São Paulo – Saudi Arabia needs companies and professionals specialized in project management to develop a series of projects forecasted for coming years. The information was disclosed by Fahad Al Hamadi, president of the National Contractor Committee, an organisation connected to the Saudi Council of Chambers of Commerce, during a meeting with the Brazilian delegation that was in the country last week.
According to the CEO at the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, Michel Alaby, who participated in the meeting, there is no shortage of construction site workers, but that managers and professionals like engineers and architects are lacking. According to Alaby, Hamadi asked for information on Brazilian companies with experience in the area and that may be interested in working in infrastructure projects.
At the meeting, the Saudis presented a package of enterprises that should consume US$ 625 billion, being US$ 140 billion in physical infrastructure, US$ 92 billion in expansion of the petrochemical industry, US$ 91 billion in generation of electricity, US$ 88 billion in desalination of sea water, US$ 71 billion in information and telecommunications technology, US$ 54 billion in tourism and leisure, US$ 50 billion in production of natural gas, US$ 28 billion in architecture and US$ 11 billion in education and training.
The Brazilian delegation, organized by the Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade, included representatives of construction companies Queiroz Galvão, OAS, Andrade Gutierrez and Fidens. The Saudis explained how the hiring of foreign companies for works in the country takes place.
Hamadi is so interested in the matter that, apart from organizing the meeting with Brazilian contractors at the Council of Chambers, he also went to the hotel at which the delegation was staying to meet with executives of other Brazilian companies. Alaby also said he would get in touch with the Brazilian Association of Infrastructure and Basic Industries (Abdib) to present the Saudi demand.
The committee presided by Hamadi aims at "effectively contributing" to planning and implementation of building programs in the country. This includes development of professionals, material and labour environment. It also works on analysis of sector demands.
More works
The Council of Chambers also informs that the country’s budget for 2012 forecasts investment of US$ 136 billion in areas like transportation, communications, water supply, agriculture, industry, education, health and social development, among others.
There is also housing demand estimated at US$ 67 billion, including the construction of 500,000 homes, which should reduce the housing deficit in the country from 1.2 million units to 700,000. The first phase includes the construction of 7,000 houses at a distance of 50 kilometres from Saudi capital Riyadh. One of the objectives of the programme is to unclutter the main Saudi hubs.
*Tradução de Mark Ament
