Bechtel, a global leader in engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC), has appointed Abdulrahman Al Ghabban as the new country manager in Saudi Arabia to drive its operations in the kingdom.

Al Ghabban joined Bechtel in 2013 as business development manager for the power business unit. In 2015, he was appointed deputy country manager for Saudi Arabia in addition to continuing his business development role.

Prior to joining Bechtel, he worked for more than 10 years in both the public and the private sectors in Saudi Arabia, said the company in a statement.

Al Ghabban’s new leadership role reaffirms Bechtel’s strong commitment to supporting Saudi Arabia reach its “2030 Vision” through the appointment of local nationals for critical positions at the company’s various projects in the kingdom, it stated.

Welcoming the appointment, David Welch, the president for International and Government Affairs, Bechtel, said: "We are very proud of our decision to appoint the first Saudi national as country manager for Bechtel in the Kingdom."

"Bechtel has hired and trained hundreds if not thousands of Saudis over the past several decades because we realise that the strategic objectives of the kingdom’s economic vision hinges on investing in local talent," stated Welch.

Saudi citizens comprise the highest percentage of local nationals employed by Bechtel worldwide, he added.   

On his new role, Al Ghabban said: “I am honoured to be the first Saudi national to hold the position as country manager for one of the most respected engineering companies in the world. Bechtel has a strong footprint in Saudi Arabia and I look forward to helping advance my country’s economic development with all the support that Bechtel can provide.”

Bechtel has been working in Saudi Arabia for over 70 years developing mega-projects from oil and gas facilities to airports and critical infrastructure projects.

Earlier this year, it was awarded a contract to set up and operate the National Project Management Organization in the Riyadh, said the company statement .

Bechtel is also currently working on Lines 1 and 2 of the Riyadh Metro Project and recently launched a graduate training programme to train and hire up to 75 students from the Riyadh College of Technology, it added.-TradeArabia News Service