Page 26 - Inside K&A - August 2015

Khatib & Alami takes part in
Abu Dhabi SG350 Forum

Reasons to Believe in the Future

Khatib & Alami takes part in
Abu Dhabi SG350 Forum

Since the construction of the famous Chateau de Versailles in 1665,
the renowned French firm Saint-Gobain has developed numerous
construction products and innovative materials. In 2015, Saint-
Gobain celebrated its 350th anniversary with “350 reasons to believe
in the future” which included a two-day forum in Abu Dhabi on
11-12 April. Part of its global tour, the forum was divided into four
main sessions covering water, environmental impact, energy and
multi-comfort. A firm also rooted in tradition, history and evolution,
Khatib & Alami was present and Dr. Adel Abou Jaoude, Water and
Environment Department Manager at K&A, was a keynote speaker in
the Water Forum.

His paper focused on the mega water projects in the Middle East.
“We are living in the heart of the most water stressed region in the
world, a race against water production and mainly water supply
system reliability is launched” stated Dr. Abou Jaoude, “the Middle
East is the scene of the largest water projects currently under
construction across the globe, and among the top 12 projects,
Khatib & Alami is the key actor in 4 out of these 12 projects.” When
interviewed about the key elements in innovation, he stressed on
the innovative potential of engineers in the face of modeling tools,
explaining that: “we have at our disposal mathematical modeling
tools, but they will always lack the creativity and innovation that
come from people. Computers never provide new solutions. They can
only assist in validating them.” He also shed light on the importance
of coordination between engineers and suppliers revealing that,
“they are leading the technical innovation. As engineers, our
approach is to solicit them to share their R&D and bring their
technology to life.”
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