01-15-2025

80 Years Of Parsons: A Legacy Of Success

September 1958 letter from Ralph M. Parsons to Dr. Ahmad Fahim after their first visit to Parsons’ headquarters and refineries around the United States.

“These are yours now,” Ryaan Ganjuei’s grandmother says, handing over a stack of photo albums. As it turns out, the albums had been a gift from our founder, Ralph Parsons, to Ryaan’s grandfather, Dr. Ahmad Fahim, cataloging the company’s growth over the years, its relationship with Ahmad, and their collaborative work in Saudi Arabia.

Ryaan, a project controls engineer working in Riyadh on the Qiddiya gigaproject, was surprised to learn of his grandfather’s relationship with Ralph, something that his grandmother disclosed to him just a year and a half ago, when he joined Parsons. According to Ryaan’s family, his grandfather’s relationship with Ralph began around 1958 and continued for a decade.

Dr. Fahim began his professional life as a surgeon, but according to Ryaan, always had an interest in engineering and physics; was revered by friends, family, and colleagues alike; and in general had a “strong and commanding presence and always owned the room.” According to Ryaan, he also was a great poet and musician, a true renaissance man. Eventually, Dr. Fahim made the switch from surgery to his true passion—building the dazzling Saudi Arabia that we know today.

Group photo with Saudi client party at a refinery in Illinois. (Dr. Ahmad Fahim third from the right.)

“He really was a visionary,” Ryaan says of his grandfather, who saw the country’s potential even all those years ago, when the kind of growth we see today was, for many, beyond imagination. In fact, he was involved in several ventures to advance Saudi Arabia, such as establishing one of the country’s first water treatment companies, instituting its first water desalinization plants, and bringing Air France, the French airline, to the kingdom.

Ralph’s and Ahmad’s paths first crossed when Ralph was looking into the oil and gas industry in Saudi Arabia. Ahmad, having founded the first private oil and gas company in the country, became a client of Ralph’s, introduced him to other potential clients, and helped him get established in the industry. For years the pair traveled to oil refineries in the US and Germany. But, as his grandmother relayed to Ryaan, the relationship soon blossomed into a friendship. Ralph and his wife traveled extensively with Ryaan’s grandfather and grandmother, who on a few occasions were guests on Ralph’s yacht and at his ranch.

Ryaan, who grew up spending summers with his grandfather in the south of France, can only imagine the adventures he and Ralph had together, his grandfather being an early foodie who introduced Ryaan and his brother to sophisticated cuisine from around the world.

But beyond that, it was his grandfather’s appetite for engineering and cutting-edge advancements that left an indelible mark on the family. Currently, several of Ryaan’s family members are contributing to the growth of Saudi Arabia in some capacity, whether through real estate development, construction, or culture and the arts.

Ryaan wasn’t aware of his grandfather’s connection when he chose to work for Parsons, he says, choosing our company instead because of our role in every major project in Saudi Arabia. But he’s delighted to have learned about this other side of Ahmad and the work he did 70 years ago. He says, “My grandfather would be so proud of his friend’s legacy in this region and impressed with the country’s meteoric growth.” And what’s extra-special to Ryaan is having this unique bond with Parsons, which he says, “not only makes me proud but also keeps me driven, motivated, and invested in the company’s, and country’s, long-term success.”

Location unknown. Ralph M. Parsons (left) and Dr. Ahmad Fahim (third from left).

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