Saudi Founding Day: A Reflection on Heritage and Progress

Mohammed AlAbdullah

Jacobs Business Management Consultant, Middle East

To me, founding day reminds me of my reason why I returned to back home after studying abroad. I always knew that I wanted to pursue my dreams of studying in America and when I received my acceptance letter to study engineering at Kansas State University, I was thrilled at the prospect of pursuing my dreams. I gained a great deal of knowledge in the digital transformation space and policy implementation and I was fascinated by the possibilities these fields offered for transforming societies and economies. As I kept up with news from back home, I began to sense a significant shift in my nation's social and economic landscape; Vision 2030 had launched, and I realized that I had a unique opportunity to contribute to this transformation, to help shape the future of my nation. I knew that Saudi Arabia needed talented and passionate individuals like myself to return home and use their international knowledge and skills to drive progress! While returning home was daunting, Saudi Founding day reminds me of my purpose and how I’m giving back and contributing to positive change.

Hannah Waters

Jacobs Vice President of HSSEQ & ERM, Middle East

It’s hard to give just one example as I work alongside so many teams that make such a positive impact, from employee wellbeing initiatives to training over 2,500 mental health champions! One of the aspects to my role I’m most proud of is being the Jacobs Women’s Network Executive Sponsor. The network strives to establish a supportive community within Jacobs, organizing events, workshops, and forums that provide a platform for women to share experiences, celebrate achievements and address common challenges. Recognizing that we can't accomplish this goal alone, one of the senior male leaders in the company is my co-sponsor for the network, sending a powerful signal of allyship. I’m continually inspired by my female colleagues and peers in the Kingdom and it’s through our networks and mentorship programs that we support female talent and help foster diversity and empowerment!

Abdulelah Alsheikh

Jacobs Country Director, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Despite our nation's impressive growth and development over the past 100 years, we still maintain strong family values, a sense of community and spirituality. The preservation of traditions, such as hospitality and the importance of family, reflects a strong connection to heritage and values and I'm proud this has been maintained throughout our journey. Even with key developments we're seeing architectural design and urban planning blending modern advancements with historical influences. I feel proud to be part of this dynamic society.

Khalid Alqahtani

Jacobs Sales Operations Professional, Middle East

I have high aspirations for the future, for my country and personally. I see myself as an active contributor to the ongoing transformation and seeing fellow Saudi nationals taking on leadership roles is automatic motivation to the youth of Saudi to develop, work hard and reach new career heights. I’m able to help write the history books and be a part of a journey that will live on forever!

Banan Abu Hannoud

Jacobs Senior Water Engineer, Middle East

One of the things I have quickly learned about the people of Saudi Arabia is that they take care of each other and create tight knit communities by sharing food. We are fortunate to have amazing neighbors who are Saudi nationals, as well as some from other parts of the world, and they often bring over plates of delicious food, which has been such a lovely experience. Everyone was incredibly welcoming and it's been great getting to know them and sharing traditional recipes.  

Bryan Harvey

Jacobs VP Growth, Middle East & Head of KSA Giga Projects

I first visited Saudi Arabia in 2016 and when I eventually moved here in 2022, it was clear the transformational journey was underway! There was an abundance of restaurants and entertainment venues available and it felt like a very different city from my first visit. It was for this reason that I moved to KSA inspired by the pace, drive and demand for change and I knew I had to be part of the transformation. My involvement in the giga programs in the Kingdom is one of my proudest achievements and while my role is not only supporting growth and delivery in Saudi Arabia, it’s also to inspire a younger demographic to grasp this once in a lifetime opportunity, building experience that would normally take years of professional development into a much more intense period.