KHURSANIYAH, 15 April 2007 — One of many young Saudis who has found a rewarding career in the building trades is 26-year-old Fawaz Hassan of Al-Hasa, an agricultural center in the Kingdom’s Eastern Province.
Hassan earlier worked as a communications operator, but when he got the chance in the spring of 2006 to train as a safety officer for Consolidated Contractors Co. (CCC) at the Saudi Aramco Khursaniyah mega-project, he jumped at the opportunity.
“My brother worked in safety, and he encouraged me to get involved in it,” Hassan said. “I got training here with CCC, and I have a certificate now. I also got OSHA (US Occupational Safety and Health Administration) training. We had three or four classes a week for two to four hours per session. It was all done while I was on the job in Khursaniyah.” Because of his brother’s experience, Hassan’s family was supportive of his decision to enter the building trades. He said he hopes to get married one day soon now that he knows he has the wherewithal for a nice home and the other needs of a young family.
“I’m working with good people here, and there’s a real spirit of teamwork. This is a great place to build my knowledge and my career,” Hassan said. I want to develop myself because I don’t want to stay in one place. I am going to stay as part of this CCC team.”
Hassan said he encourages other young Saudis to enter the construction trades.
“I tell my friends that if they get the chance to come onto this kind of job, they will have a good future. I tell them they should take English courses and work on their computer skills, and they’ll get good jobs, too.”