Saud al-Kabeer’s environment
a few days ago, the emirate of sharjah saw the inauguration of a plant to convert waste into energy, the first of its kind in the middle east as it will produce enough electricity for 28,000 homes.
what sharjah did was taking shape in the mind of a well-known friend and businessman, saud abdulaziz aluraifij, nearly half a century ago.
saud was one of the first to think of a project to convert waste into useful materials and use them to generate electricity, but the government red tape and the obstacles he faced poured cold water on his dreams because the government refused to support the idea, and he was satisfied with a high-tech waste recycling plant but much less than what he dreamed of.
as saud preceded his time and generation, with regard to dealing with garbage and caring for the environment for many years, his beginnings were in the sixties when he saw thousands of rusty iron water tanks which people used to store water on the rooftops of houses and buildings, before the widespread use of fiberglass tanks and others.
the rusty aluminum disfigured water tanks gave an ugly look to the desert and harmed the environment, as they were often discarded disrespectfully.
therefore, he suggested to the municipal director at the time, the late muhammad al-mousherji, to allow him to collect and recycle them at his expense, and turn them into iron waste and that was the beginning of the municipality’s decision to entrust all cleaning work in the state to contracting companies, and this saved public money hundreds of millions of dinars annually.
saud did not believe in sitting on the study bench and learning in a classic way. rather, he decided, in his late teens to enter business, and to be something different from the sons of his generation, so he went to fields that no one thought before him, and achieved great financial success.
his personality, to loves others and do charity work was also of an adventurous nature, and he often put ideas to me personally, and asked me to participate in his projects, some of which are related to mediation between governments and companies, proposing huge projects to them, and buying oil from countries that face difficulties in marketing their product and selling it at preferential prices to other countries.
i was very surprised of his ability to link things together, and achieve success stories that sometimes exceeded many of my expectations and i never dared to go along with him in his adventures or deals.
there is something in saud that attracts you to him, other than his captivating smile and clear calmness.
his mind, which is currently facing great difficulties in moving and speaking fluently, is still working actively, and he is always traveling, either in search of treatment or to make a deal here or buy a product there, and make sure of attending frequent environmental exhibitions, wherever they are held.
saud’s recent illness, which we wish for a recovery and a return to his previous activities and hobbies, stopped his annual parties, and the cooking competitions that he asked dozens of ambassadors in kuwait to participate in, which represented the best message a citizen could give to his country.
