The Lebanese Executives Council recently mourned Imad Gholmieh, a remarkable Lebanese engineer, building contractor, and executive who has left his mark on Lebanon and the region over decades.
The Council issued a statement announcing the passing of Gholmieh, who was the President and CEO of Saudi Arabia’s Nesma & Partners. He passed away due to coronavirus (COVID-19) complications.
The statement deemed the engineer’s passing “a big loss for the construction sector in the Arab world in general, Saudi Arabia specifically, and for the Lebanese community in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia more particularly.”
Engr. Gholmieh was, as the Council points out, a man of ethic and high professional commitment to his company, Nesma & Partners, and his country, Lebanon.
He was “the godfather of the thousands of Lebanese engineers and employees who worked with him at Nesma & Partners with love and sincerity,” said Fawzi Kabbara, the Ambassador of Lebanon to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in Gholmieh’s memory.
Who was Imad Gholmieh?
Engr. Imad Gholmieh, alongside his brother Dr. Marwan and renowned Saudi Arabian businessman Saleh Al-Turki, started the now-colossal Saudi Arabian company Nesma, nearly four decades ago.
The Gholmieh brothers and Al-Turki knew each other for years before starting the company in 1979, as they all went to the American University of Beirut (AUB) together.
Over the years, Nesma grew gradually and became a major holding company that now owns stocks in 48 different companies.
Nesma & Partners, which was initially started as Nesma & Al Fadl in 1981 under Nesma, also expanded with time, from a general building contractor into MEP work through a joint venture with EMCOR, a U.S-Based electrical specialist.
Under Engr. Gholmieh’s leadership, the company later got involved in the oil & gas sector after acquiring the Saudi Arabian mining & metals company AGAP.
Throughout his illustrious run as Nesma & Partners’ CEO, Imad Gholmieh became an icon of the construction industry in the region thanks to his remarkable work in each of the oil & gas, petrochemicals, water, and power sectors.
Over the years, the company grew to become a prominent figure in Saudi Arabia’s building space.
Gholmieh’s brilliance and expertise earned him several times a place on Construction Week’s Power 100, an annual ranking of the most influential people in the Middle East’s construction industry.
After ranking 22nd in 2019, the Lebanese senior executive made the list again on June 3rd this year, taking the 34th spot.
This was two weeks before Imad Gholmieh succumbed to illness, leaving behind a great name and a legacy that will be remembered by all who got to know and admire his charming personality, his unique vision, and his memorable work.