IRF Chairman Receives International Medal of Honor

For Immediate Release: June 6, 2012

(Alexandria, Va.) – H.E. Abdullah Al-Mogbel, Mayor of Riyadh and IRF Chairman and previous Deputy Minister of Transport of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, was presented with the prestigious International Medal of Honor by the Chairman of the Spanish Road Association at a ceremony in Madrid today.

The International Medal of Honor pays tribute and give public recognition to individuals whose career has been closely related to the development of safe and efficient road infrastructure worldwide. Since its creation nearly fifty years ago, the Medal has been presented to eminent political, academic and industry actors. Each Medal bears the statement: “”Better roads for a better world™.”, IRF’s motto since 1948.

“Few are more deserving of this award than IRF Chairman and Deputy Minister of Transport for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” stated Patrick Sankey, President & CEO of the International Road Federation. “His Excellency is a highway engineer by training, who began his career in 1978 in the then Saudi Ministry of Communications working on, and later leading, some of the country’s largest infrastructure projects, such as the Riyadh ring road,” continued Sankey. In 1997, Eng. Abdullah Al-Mogbel was appointed Deputy Minister of Transport with a mandate to improve the efficiency of the country’s road system. In 2007, he received the Man of the Year award, IRF’s highest and most prestigious award, for his leadership in the development of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s exemplary national road network.

Elected Chairman of the International Road Federation in 2011, Al-Mogbel has led IRF’s worldwide advocacy initiative to develop safer road networks while continuing to empower the next generation of road engineers through unmatched contributions to the International Road Educational Foundation (IREF).

The Medal presented today recognizes Chairman Al-Mogbel’s outstanding vision and embodies the values of road industry professionals throughout the 90 countries where IRF has member representation.

Founded in 1948, the International Road Federation (IRF) is a non-governmental, not-for-profit organization with members from both the public and private sectors in 90 countries worldwide. IRF promotes the development and maintenance of better, safer roads and road networks throughout the world, using technological solutions and management practices that provide maximum economic and social returns from road investment.

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