Carlos M. Jarque meets with FCC staff in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia)
Carlos M. Jarque, executive director and CEO of FCC, travelled to Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) to meet with staff from all of the Group's main divisions located there. The meeting with FCC senior managers on the Riyadh Metro gave him the chance to examine the project's main figures, find out about collaborative efforts with other companies in the Group, as well as look at the challenges and "lessons learned" in order to pass them on to the rest of the company.
The Group's CEO engaged in discussions with staff about decisions made in recent months and their results. He placed an emphasis on how crucial it is to restore profitability to construction projects by selecting them carefully and reducing costs and structures. Jarque also paid a visit to offices of the FAST consortium (in charge of constructing 3 lines of the Riyadh Metro), a model of diversity and culture with employees of 42 nationalities who speak 22 different languages. Afterwards, the group led by Jarque visited the north tunnel of line 5 (green) where the FCC staff provided him with an insight into its functioning, and the difficulties and challenges encountered and overcome over the last 11 months of work.
During the visit, the Group's executive director also attended the presentation ceremony of the end of tunnel excavation works on the green line of Riyadh Metro. The CEO of the Citizen Services Group took part in the event that also had participation from the Governor of Riyadh, H.R.H. Prince Faisal Bin Bandar Bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud; the Minister of Transport, H.E. Suleiman Al Hamdan; as well as other government leaders, Pablo Colio, international director of FCC Construcción.
Economic driver for Riyadh
During the meetings held with the governor, the mayor of Riyadh and other directors from the FAST consortium, Carlos M. Jarque pointed out that the start of operation of Riyadh Metro will dramatically change the metropolitan areas of the capital, boost their economy and enhance the sustainable and social development of their citizens.
He also expressed FCC's commitment to the project and talked about the changes to its management. Local authorities acknowledged the efforts made by the FCC team on the project and encouraged the Group to engage in the upcoming investments to develop the area in terms of water.
The visit also included a meeting with the Spanish ambassador in Riyadh, Joaquín Pérez-Villanueva, who was thanked for the constant support from the Spanish legation on the project and the people on secondment in the city. Jarque also met with staff in the FCC Aqualia offices in the Saudi capital to get a first-hand account of the projects carried out by the water subsidiary in the area. During the meeting, Jarque encouraged them to seek synergies between FCC Aqualia and other divisions within the Group, as well as to rise to the challenge shared by all employees to help the company reach a global leadership position.