CONSTRUCTION MIDDLE EAST as of today . It gives us all kinds of advantages ; there ’ s a sort of mileage card and the more Saudi nationals you have on board , the more you can get loans and subsidies from banks and the government . It ’ s a great incentive .”
The company also tries hard to increase female employees number into work , since national law allows it only in specific areas . Alsafwa hired its first female employee in 2010 , and Bestani is pleased to have contributed in his department last year with the first female in procurement : “ I ’ m proud of being able to do that , because it ’ s challenging , since women have a long way to go to gain access to the job market . We hire most of them into entry positions and train them up for better opportunities later on .”
The cement business in Saudi Arabia is enormous ; the nation produces 50-60 million tons a year , compared with the US which creates 75 million tons with ten times the population . Most of the companies that produce it are 20-30 years old , and the way Alsafwa ’ s cement business differentiates itself is through innovation and sustainability .
“ We focus a lot on innovative solutions . Oil is becoming a scarcer commodity , so we ’ re looking at alternative fuels , and we ’ re working with municipalities and utilities companies who are eager to develop more environmentally-friendly use of energy through waste management
“ Saudi having such a high employee turnover is challenging , so you have to stick with your managers to understand how to overcome the situation ”
– Riad Bestani , Supply Chain Director of Alsafwa Cement
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