I am the founder of AIG/ME which up till 1999 regularly met and published newsletters every month. Received Masters of Architecture from Yale University's School of Architecture and is currently a USA Licensed Architect in the State of Florida while being qualified by the National Council of Architectural Registration Board (N.C.A.R.B.) for license in all other U.S.A. States since 1970 (39 years). From 1981 to 1994 held Texas Real Estate Brokers status and was Houston Chapter's Project Management Institute's Academic Chairman. With 4551 total teaching hours for 111 credits in 41 semesters began teaching part time in 1970 for Pratt Institute. Received Bachelor's Degree in Interior Architecture and appointed Associate Professor teaching full time in graduate and undergraduate programs for Texas A & M University in College Station Texas. Was in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia since August 1981 employed by ARAMCO, various other ministries and private companies including five years teaching at King Faisal University (K.F.U.) and one summer semester of teaching at King Fahd's University of Petroleum and Minerals. (K.F.U.P.M.) An A.I.A. Member since 1971, founding president emeritus of "Architect's International Group" of the mid-east (A.I.G./M.E.) petitioning the American Institute of Architects (A.I.A.) in Washington to become chartered to serve its' members in the Gulf and especially in Saudi Arabia. Publications in learned Journals (refereed) include "Main Currents in Modern Thought" and Beirut Arab University's Scientific Journal; and England's "Open House". Several books include Project Management (contract to publish by John Wiley and Sons, N.Y.C.), architecture and metaphors. Fine art pen and ink drawings in U.S.A. collections by private connoisseurs and art galleries. Currently hold invitation to guest lecture and visit at Riyadh's "Al-Umran", Turkey's "Istanbul Technical University", Germany's "Bauhaus"; Leipzig University, Halle's "Burg Giebichenstein; Sarasota, Florida's (U.S.A.) "Ringling School of Design." Published in "WHO's WHO in the South" (U.S.A.) since 1974. A former member of the KFU Technical Committee for the New KFU Campus Plan being carried out by Paris' O.T.H. Int'l with Jeddah IDEA Center. Major Architectural and Interior Design Projects include hospitals housing, high-rise office and residential towers, hotels, university campus plan, computer centers, laboratories, new towns and planned unit developments, shopping centers and malls; and, many very small individual projects including residences, police stations, factories, shops, schools, terminals etc. Recently was Design Manger for Barwa City in Doha, Qatar. We have lived and worked in both the Eastern and Central Province: ARAMCO: 1981-1983: Jim Young, A. Lee Griffith, Andy Battenbaugh; Hank Zeigler . I learned a lesson that was to last the duration of my doing business in Saudi was that no matter how many plans, meetings and agreements were made , management was by crisis or as is said in the USA by triage. People never follow plans. In construction in Texas I learned that detailed schedules were made but every one did every thing possible to beat and complete before the scheduled completion date. The sooner the greater the profit. AlSuhaimi: 1983: Aziz alSuhaimi UPM: part-time: Summer Semester Only 1983 International Associates: 1983-1984: We were able to meet executives at the Hospital corporation of America; and, it was here I learned to support the company from the bottom up. Meaning that the executive is the support for the operations and not the military fashion where the command is from the top down .the two ideologies were interestingly applied to formulate El-Seifs business plan. The next several years and the jobs I would take on came as the Saudi economy was in crisis and impacting the private sector. It began the tone of what I would experience for as long Id be in Saudi. I would be thrust into the economic and cash flow problems of one after another Saudi and his company. It would be my job to somehow rescue or be part of the solution to rebuild, reorganize and thrust the company forward and out of its stagnant ways. ElSeif: 1984-1985 In elSeif this meant reshaping the bits and pieces of an inherited successful trucking and construction business Mike and I were to write the plan that would solidify the many parts into a whole, which I called the group and the brothers liked. Arieb: 1985; Was not as fortunate as a company saving for Prince Faisal who alone was able to extend his lines of credit beyond the limits of several banks in the kingdom. He hesitated to call upon his family for help instead relying upon Tom, Bob, and Barie to rescue the company with new and profitable business. Included in our plan had to be to get rid of us and our high salaries, which were part of his debt. Replacing us with much lesser paid managers and hands on operators we formed O&M business, construction, irrigation and some other business to compete in a very slow market. Fe Basil: November1985 to February 1986 This company cheated to make ends meet and I was dismissed to protect me from the scandal befalling those at the highest level AlFoadia: June 11, 1986-1988: Mr. Jizawi was full blown in the O&M business I stayed for many reasons including the hope that as his business turned the corner, which it did, and I brought in new business which I did, my salary and benefits would increase. However, my efforts resulted in winning contracts in US, Japan, Malaysia, British, and French Embassies, US School, ATT compound, and several other compounds ands several banks. His employees went from 350 when I arrived to 1,000 by the time I left and with those contracts continuing today his business thrives in the O&M business. King Faisel University: 1991-1996: Full time I recall the many very amusing and often intellectual conversations we would have over morning coffee and lunch with Seager Carbajal, Okon Ustincock, John Turner, Bangladeshi, and Pakistani. And, my friendship with such Saudis as Jamal Akbar who wrote a book based on his thesis at MIT called Responsibility and the traditional Muslim built environment. He also formed al-Umran society of which I was one of his first members. CDE-1997: Full Time Sultan Bin Abdulaziz al-Saud Charity foundation Science and Technology Center on the Corniche in AlKhobar for HOK/Tampa, Florida as Sr. Project Manager SAJAPHCO Saudi American Dhahran Academy ARAMCO/RSAL: 1997-1998 Full Time In August, just before the terrorist attack on the World trade Center in New York City, Frank Floyd sent me a job offer, which I declined to accept. I had already worked one year as a Project manager in Inside ARAMCO and with most of the employees I had a good time including relations with most of our corporate clients. AlMuhaidib: 1998-1999 Full Time
I joined expat.com on 24 June 2009.