should be taken into account.
               

Definitely, we should encourage the local contracting companies to participate in major EPC contracts. Saudi Aramco should encourage profitable mergers within the GES, International EPC and local EPC companies.

How is AMCDE contributing to Saudisation?

We have started the training centre which is a joint venture between us and an engineering company. The training centre trains high school graduates in professional CAD courses.

It is a first step and the training centre is a big success. AMCDE now has a 38% technical Saudi work force comprising of students from this technical institute.

How do you rate the DMS Correspondent project tracking system with regards to its other competitors in the market?
               

I think it a great source of information and it keeps us informed of the latest happenings in the energy industry.