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Guest of The Journal - Riyadh - Roy Yazigi Interviewed by Nassim Arabi Roy Yazigi, Roads & Infrastructure Projects Director, is the guest of the sixth issue of The Almabani Journal. In this interview, he talks about his early days in Almabani, his multiexperience, and his vision for the near future of Almabani. Nassim Arabi: First, I would like to thank you for giving us the time to conduct this interview with your good self. At the beginning of the interview, please introduce yourself to the readers, going over your academic background and your professional journey. Roy Yazigi: I graduated from the American University of Beirut in 1990 with a BS in Civil Engineering. After working in Lebanon for few years and then in Nigeria for two years, I returned to Lebanon and joined Almabani in the year 2000. In 2001, I moved with Almabani to Saudi Arabia and launched my career here, working on different projects scattered all over the Kingdom. I started as an assistant Roy Yazigi project manager, then project manager, steadily climbing the ladder to be where I am today, settled in Riyadh, as of December 2013, as Riyadh Roads & Infrastructure Projects Director. NA: You are now the Roads & Infrastructure Projects Director. What can you tell us about this major field in General Contracting? Where does Almabani stand among other competitors? RY: Roads and infrastructure are dynamic sectors within any urban settlement and need to be constantly upgraded and adapted to meet population growth, new traffic and safety regulations, as well as the latest technologies in traffic management systems. The aim of these projects -that may consist of roundabouts, flyovers, bridges, underpasses, landscape and hardscape works and their pertaining infrastructure- is to reduce traffic jams in urban areas, to simplify the traffic flow and find solutions for traffic congestion problems. In other words, whether executing projects of new roads and new infrastructure or upgrading the existing network, is a never ending story. The major challenge that we face during the execution of such projects is the actual traffic congestion in Riyadh. Therefore, and prior to the construction phase, attention is focused on the traffic management plan that is to be put in place during construction, to ensure it will guarantee alternative traffic routes and smooth access roads to the residents living and working in the surrounding area, with the least disturbance possible. The Kingdom has, by far, the largest roads network in the region. Thus, Almabani competitors in this sector are numerous and have extensive experience. Nevertheless, Almabani was able throughout the projects executed in the last 4 years in Riyadh –namely the Extension of the Roads in ArRiyadh Old Airport and Development of the Eastern Part of King Abdullah Road- to impose itself as a remarkable player in this field, due to the nature of the jobs undertaken, the high-end quality and the timely delivery. 10 The Almabani Journal . Issue No. 6 . August - September 2014

Guest of The Journal Roy Yazigi NA: After executing several roads & infrastructure projects in Riyadh, how do you see the relationship between Almabani & ArRiyadh Development Authority? RY: ArRiyadh Development Authority (ADA) has a special vision for its projects in Riyadh. While most of the bridges, underpasses and flyovers in major cities are built for the purpose of traffic flow enhancement exclusively, ADA’s approach goes beyond the standard traffic flow improvement, into enhancing the beauty of the city itself, making from each new road, bridge or tunnel, a city landmark. Gaining ADA’s confidence was not an easy task, and maintaining this confidence is a daily challenge for us. ADA is a very demanding client in terms of deliverables and is always looking for excellence and perfectionism, and we have never failed them. This strengthened the relation between Almabani and ADA and steadily nurtured it, regulated by our commitment to deliver the entrusted job up to the high standards that ADA has set. On the other hand, ADA management trusts Almabani’s competence and believes in our ability to complete a project on time, going beyond the expectations. Reciprocally, we trust ADA’s technical awareness of every single detail, and I can say that their support for us is invaluable. Briefly, it is a win-win healthy situation between ADA and us. NA: You have been on top of the sewerage project in Jeddah. Now that you shifted to roads & infrastructure, what major differences did you witness between those two fields? RY: The major difference is the perception of the executed works. By the end of a sewerage project, you feel that nothing has changed! Roads are still the same, lifestyle around the project’s site remains the same regardless of the substantial and extensive works that had been executed underneath. When it comes to roads and infrastructure, the whole panoramic scene changes. Roads become wider, bridges are erected and are considered among the major features of the city, etc. Each field in construction has its specific features and taste. I have already worked in airports, buildings, sewerage, transportation, and many other fields The main difference is the managerial focal point in each field. For instance, if we compare roads and infrastructure to sewerage, we can say that our major concern here (in roads and infrastructure) is how people are going to be directly affected by our rerouting and excavations, which is not the case in sewerage. Upgrading operational airports makes us focus on systems redundancies operation at all time and prioritize on traffic and passengers safety. As a personal assessment, I believe that every single project has added a certain experience to my career, regardless of the scope. And I believe that a person is considered lucky if he gains the opportunity to undergo such a variety of projects. I would never consider an experience better than another. At the end, there is a job that needs to be done. NA: Is there any business plans or strategies that are set specifically to roads & infrastructure? RY: Our strategic target is to meet excellence in delivering roads or infrastructure projects entrusted to us. This is the only way we can expand our portfolio and attract new clients. Practically, we seek to expand our horizons and build relationships with new clients. As I mentioned earlier, we delivered milestone projects that became landmarks in Riyadh, therefore after this successful reputation for Almabani, we seek potential clients whether in Riyadh or in other Saudi regions and even beyond the Saudi borders. We have the resources, we have the know-how, and therefore everything can be done. Nowadays we look at how things will evolve based on our accumulated experience in roads and infrastructure. The Almabani Journal . Issue No. 6 . August - September 2014 11

Guest of The Journal Roy Yazigi NA: How do you assess the fast-track growth that is being recently witnessed in Almabani? RY: I was expecting such growth in Almabani. This is the direct outcome and the expected result of the strategy and policy that has been planned, set and followed for the past 10 years. I give credits to the senior management of Almabani, guided by Mr. Nehmé and led by Mr. Abi Nader first and then Mr. Daher. We are harvesting today what they planted in early stages. Mr. Nehmé has an amazing capacity to believe in the future. He transmitted to all of us this vision and this spirit. We all believe that the future of this company is ours, all of us, and shall be, by God’s will, always bright. As long as we have this dream, we will keep growing. You grow when you turn your dreams into reality. We are in the midst of beautiful dreams and I am pretty sure that we are going to materialize those dreams, gradually one after another, in the near future. NA: What is in your opinion, the general image of Almabani in the near future? RY: In fact, what we are living today is the realization of what we dreamed of, six to seven years ago. And I must say that it was not that easy to realize those dreams. In order to do so, different strategic decisions had to be taken, policies were reshuffled and reorganized to meet the new challenges, the senior management team was expanded to be capable of managing this growth, etc when you combine those actions and factors all together, you can visualize the inevitability of this growth and it will continue. We should all keep on looking at the very bright future of Almabani. Look at the Riyadh Metro Project. It’s the sum of all efforts and successes on all scales. I believe in a bright future and I hope that I will be on the top deck of the boat cruising to materialize the forthcoming achievements. NA: Is there anything you would like to add at the end of this interview? RY: I would like to thank the family of Almabani for supporting me directly or indirectly, through all those projects that I’ve been engaged in. I would like to extend my gratitude to the Almabani management’s philosophy of spreading a family spirit through every employee in this company. Almabani reflects Mr. Nehmé Tohmé’s personality. His wisdom and leadership is an inspiration to all of us. We belong to this place called Almabani, we do not just work here n Roy Yazigi during the interview 12 The Almabani Journal . Issue No. 6 . August - September 2014

TBY Talks to Almabani's CEO Mr. Joseph Daher Bumper Year All Rights Reserved to the Publisher ! ", ," '"5 '- ,) ' "' (' 176 7. ;- -:)4 ;1/61F )6 The Almabani Journal . Issue No. 6 . August - September 2014 13

Development of King Abdullah Road West Section – Part B - Riyadh After the successful completion of the development project of the Eastern part of King Abdullah Road, aka DEPKAR, Almabani was awarded a new contract by ArRiyadh Development Authority (ADA) to develop the Western part of King Abdullah Road, one of the most important hubs in the Saudi capital. Client: Project Location: Project Value: Starting Date: Completion Date: Project Manager: ArRiyadh Development Authority Riyadh 241,156,090 SR April 2014 March 2017 Elia Khoury Project Overview The Development of King Abdullah Road West Section – Part B (KAR-WEST) project consists of the following: - Setting up two bridges passing over King Abdullah Road (KAR) crossing King Khalid Road (KKR). - Construction of two flyovers: Flyover 1 shifting the traffic coming from KAR-W into KKR-S, while Flyover 2 shifts the traffic coming from KAR-E into KKR-N. - Construction of U-turns on KKR North and South. Project Statistics Days since start 172 Days Remaining Days 890 days Total Cumulative Man-hours 6,214,200 m-h Total Cumulative Equipment-hours 946,200 eq-h Total Concrete Quantity 75,788 m3 Total Excavation Quantities 109,221 m3 Concrete pouring at night 14 The Almabani Journal . Issue No. 6 . August - September 2014

Development of King Abdullah Road West Section – Part B Main Focus of the Project - Detour works are to be set cooperating with ADA, the traffic police and the authorities in Riyadh. - Land acquisition of the surrounding governmental and personal properties to start the planned detours. - Relocation of any existing utilities. - Safety precautions among all site activities, manpower and equipment. - Retaining walls South East, South West and North West. - Completion of Bridge 1 and Bridge 2 in order to place the traffic coming from KAR so that works would be initiated on phase 4 to finish the last stage of Flyover 1. - Hardscape and landscape then should take place side by side with site utilities until the start of testing and commissioning. Main Landmarks and Milestones Activity Name Activity Start Activity Finish Mobilization & Site Preparation 15th April 2014 14th May 2014 Retaining walls 14th May 2014 22nd Feb 2015 Bridge 1 26th June 2014 7th Nov 2015 Bridge 2 1st Oct 2014 9th Nov 2015 Flyover 1 26th Nov 2014 29th Oct 2016 Flyover 2 26th July 2014 8th Mar 2016 Construction of the retaining wall The Almabani Journal . Issue No. 6 . August - September 2014 15

Development of King Abdullah Road West Section – Part B Site Visit with Engineer Sherif Hasan During a Ramadan night-shift visit to KAR-WEST site, Engineer Sherif Hasan explained about the major works that are currently being executed on site. “Currently, the excavation works for the retaining walls, Bridge 1 and Flyover 2 have started. Most of the retaining walls works are planned to be completed within one month, and this will enable us to start working on Bridge 2 and Flyover 1”, explains Hasan. Once finished, the completed area will be used for detours to serve the site of Flyover 1 and Bridge 2. “Our main objective is, as we learned in Almabani, to excel in delivering the job on time, regardless of all the obstacles that we face on site”, concluded Hasan. Steel cutting South U-Turn 16 The Almabani Journal . Issue No. 6 . August - September 2014

Development of King Abdullah Road West Section – Part B Pier 2, Bridge 1, west side of King Abdullah Road The Almabani Journal . Issue No. 6 . August - September 2014 17

KAU Project Complexity of Architectural & Structural Design Recap KAU project consists of - five major sport facilities all connected through one large building (Spread on approximately 23000 m2 of land). It is divided into five major buildings. Hereunder are the facilities and their designation in the site: - Gym (Phase 1 Part A) - Swimming pool (Phase 1 Part B) - Multi-purpose two story building 1 including (Phase 2 Part 1): Squash courts Bowling arena Talent show area Library Seating room Billiard halls - Ice hockey arena (Phase 2 Part 2) - Multi-purpose two-story building 2 including (Phase 2 Part 3): Martial arts hall Multi-purpose court Spa section (sauna, steam, Jacuzzi) Table Tennis hall Internet café Concrete pouring 18 The Almabani Journal . Issue No. 6 . August - September 2014

KAU Project Complexity of Architectural & Structural Design Site Visit with Engineer Rami Badawi during Ramadan Night Shift “The major achievement that I would like to mention is our ability to keep a highly productive spirit during the tough month of Ramadan”, says Badawi Since the very first day of Ramadan, teams were divided into two shifts, operating 24/24 nonstop: “For the civil department, a night shift dedicated to perform the required construction works on

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