JEDDAH, 1 February 2008 — Engineers have to realize their responsibility and play an effective role in tackling today’s complex issues. This was the message given at the inaugural meeting of Engineers Welfare Forum, Jeddah (EWFJ) here on Wednesday night.
Pakistan Ambassador Shahid Karimullah, who was the chief guest, described engineers as the backbone of a country’s development and welcomed the return of highly qualified and experienced engineers and other professionals from overseas locations to serve their homeland. He wanted more Pakistani engineers, professionals and skilled labor to come to the Kingdom and take part in its development process. “Pakistanis should go out (of their country) to get education and experience, and return to serve their people. Going out for higher studies should be encouraged, but once the purpose is served they should come back to Pakistan and if they need to go abroad for work they should serve in a Muslim country,” he said.
He advised Pakistani engineers based in the Kingdom to work hard and gain the confidence of their sponsors. “They can acquire top management positions by the dint of their hard work and devotion.” He said he has been a witness to the marvelous achievements of Pakistani engineers in the missile, space and nuclear technology and they were capable of achieving excellence in whatever they did.
He suggested that each engineer should recruit three more members of their fraternity in the Kingdom or anywhere else and urged them to convince the people of Pakistan about the construction of more dams to overcome the shortage of energy.
Dr. Shahid Sayeed Khan, director of Pakistan’s railway project, speaking on “Management of quality for infrastructure construction” emphasized the need for and importance of quality management in the manufacturing and production sector in general and the construction sector in particular. “If you look at the monuments around the world that have stood the test of time, you will realize the dedication and integrity with which the engineers have built them,” he said. “However, mass production is the order of the day and, at times, quality is compromised to meet growing needs. This has affected factors like durability and attention to the details,” Khan added. Nevertheless there is growing consciousness of quality control at every level of production and there are efforts to reward those who uphold quality and penalize those who do not. “Total quality management system must be introduced and implemented right from the design stage,” Khan added. “To me, a good design reflects the work of a good construction engineer. Specifications and guidelines are essential and local conditions must be taken into account while undertaking a project. We engineers should be proud of what we do and society will be thankful to us.”
Asrar Mufti, Riyadh-based project director, Schneider Electric, speaking on “Technology for energy efficiency” called for saving energy, which is expensive and scarce. In the last 50 years, energy consumption has trebled and in the next 25 years it will be doubled. “So, we have to save 30 percent of the energy we use to meet the challenges posed on two sides — growing demand and limited supply,” he said. As world economies get modernized and consumption patterns expand, demand is constantly on the rise. “There is thus a huge demand for engineers to produce energy from various sources,” Mufti said, adding that Schneider is involved in 75 percent of end-user energy consumption.
“A small saving (of energy) at home is a big saving at the power plant. One unit of electricity saved goes a long way in saving our natural resources,” he said, adding that our engineers with newer technologies can achieve a 30 percent saving. Control and monitoring of technology are a key to make a 30 percent saving sustainable.
Therefore, a structured approach for energy efficiency must be adopted.
Salman Qureshi, general manager, Gulf Power Distribution, speaking on industrial and power crisis (in Pakistan) and the role of individuals, reminded that the energy issue was more important than any other issue. “We keep talking of issues related to terrorism and extremism, but never apply our mind to the issue of energy. If we don’t give adequate attention to energy then the entire economy can go off the gear. Pakistan should have given utmost importance to energy instead of planning to import electricity from Tajikistan via Afghanistan,” he said and discussed how other energy sources including nuclear, solar, hydro and coal could be increasingly considered. “Blaming the government (Pakistan) is not justified when the household sector consumes 45 percent of electricity and industry takes away 30 percent. Everyone must light a candle and then curse the darkness to realize the importance of energy,” Qureshi added.
EWFJ President Abdul Aleem Khan, who presided, gave an overview of the vast development Pakistan has made in various fields. Whether it is defense, steel, manufacturing, electricity, transport, telecommunication or space program, Pakistan has made tremendous progress despite the challenges.
“Pakistan must face the challenges of the 21st century,” he said. “What is required to be attended to is proper education, generation of energy, urbanization, industry and optimum quality preference,” he said.
Hassan Jaleel, general manager technical affairs of Riyadh-based International Telecommunication Systems Operation, summed up the papers presented at the seminar.
