As the number of landmines and other explosive devices cleared by Project Masam’s teams since mid-2018 nears a quarter of a million, Project Masam caught up with Engineer Abdullah Jaribi to learn more about his role and his motivations.
Abdullah, 35, started working in the field of mine action in 2015. Today, he leads Project Masam’s Team 3, which operates on the West Coast.
“I have been working for three years as a Leader of Team 3 and have worked in more than 28 fields. They have been completely cleared,” he told Project Masam as his team worked on a dangerous mine near a displaced persons camp.
“Working in the field of mine action is one of the most dangerous lines of work where the first mistake is the last and it could end your life.”
What prompted Abdullah to become a demining expert?
“I had a relative in hospital who was injured and I saw there were many people with disabilities because of mines. So this moment prompted me to do something so I proceeded to be an engineer to learn and gain experience about mines.
“I call on citizens not to touch any foreign object on the ground, whatever it is. My advice to all colleagues is not to be reckless when it comes to safety,” Abdullah added.
Thanks to dedicated our dedicated and passionate demining teams, Saudi-funded Project Masam has located, removed and destroyed 249.366 explosive items, including anti-personnel mines, anti-tank mines, improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and unexploded ordnance.
Watch Abdullah’s full story here.
