What was your professional climb up the ladder like? How did you evolve in your career path?

As a teenager, I was fascinated with mathematics and sciences. I graduated from American University Beirut (AUB) in 1988 as a Computer and Communication Engineer (CCE). I was on the first promotion to graduate in CCE from AUB. I joined a reputable airline company working on Application Systems as a programmer, analyst and user coordinator. Obviously my technical skills diverted me to Systems Administration. Accordingly, I was gradually promoted to Head of Security and Network Administration, responsible for all IT back-end systems for Lebanon H/Q and worldwide branches.

When did you join ACC and what is the role you assume at the company?

I joined ACC in 2013 as Group IT Manager leading various units from IT Security, Technical Administration, Operational Services, Applications and Planning and Delivery. IT staff are working homogeneously in teams at the corporate office and the various territories where ACC succeed in delivering iconic construction projects.
How difficult was it to balance your family life and work schedule and still manage to be successful?

I am very lucky to have a loving and supportive family that continues to encourage me by having full faith and confidence in my capabilities. My husband was always proud of my success as a working woman and a leader. It was not easy to cope with all the progressive responsibilities, duties and long working hours without being backed by my family. My husband, daughter and 2 sons understood the challenges I was facing. A sort of complicity emerged between me and the beloved members of my family, giving me the strong support I needed, fulfilling their roles at home and towards me, granting me the encouragement to proceed and succeed in my professional role. Nevertheless, I did my best to fully assume my responsibilities as a mother and wife.

As a woman, do you ever feel discriminated against at work?

I can simply say I am happy to work for ACC. I have never felt discrimination towards women at work, despite the fact that the construction industry is still mostly male dominated in the Middle East and around the world. Due to the nature of construction sites we find the majority of engineers and technicians to be males, however during the past few years we have witnessed an increasing number of skilled female engineers working in construction companies. The company hires professionals for their education and experience; which explains why women occupy a good number of senior positions at ACC, contributing to the success of the business.

What are the challenges and difficulties that a woman in a leadership and authority position faces especially when the majority of the subordinates are males?

I face no particular problems in being a woman leader in the IT Department where staff are mostly men. Due to my accumulated managerial and technical experience, I am a role model for my team who sees me as a trustworthy source of information and a supporting leader versus a female manager. Furthermore, people management is very challenging and I do my best to incorporate the company culture by stressing the importance of teamwork while respecting the specific role and duty of each employee, empowering him/her to better perform duties & excel.

A word of advice to the professional ladies with ambition: What can you tell them?

I encourage every woman to study and work hard so that she is capable of holding key leadership positions as long as she has the drive, vision and supportive environment. On the other hand, I also advise every woman to never underestimate her feminine side nor overlook her family responsibilities. It is in her hand to find the balance between professional and family life to achieve success in both.

Dubai, UAE, January 2016: Arabian Construction Company (ACC) has marked another major milestone for its Health and Safety operations in the region by reaching 10 million LTI (Lost Time Injury) free hours. The impressive figure was attained at the company’s Sky View and Fountain View developments, two of its prestigious projects in Downtown Dubai.

UAE-based construction firm ACC says that reaching the benchmark figure of 10 million LTI hours at Sky View and Fountain View is an especially laudable achievement given the extremely high levels of activity at the two sites. Not only are both locations undertaking around-the-clock work, they are also located close to busy public thoroughfares and visitor attractions.

“Once again, ACC has shown that the health and safety of its employees and of members of the public is paramount – a commitment that is evident in our achievement of 10 million LTI-free hours at our busy Sky View and Fountain View construction sites. We are particularly proud to have reached this milestone figure as both sites are in close proximity to the Burj Khalifa Metro Station and The Dubai Mall, which attract thousands of passengers and visitors each day,” said Mohammad Bidad, Group HSE Manager  of ACC.

The Health and Safety considerations at Sky View, a mixed-use development of two towers, are considerable. Facilitating construction for the workforce of over 3,500 are eight tower cranes and one mobile crane, leading to congested air-space when the tower cranes are operating at the same time. Crane manoeuvering abilities are also compromised by the small amount of ground space between the two towers, meaning that the provision of mechanisms to guard against potential crane collision is a major ongoing challenge faced by project management.

Fountain View faces the same challenges with cranes as Sky View. The three-tower mixed-use project in Downtown Dubai currently has 13 tower cranes and five mobile cranes operating at the site, assisting the 3,700-strong labour force that is working 24 hours a day to deliver the project by the end of 2017.

“As well as the physical challenges we are encountering at the Sky View and Fountain Views sites there is also the issue of different beliefs around safety that come from having a diverse, multi-cultural workforce. We address this by having more leaders involved in safety performance in order to positively influence our workers’ safety beliefs. To this end, all personnel in the two projects are working under a unique accredited Integrated Management System to assure performance is consistent, reliable and in adherence with the best quality health, safety and environmental practices,” added Bidad.

ACC has a long and well-established track record in the field of Health and Safety, with the company’s record being 36 million LTI free hours achieved at its Gate Towers project in Abu Dhabi. In March 2014, ACC’s operations at Fountain View earned it a prestigious International Merit Award from the esteemed British Safety Council; a non-profit organisation dedicated to ensuring best practice in health and safety in the workplace.

Dubai, UAE; November 2015: Long-standing Egypt hospitality jewel, the Nile Ritz Carlton Hotel in Cairo, has been transformed thanks to Arabian Construction Company (ACC). The UAE-based construction firm has just completed a refurbishment of the establishment in a contract worth approximately US$ 84 million. The extensive renovations have been designed to upgrade the facility to enable it to offer the very best services for the 21^st century business and leisure traveller.

Inaugurated by President Nasser in 1959, the hotel is situated in a prime location in the heart of central Cairo close to the Egyptian Museum and overlooking the Nile River. ACC’s renovation programme for the popular hospitality offering includes an international conference centre that can accommodate up to 1,100 people and a new underground parking facility that will optimise guests’ transport requirements.

“ACC was honoured to have its construction expertise called upon to provide a comprehensive rejuvenation programme for the Nile Ritz Carlton Hotel, one of Cairo’s most established and highly regarded hospitality offerings. Now completed, ACC’s regeneration project has reasserted the hotel’s standing in the Egypt capital’s leisure landscape and has raised the benchmark for premium guest accommodation facilities in the country,” said Maher Merehbi, CEO.

ACC has previously renovated the world famous historic Cataract hotel. ACC’s redevelopment project for the Nile Ritz Carlton Hotel’s main building involved reappointing 331 rooms – including 52 suites – on its 13 floors, its Alf Leila W Leila ballroom and seven meeting and conference rooms. The company renovated the hotel’s terrace restaurant that overlooks the Nile as well as its specialist food and beverage outlets; including its main restaurant, roof top restaurant, pool grill, lobby lounge and Ritz Carlton Bar. The regeneration also incorporated developing an international Spa on the second floor and enlarging the swimming pool with cabanas. Hotel operating systems in the kitchens, laundry and boilers rooms, as well as the air conditioning systems and elevators, were all enhanced and the hotel’s telephone and fire-fighting systems were upgraded in line with the highest international standards and specifications.

Above the parking garage, the Nile Ritz Carlton Hotel’s well-known garden has been landscaped in line with the Egyptian Museum and El Tahrir Square’s architectural features. Overlooking the garden, ACC’s rejuvenation project included relaunching an oriental restaurant, as well as an international conference centre equipped with the latest audio visual technologies and furnished with VIP lounges and a beauty centre. The centre has been connected to the service area of the first garden basement and the upper floors of the main building.

“The Nile Ritz Carlton Hotel’s extensive redevelopment programme now sees the establishment providing a host of advanced facilities and amenities for the most discerning of clientele. Guests can check-in with the knowledge that they can avail the highest standard of hospitality offerings that the hotel’s operators have introduced, all of which have been made possible through ACC’s second-to-none construction standards,” added Maher Merehbi, CEO.

Abu Dhabi  UAE; November, 2015: Arabian Construction Company (ACC) has honoured the sacrifices made by UAE service personnel by organising a blood donation day for its employees. In collaboration with Abu Dhabi Blood Bank, the UAE-based construction firm arranged for a blood donation mobile unit to visit Sky Towers, Abu Dhabi, the location of its Head Office, so that its staff could show their appreciation for the UAE’s heroes with a meaningful act of thanks.

ACC’s campaign was organised in response to the recent blood donation drive set up for UAE soldiers in addition to the ongoing need for blood for emergency medicine, surgery and haematological disorders in the country. Around 70 ACC staff participated in the CSR initiative that formed part of the company’s ongoing commitment to the community.

“As a company, ACC wanted to show its support and solidarity for the UAE military, the injured soldiers and all those who have sacrificed their lives in order to maintain the integrity and honour of the UAE. We were overwhelmed with the number of ACC staff who wanted to be involved and we are proud that our team members are so willing to support their community in such a way. We also commit to make this event a recurring annual contribution as a small token of our appreciation to this great nation ” said Ahmed Mahdi, Sr. Human Resources Manager, Arabian Construction Company.

Operating under the direction of Sheikh Khalifa Medical City and Abu Dhabi Health Authority, the Abu Dhabi Blood Bank provides donors with the opportunity to give blood in a safe and professional environment that conforms to international standards. The organisation operates its mobile service to facilitate convenience for organisations and institutions wishing to donate. Abu Dhabi Blood Bank’s blood supply covers the needs of government and private hospitals in Abu Dhabi, as well as supporting the UAE’s other emirates as necessary.

Dubai, UAE; October 2015: Arabian Construction Company (ACC) is celebrating its role in garnering a major award for Burj Mohammed Bin Rashid, which has been voted the sixth best new skyscraper in the world. The UAE-based construction firm was the main contractor for the Abu Dhabi tower, which collected its prestigious accolade in the Emporis Skyscraper Awards 2014.

At 382 metres in height and comprising 92 storeys, Burj Mohammed Bin Rashid is the tallest building in Abu Dhabi and the 27^th tallest building in the world. Designed by Foster and Partners and developed by Aldar Properties PJSC, ACC was awarded the main contractor for the prestigious tower, which was completed last year. The company says that the development was both one of the largest construction projects in the world and one of the most technically challenging it has been involved in.

“Everyone at ACC who worked on the Burj Mohammed is proud to see it internationally recognised as the world-class structure that it is. Design elements such as the world’s tallest scenic lift, the world’s highest swimming pool and the slanted roof all contributed to the complexity of the build and required innovative construction methods to ensure we could deliver the architect’s vision safely and to the highest standards,” said Mohamad A Sadik, Project Director, ACC.

Among the other specific challenges faced by the Burj Mohammed Bin Rashid, which forms part of the 700,000 m² mixed-use Abu Dhabi World Trade Centre complex, were the logistics of transporting over 3,000 workers and materials to the buildings’ top level floors. The tower’s 474 apartments and penthouses are serviced by a structural scenic lift from the basement to level 85, the technicalities of its installation meaning that ACC had to find innovative structural and concrete works methods. The BMU (building maintenance unit) which is used to clean the outside of the roof from levels 88+ had to be specially designed and tested to ensure absolute safety for the people who will work in it to clean the roof. The system was specifically developed for the tower and is the first of its kind in the world.

“The roof alone on the Burj Mohammed Bin Rashid was one of the most complicated ever attempted. A big challenge was to ensure the BMU, which is used by workers to clean the 1700 m² of glass on the outside of the roof, as well as replace glass safely – was safe and functional.  This was no easy task considering the BMU has to traverse the roof at a 50 degree angle and weighs more than 15 tons.  The result was a fully functioning prototype system which is a groundbreaking piece of equipment,” added Sadik.

The Emporis Skyscraper Award is the world’s most renowned prize for high-rise architecture and has been issued on an international basis annually since 2000. The primary judging criteria are excellence in aesthetic and functional design. Buildings must have a minimum height of 100 metres and have been completed during the previous calendar year. The award decisions are made by a jury of architecture experts who select a winner each year. Towers constructed by ACC have won Emporis awards three times in the past seven years; 2011 – Etihad Towers, Abu Dhabi (3^rd), 2009 – Almas Tower, Dubai (8^th) and 2007 – Rose Tower, Dubai (7^th).