Expat engineers can contest SCE elections

Dammam - 24 Nov 2012: A leading member of the Saudi Council of Engineers (SCE) yesterday announced that all expatriate engineers will now be able to contest seats and vote in elections to various technical committees of the high-profile body. Speaking at the annual program organized by the Indian Engineers Forum’s Dammam chapter at the Sheraton Hotel yesterday, Abdul Rahman Zaid Yousef Al-Arfaj, a member of the council’s board of directors, said all engineers, Saudis as well as expatriates, will henceforth be able to take full part in the elections. Until recently elections to the all-important technical committees were open only to Saudi engineers. Yesterday’s decision is being described as significant and one that will gladden the hearts of the entire engineering community. “During the upcoming elections, which are scheduled to take place in January 2013, expatriates from different engineering backgrounds, such as civil, mechanical, petroleum and information and technology, etc., will be able to nominate themselves for these committees and they can actively canvass for votes from their fellow engineers to win their seats,” said Al-Arfaj. He said the Saudi Council of Engineers will soon launch an awareness campaign about the elections and its latest decision to accommodate expatriates in the electoral process. “We will need the full support of such important organizations as the Indian Engineers Forum to spread word about the new move,” he said. “We want all engineers to take active part in these elections.” According to Al-Arfaj, the technical committees are the mainstay of the council. “These committees are tasked with carrying out the council’s various activities from seminars to workshops; they are the main pillars of the council’s decision-making process,” he said. Al-Arfaj clarified that only those engineers, Saudis and expatriates, who are registered with the council, will be eligible to contest and vote. The council has 12 technical committees and each committee comprises 12 members. The council has a wide network across the Kingdom and has a registered strength of 140,000 engineers. “Of them, 30,000 are Saudis,” said Al-Arfaj. Among the prominent guests and speakers at the event were Shoura Council member and popular columnist Najeeb Al-Zamil, Indian Ambassador Hamid Ali Rao, Saudi Council of Engineers Director (Engineering Chapters) Dr. Saleh Al-Mogrin, IEF Chairman Amir A. Khan, IEF Dammam Chapter President Shuja Sheriff, Indian Embassy’s Ashok Warrier and S.A. Aliuddin Aquil of Saudi Consulting Services. Al-Zamil spoke of his love and admiration for all things Indian. “What I like the most about India is the fact that knowledge is rooted in your nation and this is the reason why we see Indians occupying not just the Gulf states but the United States as well,” he said. “India is not just any other nation but one of the oldest civilizations in the world, and I admire Mahatma Gandhi and my favorite Jawaharlal Nehru for their contribution to India and the world,” he said amid thunderous applause. The Indian ambassador thanked Al-Zamil for his fulsome praise of India and Indians. “The one thing that differentiates India from other countries of the world is our concept of unity in diversity,” said Rao. “We have been having this dialogue among civilizations for centuries … We are like a bouquet of flowers where each flower retains its unique identity, color and fragrance.” Rao praised the IEF for playing a positive role in the development of Indian engineers. “I am happy to note the good job it has been doing in connecting Indian engineers and building good relationship with the Saudis … because ultimately good ties between our two countries will lead to immense benefits,” he said. “Our ties have grown from strength to strength ever since Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah’s historic visit to India in January 2006.” Prominent Indian businessman Siddeek Ahmed, who heads the Alkhobar-based Eram Group, was among the key backers of the event. Eram Group sponsored the IEF awards that were presented to two leading Indian researchers at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM). Professor S.M. Javaid Zaidi and Dr. S.U. Rahman were in the news recently for having won the prestigious Almarai Prize for Scientific Innovation. Ambassador Hamid Ali Rao honored Zaidi and Rahman in the presence of nearly 120 Indian engineers. The IEF president acknowledged the support of Eram Group and other corporates. “We are looking forward to increasing our cooperation with the Alkhobar-based Eram Group and other companies in the Eastern Province,” said Sheriff. “For us honoring these two engineers was extremely important, and we are thankful that Siddeek Ahmed supported our idea.” IEF Vice President Mohammed Z. Nadeem did a good job of anchoring the evening with confidence and poise. The organizing team, that included Ather Jamal, Mir Imran Ali, Javed Farooq, Feroz Sulaiman, Mateen Ahmed and Syed Imran, came in for special praise from the guests and attendees. source: Arab News