Anthony Cash, MEP Director at BUNA Al Khaleej on leadership, precision, and adaptability fuel BUNA’s success in MEP service delivery.
In this exclusive interview, Saudi Projects spoke with Anthony about the challenges, innovations, and responsibilities that came with leading MEP service delivery across some of the region’s most dynamic construction projects.
Anthony Cash, MEP Director at BUNA Al Khaleej, was at the forefront of delivering complex building systems that met the Kingdom’s ambitious standards for time, budget, safety, and quality.
SAUDI PROJECTS: Can you give us an overview of your role as MEP Director at BUNA Al Khaleej and what it entailed on a day-to-day basis?
ANTHONY CASH: I oversaw all MEP-related matters on all projects, from the initial inquiry stage through to construction. The goal was to develop clear strategies and plans to ensure a smooth transition from tender through design, procurement, and construction.
SAUDI PROJECTS: How did you ensure that MEP services were delivered on time, within budget, and to the highest standards of safety and quality?
ANTHONY CASH: The only way to ensure time, budget, and standards were met was by having suitably qualified staff in all positions and conducting regular review meetings to confirm that targets were being achieved or exceeded.
SAUDI PROJECTS: BUNA was involved in significant projects across the Kingdom, what was your biggest challenge to date, and how did you overcome it?
ANTHONY CASH: The biggest challenges always arose from issues on projects already under construction. Decisions made months or even years earlier sometimes proved unsuitable, and swift changes had to be made to avoid delays to the construction schedule.
SAUDI PROJECTS: The MEP discipline is critical to the success of any development, how did you integrate these systems seamlessly with other trades on-site?
ANTHONY CASH: There was no magic involved, just hard work, coordination, and cooperation among all stakeholders. The only way to resolve space or clash issues is by discussion and cooperation, resulting in a solution. Everyone sitting back and blaming each other wastes time and effort and does not solve the issue at hand.
SAUDI PROJECTS: With the Kingdom’s projects moving at pace, how did you align your delivery strategies to keep up with the momentum?
ANTHONY CASH: The company’s aggressive staff recruitment policy aimed to ensure qualified and experienced personnel were in place at every level—from robust tendering teams to senior site staff and skilled technicians all delivering high-quality work within tight timeframes.
SAUDI PROJECTS: Quality assurance is a major factor in your field. What processes were in place to maintain and monitor quality throughout a project’s lifecycle?
ANTHONY CASH: We had a company-wide QA policy document that guided all procedures during design and installation. This policy was tailored on a project-by-project basis to address specific requirements unique to each job.
SAUDI PROJECTS: What role did technology play in modern MEP delivery, and how did BUNA embrace innovation to stay ahead?
ANTHONY CASH: The use of 3D BIM significantly improved installation detailing and speed over the past two decades. As AI-generated models became more common, human roles shifted toward oversight and validation. However, I still believed AI should not be relied upon to make every decision.
SAUDI PROJECTS: Safety on-site remained a top priority. How did you foster a culture of safety across multidisciplinary teams and contractors?
ANTHONY CASH: We worked to educate workers to expect safe conditions—not just accept hazards. This required investment in safety materials and practices, but just as important was cultivating personal responsibility. One careless act could undo weeks of safety planning.
SAUDI PROJECTS: Looking at Vision 2030, how did you see BUNA contributing to the transformation of Saudi Arabia’s built environment?
ANTHONY CASH: The future for both the Kingdom and BUNA looked bright. The key was to embrace available opportunities, grow the company’s capabilities, and prepare the next generation of engineers to lead into the future.
SAUDI PROJECTS: Finally, what advice would you give to young engineers aspiring to work in MEP and rise to leadership in Saudi Arabia’s construction sector?
ANTHONY CASH: My advice is simple:
- Listen to your superiors and learn.
- Adapt your ideas when better solutions arise.
- In MEP, there’s never just one solution—stay flexible.
- Never assume you know everything—engineering evolves daily.
With a clear focus on precision, performance, and progress, Anthony Cash exemplified the leadership driving Saudi Arabia’s construction sector forward. His work at BUNA Al Khaleej not only supported the delivery of landmark projects but also set a benchmark for MEP excellence.
As the Kingdom continues to grow, professionals like Anthony remain essential to ensuring that what lies behind the walls from power, water, air, and safety all works flawlessly in the cities of tomorrow.
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