Lafarge-Iraq launches its first ‘Safe Driving’ CD with Kurdish pop star Halwest

Lafarge Iraq today launched their Safe Driving campaign at the Grand Millennium Hotel in Sulaimania. The campaign features a CD by well-known Kurdish singer Halwest Abdulla, who reads out key safety messages in between the tracks. Over 1000 copies of the CD have been pressed and will be given to all of Lafarge's drivers and other employees as well as the company's external stakeholders

 

Speaking at the launch, Rachid Benyakhlef, the CEO of Lafarge Iraq said "At Lafarge we are committed to encouraging good health and safety practices amongst all our employees. We felt it important to do a campaign to focus on road and driver safety, unfortunately Iraq has too high a level of road traffic accidents."

 

In addition to the CD, the campaign will be supported buy a selection of posters that promote good driving practices including the '10 golden rules of safe driving' such as always wearing seat belt, obeying the speed limit and never using a mobile phone whilst driving. These three example rules alone would decrease the road traffic accident rates in Iraq significantly if all drivers adhered to them.

 

Halwest, who donated his time and songs to the project for free; said he became involved in the project because "Most of us spend a significant part of our day driving for both private and business issues. Sometimes we drive our families, children and friends in our cars, we take their lives in our hands this is a big responsibility. We all know that driving might be very very risky if we don't follow safe driving rules, so I wanted to do something to help change the culture."

 

The response from Lafarge's staff has been positive, Farhad Kareem, a driver for the company, said that he really liked that they were receiving the message in a more novel way whilst driving. "Seeing the messages on the posters in the office is one thing, hearing them when you are actually driving reminds you to follow them!"

 

 

Notes to the Editor:

 

Lafarge Iraq

 

Lafarge Iraq is a member of LafargeHolcim Group, operates 2 cement plants in Iraq;  Bazian Cement Plant in Sulaimani (business partnership with Faruk Group) and Karbala Cement Plant located close to Karbala province. It also operates 15 RMX-concrete manufacturing sites located in North, Middle and South of Iraq. Lafarge Iraq is a customer and end user-centric company seeking to offer high quality, innovative building solutions to its customers as well as to create social and economic value for its local communities.

 

Faruk Holding (FH)

 

Faruk Holding (FH) is comprised of 27 companies operating across 12 separate sectors vital to Iraq's reconstruction: telecommunications and information technology, cement, construction, industry, energy, insurance, medical services, hospitality, real estate, agriculture, project management, commerce and trade.

 

FH was incorporated as a holding company, controlling the shares and companies owned by Chairman of the Board, Faruk Mustafa Rasool, in 2008. Since its establishment, FH has continually been a champion of positive development inside Iraq in both social and economic sectors.