Nov. 8--Celebrating its 50th anniversary last year, Savannah-based Hussey, Gay, Bell and DeYoung long has been known in local circles for its engineering consulting and architectural design expertise.

Evidence of the firm's handiwork can be found all around the area -- from Rousakis Plaza on River Street to the massive JCB headquarters and manufacturing facility on Interstate 95; from the new Savannah High School to the Shelter Cove Marina on Hilton Head Island.

What many people may not know, however, is the extent of the company's reach -- it stretches halfway around the globe and back.

In fact, the company Gus Bell III joined in 1966 -- he bought out partners Roy Hussey and Benjamin Gay 20 years later to become its majority owner -- has morphed into eight specialized firms under the Bell Companies umbrella. Each of them has the ability to combine services and personnel to create an experienced multi-disciplined team.

One of them, HGBD Arabia LLC, was founded more than four years ago in response to a regional market demand for professional-level design services in the Middle East. HGBD Arabia was preceded by HGBD working in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia between 1976 and 1980.

In collaboration with Saudi partners and with access to a resource group of more than 220 engineers, architects, scientists, technicians and administrative personnel, HGBD Arabia is managing its two largest projects to date. It's building wastewater and sewage treatment facilities basically from the ground up in two diverse areas of Saudi Arabia, each with a set of unique challenges.

The Northern Borders Region, which stretches below and across the southern border of Iraq, is larger than the state of California, and the Al-Baha Region near the Red Sea in the southwestern section of the country, is mountainous and rugged.

The cost of the two projects -- which involve preparing sewer master plans, collection systems and waste water treatment plant designs for nearly 50 cities, towns and villages -- is estimated at more than $2 billion.

The water connection

The project came about in part because of Bell's involvement with Georgia's state water plan.

"My Saudi partner introduced me to the minister of water and electricity, and he asked us to give a talk on our water plan and reuse water," Bell said. "They liked some of the things we were working on here, especially the concept of water reuse. So they asked us to submit a proposal for these two projects."

With help from its Saudi partners, Abdullah Al-Hubayyeb, Dr. Fahd Al Damer and its general manager, Hesham Al Falah, HGBD began working up the proposal.