Expat engineers can contest SCE elections

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, 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, 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 a registered strength of 140,000 engineers. “Of them, 30,000 are Saudis,” said Al-Arfaj.
Among the guests and speakers at the event were Shoura Council member and columnist Najeeb Al-Zamil, Indian Ambassador Hamid Ali Rao, Saudi Council of Engineers Director (Engineering Chapters) Saleh Al-Mogrin, IEF Chairman Amir A. Khan, IEF Dammam Chapter President Shuja Sheriff, businessman Siddeek Ahmed, 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 high positions in not just the Gulf states but also the United States,” 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 applause.
The Indian ambassador thanked Al-Zamil for his effusive 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.