ACI Traveled to the Middle East North Africa Region to Engage Globally

6/5/2025

As outlined in the American Concrete Institute’s (ACI) Strategic Plan, one of ACI’s five primary goals is to “engage globally”. ACI welcomes involvement from everywhere in the world and takes pride in engaging with the concrete industry globally.

During the first quarter of 2025, ACI leadership and participating international chapters had multiple opportunities to connect with allied organizations throughout the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Michael Paul, ACI president; Fred Grubbe, ACI executive vice president; and members of ACI’s International Affairs team visited Algeria, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Saudi Arabia.

The trip began in Algiers, Algeria, at Djamaa el Kebir, also known as the Great Mosque of Algiers, marking the ACI’s first delegation visit to Algeria. The Great Mosque is one of the oldest mosques in Algeria and includes notable incorporations of hydraulic systems within its structure to mitigate seismic activity. The Great Mosque of Algiers also features the world’s tallest minaret, standing at 265 meters (869 feet). The team also visited The Maqam Echahid, a concrete building commemorating the Algerian War of Independence.

The ACI team then traveled to the building code department at the Ministry of Housing to participate in a two-day conference hosted by Le CTC, Organisme National de Contrôle Technique de la Construction. This conference attracted 250 attendees and was broadcast nationally on television. Paul and ACI Distinguished Engineer Khaled Nahlawi presented on ACI- CODE-562-25: Assessment, Repair, and Rehabilitation of Existing Concrete Structures and ACI CODE-440.11-22: Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete Reinforced with Glass Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) Bars. This visit resulted in two memoranda of understanding (MOU) – one between ACI and Le CTC and one between ACI and the Algerian Concrete Society (ALCOS).

The congregation continued to Dubai, UAE, to conduct the 2025 ACI Middle East Conference (MEC). This was the fifth edition of the ACI-MEC, which included the theme “From Gray to Green.” The ACI-MEC brought together industry leaders, local and international experts, and government officials to explore the latest practices and innovations driving the concrete industry towards a carbon-neutral future.

The ACI group finished their trip in Saudi Arabia, by attending a series of meetings with international associations, including the National Academy for Construction (NCA) in Saudi Arabia, the Concrete Industry Association, and the Gulf Organization for Research and Development (GORD). ACI and GORD signed an MOU to collaborate on sustainability, education, and certification activities within the concrete industry in Qatar and the region.

ACI leadership and the international team continue these efforts to increase global awareness and participation to constantly improve and expand concrete knowledge around the world. To learn more about international activities in the MENA region, visit the ACI Middle East regional page. For more information about how to get involved with ACI, visit concrete.org.