He comes across as disciplined, unassuming, hard working and extremely keen to get acquainted with the minutest details of the work. He is also haunted by the determination to succeed and win the race against time. Well aware of his objectives, he has guided the military General Directorate of Military Works (GDMW) to make giant leaps, catapulting our military facilities to the forefront of similar facilities across the globe. Add to this the numerous solutions in which GDMW's performance has been instrumental. The interview given by staff major general/ engineer Sa’ad Bin Mohammad Al-Rumaih, GDMW Director General, runs as follows:
Q: GDMW is an engineering military institution that has transcended ministry boundaries to the wider national scope thanks to its scientific, professional and research contributions.
Observers describe as “distinguished” the Ministry of Defense and Aviation’s experience in the construction sphere. Being an influential member of this department, could you elaborate on this experience and the elements of its success?
A: Discussing or attempting to document the Ministry’s projects execution experience could not be isolated from the Ministry’s general experience or the kingdom’s development process evident in the country’s five-year development plans. However, I can elaborate on some of its aspects, namely the experience of the GDMW. The ambition of HRH the Crown Prince, Deputy Premier, Minister of Defense and Inspector General with respect to the building of our Armed Forces has constituted a major challenge to all sector in the Ministry, including the GDMW. It has been HRH's intention for the Armed Forces to be advanced and capable of protecting our sanctuaries, homeland and accomplishments. This, in turn, has motivated the GDMW to satisfy the ministry’s requirements of projects, facilities and installations, fulfilling HRH’s plans.
Almost forty years after the founding of the General Directorate of Military Works, a cursory glance at the wide range of tactical, housing, educational, cultural, healthcare, services and recreational projects and mosques executed by the Ministry of Defense and Aviation indicates that we are dealing with giant, integrated cities constructed to the most modern technical and architectural specifications. Scattered across the country’s far-flung regions, these facilities enable our Armed Forces to discharge its assignments.
The above sums up the experience of the GDMW. However, a satisfactory determination of the elements of success could only be reflected by the personality of HRH the Crown Prince, Deputy Premier and Minister of Defense and Aviation as he truly epitomizes this experience. No wonder, great achievements are always the work of great men.
Q: What are the vital roles undertaken by the GDMW?
A: The principal assignment is to meet the Ministry of Defense and Aviation’s requirements with respect to engineering and technical studies, projects design and construction and the execution thereof. This is in addition to supervising the operation and maintenance of military cities and Land Forces’ locations, using independent and specialist technical devises. The assignments also include the provision of engineering consultancy and technical advice to HRH the Minister of Defense and Aviation, HRH the Vice-Minister, HRH the Assistant Minister, H.E the Chief of General Staff and the Commanders of the Army Units.
Q: How is it possible to evaluate the experience of the General Directorate of Military Works? What is its methodology for carrying out executing its duties and responsibilities?
A: Being part of the experience, we cannot evaluate it. The evaluation should come from outside using approved scientific and technical criteria. Nonetheless, we definitely revise and update the experiment in line with scientific and engineering changes worldwide.
Meanwhile, it may be reasonable to note that forty years after its founding, the GDMW has matured into a national engineering and technical institution with its role exceeding the ministry’s boundaries to the wider national scope.
The methodology adopted by the GDMW calls for discharging its assignments as part of an institutionalized perspective rather than on individual performance or instinct. This requires the unification and documentation of work procedures in the form of specific evidences to be used as terms of reference for the carrying out work assignments and to control performance, engineering practices and procedures. The supervision starts from the study and design phase and goes on right to the execution phase and on to the project's completion. We have a clear formula for project supervision calling for price assessments to be consistent with fiscal appropriations without compromising quality, efficiency and the standards for specification. Also, projects should be completed on schedule.
Q:How does the GDMW go about the pre-qualification of contractors and consultant engineers? Do you have specific criteria for accepting companies?
A: The pre-qualification of contractors and consultant offices is subject to the Regulation for the Classification and Pre-qualification of Contractors and Companies, approved by Royal decree. The classification is assumed by the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs, while the Regulation determines the criteria, specifications and technical and engineering requirements for corporate evaluation. Therefore, the GDMW is committed to these prerequisites.
Q: What is the methodology adopted for qualifying the in-house staff of the engineering and technical department, such as officers and civil engineers?
A: Our methodology is to stay abreast of scientific and technological advances in the engineering and construction spheres. This is a great challenge as the engineering sphere is naturally affected by these developments and changes, making it imperative to look for these advances rather than wait for them to come.
Therefore, we basically rely on training in addition to participation in conferences, presentations of research and working papers, attending specialist exhibitions and reading scientific publications issued by professional international societies and organizations.
Q: Does the GDMW effectively cooperate with research centers and universities?
A: Such cooperation is part of the GDMW’s scientific role at the national level, contributing towards the development of the scientific and engineering environment. It has extended support to a research project initiated by King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals aimed at finding feasible means of stopping the movement of shifting sands, a problem plaguing some residential communities and roads in the Eastern Province. The study findings and conclusions were useful to the engineering community in the Kingdom. Moreover, the GDMW took the lead in transferring value engineering technology into the Kingdom, making Saudi Arabia the first Arab and Middle Eastern country to apply such technology in various projects.
With respect to the environment, the GDMW has enforced the Council of Ministers' resolution No: 162 dated 21-9-1418H which has banned the use of asbestos in all construction work in the Kingdom and calling for the removal of the substance from all buildings and facilities. GDMW commenced the implementation of projects for asbestos management and removal in cooperation with internationally renowned experts. Training its engineers on the supervision of such projects, GDMW later generalized its experience in this area throughout the country. Under patronage of HRH the Crown Prince, GDMW organized a conference attended by experts and specialists from a number of developed nations possessing the knowhow. The conference called for setting up a national committee to implement its recommendations on getting rid of the unwanted material. Royal approval was issued, setting up the committee whose membership included the GDMW as representative of MODA. Also, utilizing its operations and maintenance experience, GDMW adopted technical measures based on international criteria to implement operation and maintenance projects for the preservation of the national infrastructure which is valued at billions of Saudi Riyals. Spreading the experience to other public sectors, GDMW organized a national symposium to brief them on the issue. The symposium called for setting up a national committee to regulate operation and maintenance works in such a way as to safeguard national accomplishments. Conducting patient studies, the Council of Ministers has approved the setting up of the committee of which the GDMW was a member also to represent MODA. This is in addition to GDMW’s participation in various scientific and engineering conferences and activities, submitting numerous working papers. The department also provides opportunities for undergraduates attending national engineering colleges to receive training at the Ministry’s numerous projects.
Q: What about housing projects for the Army personnel?
A: A housing project for the Army personnel is currently being executed at King Khalid Military City as well as in the Eastern Province. However, the expansion in such projects takes into account the needs of MODA sectors, priorities and the required appropriation of funds.
Q: Can you elaborate on the subject of housing projects for the Army personnel?
A: Projects are currently being implemented for the development and expansion of hospitals and medical facilities of the ministry in keeping with the developments witnessed by the Armed Forces: a project for the expansion of the Military Hospital in the Southern Military Region is nearing completion. Also, there is a project for setting up a center for open-heart surgery and treatment in the same region. This is in addition to a project for setting up a 50-bed hospital for the Army personnel in Al-Qasim Province and another hospital in the Northwestern Military Region. As part of these expansion projects, work is currently underway for setting up Prince Sultan Center for heart surgery and treatment in Al-Kharj. Work is also under way for the expansion of the handicapped care center in Taif.
Q: What about the bed capacity of the Military Hospital in Riyadh?
A: The hospital is currently in the design phase. Preliminary studies have been completed according to advanced design concepts to achieve the objective sought by HRH the Crown Prince with respect to healthcare services provided by the Ministry. As for the Hospital’s medical specifications, the Army's General Directorate for Medical Services is responsible for such matters.
Q: Do you have any plans for increasing school and kindergarten facilities?
A: As I have already said, GDMW’s role is to supervise the Ministry’s project execution requirements. However, such needs are decided by each sector and according to long-term planning.
Q: Do you have a ready plan for Saudization?
A: To answer this question, I must first say that GDMW is a technical engineering organ that supervises the execution of the Ministry’s projects. However, these projects are normally executed through the award of contracts in accordance with the Regulation for the Implementation of Government Projects. Our supervisory body is comprised of Saudi officers and engineers in addition to few non- Saudis in certain specializations. The Kingdom’s job market suffers from such shortages due to competition in the private sector.
As for the operation and maintenance departments of cities and military sites, GDMW has an ambitious program for Saudization. The situation is currently being evaluated in order to get to the best possible approach to the issue of Saudization according to the following stages:
First: Establishing the GDMW's organizational and legal basis. This includes the preparation of the operation and maintenance regulations for the military facilities, stipulating the salary scales and standard contracts, the first step towards unifying the regulations in all departments. This was followed by the issue of a reference guide stating duties and responsibilities. Then came the unified job classification which unifies names, specializations, qualifications, experience, professional disciplines and job codes. The next step was the preparation of a directory on contract jobs which organizes the relationship between the departments and personnel, completing the set of regulations and directories. Then a memorandum of understanding was signed with the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC) with the aim of establishing specialist training programs to support the operation and maintenance functions at the different units of the Armed Forces. The training programs are based on the national professional criteria, culminating in the creation of a professional license system similar to that used in developed nations.
HRH the Crown Prince, Deputy Premier and Minister of Defense and Aviation has approved the establishment of an institute named “Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz Operation and Maintenance Institute” at King Khalid Military City in Hafr Al-Batten. The memorandum of understanding’s steering committee has recommended that the institute be named after HRH in recognition of his efforts and support. The training program was launched as per the institute’s executive plan.
Q: The Land Forces’ personnel look forward to the inauguration of their new command building… so, what is the current status of that project?
A: The project is being executed in two phases. Since the necessary fund allocations were approved, work in the first phase, which includes the Command’s Main Building Complex, has been going on and is well underway. We figure that this phase is 85% complete and should be completed by 24-12-1431H, other things being even. Phase two of the project would include the boundary wall, the parking lot and the main gates along with the computer building and the military police building. However, we are still waiting for the fund allocations to be approved for this phase.
Q: When do you expect the inauguration to take place?
A: We have active contacts going on with the Ministry of Finance to provide the necessary financial appropriations for Phase II and if this happens fairly soon, the project could still be completed on schedule.