Hawas Bajawi, the CEO of the Water, Oil & Gas Sector at AlSharif Group Holding, tells us about his exceptional professional journey and his views on the importance of water. He is a highly skilled professional with over 18 years of experience.
As a result-driven leader, Hawas tends to come up with innovative solutions in his fields and uses a client-centric approach to ensure complete satisfaction. During our interview, he told us how he realized water’s importance, which influenced his views on his next career path. Learn more about Hawas Bajawi and his business through our interview below.
Starting The Entrepreneurial Path
We asked, “Which career path led you to where you are today?”
Hawas Bajawi says, “I graduated in 2004 and got a Master’s Degree in 2013. I was working and studying after work. I started my job as a site engineer, project engineer, project manager, technical project support, technical manager, operation overseas manager, and design & engineering manager. Then I reached the position of CEO for the Water & Gas Sector with the General Directorate of Water, National Water Company, Saudi Service for Electro Mechanic Works Co (SSEM), and presently working as CEO ( of the Water & Gas Sector) with AlSharif Contracting & Dev. Co. Ltd (ASG).
Once, I visited a Pipe Factory in 2005. The factory owner recommended that the water sector is very important for all countries. It’s relevant whether they are poor or rich countries. Water has immense importance in our lives, whether for drinking, washing, electricity, waste management, construction, and more.
He added that water is necessary whether you work in Saudi Arabia or later in Africa or any other country. Other sectors depend on the economy of the country. But the water sector always remains essential, and water-related projects cannot be stopped. During the Covid period, only two projects were not put on hold: water and electricity. These factors influenced me, and I decided to choose the water sector as my career.”
We further asked, “Tell us about your current work with ASG.”
He added, “I have over 19 years of experience in strategizing business, developing new markets, activating targeted sales plans, and delivering measurable results leading to a significant increase in sales numbers and volumes along with revenues and bottom line profits.
I am presently CEO of the water, Oil & Gas sectors at AlSharif Consulting & Commercial Dev. Co. LTD (ASG) specializes in a wide array of management skills and material development. My areas of expertise include advanced concepts of engineering, procurement, construction management, customer relations, budget planning, and estimation.”
Approach To Business Success
Every businessman or business has their own priorities in terms of work. In addition, they each have different approaches to planning for business success. We were curious about the ways of Hawas in this matter. So, we asked him:
“How have your priorities in terms of business evolved since you first started?”
He replied, “My approach to success in business is timely delivery of the projects and, most importantly, international quality in service. Diligent commitment to both these aspects will ensure satisfactory results for clients and help build long-term, mutually beneficial business relationships. Moreover, as a rule of the house, we focus on providing unwavering support to our clients, which in turn contributes to our business and economic growth through innovation.
What motivates us about industry sustainability is to bring most of the resources needed by the Saudi Arabian people to meet requirements and conditions for maintaining a good and healthy lifestyle. It’s our passion to work for a better living environment and standards.”
Overcoming Challenges With Innovation
What are the most challenging situations that your company overcomes?
Hawas says, “The fact that Saudi Arabia has the biggest desalination industry and the biggest challenge is water sustainability. The main challenges are the distinct geographical nature, hot climate, and lack of drinking water.”
What’s the key strength to overcome it?
“More research and innovative technologies are to be implemented in this field. ASG is dedicated to facing all the challenges and obstacles utilizing all the resources such as planning, research, and manpower and keep confident that we will fulfill the needs of vision 2030,” he added.
Uniqueness At The Best
We wanted to understand how ASG stays unique, and to know more, we asked Hawas, “What makes your company stand out from all the other businesses in your industry?”
With that, he continued, “Al Sharif Group Holding is a leading Engineering, Procurement & Construction Company established in 1980. ASG has been a regional leader in water infrastructure work and water transmission systems, which reflects directly in the Kingdom’s requirements. All our planning is focused both on short-term and long-term visions. We keep our sustainability through our long-term vision and include necessary changes per the nation’s needs and requirements.
ASG is almost 42 years in the business diversified into Technology, Water, Energy, Infrastructure, Green Energy Wealth Investment, Hospitality, and other sectors. Today we are an ISO 9001 QMS certified multi-billion company with a presence in Saudi Arabia operating across the Middle East, Asia, Africa, and Europe.”
KPIs & Services
Our next question was, “What KPIs do you use to measure your business success?”
“ASG developed its KPIs focusing on being the leaders & pioneers in the industry. We focus on design, cost, manpower, equipment efficiency, revenue, profit & environmental goals,” says Hawas Bajawi.
Tell us something about your services. What are you working on now?
“I am a Mechanical engineer who graduated in 2004 and obtained a Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering in 2013. I started my career with the General Directorate of Water, National Water Company, Saudi Service for Electro Mechanic Works Co (SSEM). Presently, I have been in the post of CEO (Water & Gas Sectors) for the last 4 years. It was my vision to establish the Water sector in the Group and manage several projects successfully under my leadership in engineering, construction, and maintenance. During the period, ASG has awarded 5 projects with a total amount of 735 M SAR, and other water projects are under negotiation with various clients with values approx. 1.8 B SAR.” says Hawas.
A Team With Spirit of Creativity
For every business, a team is a crucial part. A highly motivated and productive team can lead to business growth. We wanted to know how ASG and Hawas Bajawi motivate their team, so we asked, “How do you build trust with your employees and boost productivity without causing burnout?”
“I have highly qualified and talented professionals with a great spirit of creativity, innovation, and excellence. I motivate my team in all areas by offering my assistance whenever they require it. I am not just leading the team but working with them and helping the team to solve the issues in a short time. My focus as a leader is largely inclined toward productivity, performance, and outcome.” he said.
Following Trends & Expert Advice
How do you stay on top of new technologies and trends in your industry?
According to Hawas, “ASG always monitors the industry’s new developments and innovative innovation experiments. We are used to attending technical events and exhibitions and sharing our ideas in conferences.”
Lastly, we asked, “What advice would you give to starting entrepreneurs?”
Hawas concluded, “New entrepreneurs should take advice from the experts and be more enthusiastic about studying and watching the developments and innovations in the Industry.”
Connect with Hawas Bajawi on LinkedIn.
