Mohamed Mahlab, CEO of Rowad Modern Engineering: Each week, My Morning Routine looks at how a successful member of the community starts their day — and then throws in a couple of random business questions just for fun. Speaking to us this week is Rowad Modern Engineering CEO Mohamed Mahlab (LinkedIn).

My name is Mohamed Mahlab, and I’m still a civil engineer at heart. That’s where my roots and my passion lie.

I’m in charge of Rowad Modern Engineering, a company I had the pleasure of co-founding in 1998. What started in a 100 sqm office has grown into a regional company impacting mns of lives. My role is to chart the course and empower my team to deliver. It’s not to manage every detail, but to ensure the destination is clear.

We play a big role in the construction industry in Egypt and Africa. We believe Africa’s future should be built by African hands and minds. One of our main aims is to be one of the greatest builders on the continent and to really contribute to the sector in Africa.

We’ve had the privilege of working on projects outside of Egypt since 2006 and of being a key player in many African markets. In every country, we build more than infrastructure — we build local capability and potential. We started working in Saudi Arabia two years ago, we’ve recently tapped into the UAE, and we’re looking forward to expanding into other countries.

Our strategy now focuses on the year 2030. More than 75% of volume will be generated from international projects and the rest from the local market. The team has put together a very clear business plan and strategy for the next five years, and it is communicating it across the whole company to see how each pillar of the company will contribute toward achieving this. To support this, we are transforming our culture from central control to empowered accountability.

The industry is seeing a lot of transformation in terms of technology. The construction industry is a very old industry — thousands and thousands of years old. This used to mean that movement and change were very slow, but nowadays, with technology, digitalization, and their integration into business, a lot is changing.

We’ve been very lucky that we started our digital transformation many years ago. I think we are on a very good road toward becoming a 100% digitalized company by the end of 2025. It’s a continuous process of looking for issues and seeing how to make systems more efficient with technology.

Some people think it’s a threat to workers or jobs, but I disagree. Using technology, instead of using all your time to make a cost report or get data, your role now is to make decisions. It also gives you the data that you need at the right time.

I’ve completed 24 Ironman races, and it’s something I’ve been doing for 10 years now, along with marathons. I wake up very early and start my day at around 5:30am. Some days I run, others I swim, and some days I stay on the bike. Other times, I integrate this with hitting the gym. Commitment is non-negotiable; whether in Cairo or abroad, my training is part of who I am. I usually finish my training at 7:45am or 8am and get ready to put on a suit to go to work.

My passion for sports changed everything for me. You know that nothing is impossible, but you have to work for it — it’s all about discipline. To do an endurance sport like Ironman, you have to train a lot to be able to run a race of 12 or 13 hours. It taught me that discipline beats motivation, and that’s exactly how we run the company. It also teaches you that if you go too fast, you will not reach the finish line. It’s the same in business — growth must be paced and sustainable.

This is applicable to anything in life, whether it’s work or other responsibilities. You have to always respect others, appointments, and your time — this is the only way to earn others’ respect. I always tell my people that we need to know where we want to go and to see the finish line, even if at times the road may change or have bumps. We also need to control our speed, because one cannot grow more than they can sustain.

I stay focused and organized by writing everything down. I take notes in meetings and put them in my office to make sure I’m focused on resolving these problems. I’m also surrounded by a very good and young team, who not only help me but also teach me.

I always do my best to spend as much time with my family, talk with my sons, who I learn a lot from, and give back some support to my wife, who stands behind everything I have achieved.

The best advice I’ve ever received was from my father, which is to help others without expecting anything in return. I saw him live by it, and it shaped my own path. When people reach out, I always try to help when I can. I help my team, friends, and others — and this gives me real happiness.

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