One of Bahrain's pioneers in the construction sector died yesterday (July 28), leaving behind a rich legacy.

Abdulla Ahmed Nass, the founder and chairman of Nass Group, died after battling an illness, reported the Gulf Daily News, our sister publication.

Tributes poured in for the industry giant who was described as a wise and widely respected man.

Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) travel and tourism committee head Nabeel Kanoo said he was fortunate enough to see Mr Nass a few weeks before he died.

"I was lucky to see this great man few weeks ago and he has always been humble to everyone he met," said Mr Kanoo, who is also director of Yusuf bin Ahmed Kanoo.

"I had the honour to travel with him on a few trips abroad and he was always full of knowledge and wisdom."

He said Nass was polite to everybody and a "pioneer" in the construction industry.

"He was a wonderful human being from whom people could learn good values and it is sad that he is no more with us now."

Dadabhai Group chairman Mohammed Dadabhai said Nass played a pivotal role during Bahrain's construction boom.

"The business community in Bahrain is sad with his demise as he was a well-respected person," he said.

"He worked hard to take his business to new heights during the construction boom. On a personal level, he was a great human being who always had a lot of friends."

The 77-year-old was born in Muharraq and was the eldest of four sons.

He initially started his career by working as an assistant in a construction company in Saudi Arabia before he returned to Bahrain in 1963 to establish the group.

Since its inception, the company has been a leading integrated solutions provider for the construction industry in Bahrain and Gulf, employing around 8,000 people.

It has an annual revenue of BD200 million ($530.2 million) with headquarters in Bahrain, and operations across Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Abu Dhabi and Kuwait.

Nass set up companies, many of which were the first-of-its-kind in Bahrain, to provide construction services and materials.

He also ventured into a range of specialist companies to meet the growing needs of the shipping and offshore industries.

He started a precast concrete company, entered the food import and wholesale business, and established the first company in Bahrain to produce sulphuric acid.

During his reign, the group made significant contributions to the development of Bahrain's commercial and industrial infrastructure.

Nass is survived by six sons and three daughters, who all play vital roles within the group.

His son Sameer Abdulla Nass is the vice-chairman of the Nass Group. – TradeArabia News Service