The Arabian Tunnelling Conference has also been the occasion to hand over to Mohamed AbdelSalam the lifetime achievement award.

In his speech, Soren Eskesen, ITA President, presented Mr AbdelSalam: " 

Let me say some words to present Mr Abdel Salam to those who do not know him.

If I had to present him in a word, I will say that Mr Abdel Salam is the father of the tunnels in Egypt.

After a career  in the army as chief of the engineer corp, he became the Chairman of the National Authority for tunnels supervising the study and construction of the first Cairo metro line, 43 km long, including a 5 km stretch underground. He then supervised the study and construction of the second line as well as the El Azhar tunnel and the study of the Alexandria metro. 

He brought Egypt inside ITA in 1984, first under the Cairo metro, then the National Authority of Tunnels and now under the Egyptian Tunnelling Society. It is a very active ITA member Nation with more than 350 members, which organized the WTC in 1994 in Cairo as well as many conferences and symposium in 1991, 1992, 1999 and 2006.

Mr Abdel Salam has been representative of Egypt since 1984 and ITA Executive Council member  from 1991 to 1997"

You will find attach a paper on the Cairo metro prepared by Mr Abdel Salam.