Samer Abdul Samad, President & CEO of Nesma & Partners, has been ranked #2 in the 2026 Power Hour 100, featured in the August 2026 issue of Construction Business News ME. The annual feature recognizes the people behind the region’s construction industry and highlights the leadership, expertise, and commitment driving some of the sector’s most significant work.

The recognition comes as Nesma & Partners continues to evolve under Samer’s leadership, expanding beyond the traditional contractor model and strengthening its capabilities across engineering, technology, industrial services, project delivery, and investment. The company is increasingly positioning itself as an integrated partner across the capital asset lifecycle, responding to the growing scale and complexity of projects across Saudi Arabia.

This transformation is supported by capabilities across the group. Kent strengthens Nesma & Partners’ international engineering presence, while AYTB expands its industrial services offering. Imad Ventures, the group’s corporate venture capital arm, supports the company’s innovation agenda through investments in emerging technologies, including AI-native solutions for preconstruction.

Technology is also becoming increasingly embedded in project delivery. Nesma & Partners is developing an integrated ecosystem spanning AI-enabled BIM, digital project controls, ERP modernization, IoT-based asset management, predictive maintenance, and advanced analytics. These capabilities are helping improve operational efficiency, strengthen decision-making, and create greater predictability across projects.

At the heart of this transformation are the people who deliver it. Nesma & Partners has a workforce of more than 70,000 employees representing over 50 nationalities and 26 languages, bringing together global expertise and local talent. Through graduate programs, vocational training, university partnerships, and leadership development, the company continues to invest in the capabilities needed to support its growth and contribute to the Kingdom’s future workforce.

Today, Nesma & Partners is delivering more than 30 active projects, spanning industrial facilities, transportation, infrastructure, buildings, and major Vision 2030 developments. Among these is The Avenues Riyadh, one of the Kingdom’s largest mixed-use developments, featuring approximately 1.5 million square meters of built-up area and more than 15,000 parking spaces.

As project complexity continues to rise, Samer’s focus is also on building resilience across the business. Strengthening engineering capabilities, expanding industrial services, developing supplier partnerships, and enhancing governance are helping Nesma & Partners respond to changing market conditions while maintaining a diversified portfolio across energy, infrastructure, and buildings.

Looking ahead, Samer’s ambition extends beyond delivering individual projects. It is centered on building a company capable of bringing together engineering excellence, technology, industrial expertise, and investment to create greater value across the capital asset lifecycle, in Saudi Arabia and beyond.

“I hope that in the years ahead people will point to iconic projects around the world and say, ‘Nesma & Partners built that.’”

Samer’s recognition in the 2026 Power Hour 100 reflects his leadership and the broader transformation underway at Nesma & Partners, as the company continues to strengthen the capabilities, partnerships, and innovation needed to deliver the projects shaping Saudi Arabia’s next chapter of growth.