History of the Society of Afghan Engineers

1993–2001: Our Foundation and Early Years

We are the Society of Afghan Engineers (SAE), a collaborative organization of engineers, architects, and scientists committed to enhancing the future of Afghanistan. Established in 1993, we operate as a registered US 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Our foundation was built upon the strong desire of the Afghan diaspora—professionals who had established themselves globally—to be directly involved in the rebuilding and reconstruction of our war-torn homeland. We positioned ourselves to serve as the vital architectural and engineering link between North America and Afghanistan.

During our initial stages, the political and security environment was generally unfavorable for direct involvement and on-the-ground activities inside Afghanistan. Consequently, our early efforts were primarily focused on unifying the Afghan professional community abroad. We organized annual meetings and professional gatherings inside the United States, mostly concentrated on the East Coast. During this time, our leadership conducted informative events with invited keynote speakers and scholars. We also scheduled early trips to Afghanistan to discuss our long-term vision of supporting the reconstruction process directly with the government, laying the groundwork for our future operational capacity.

2002–2009: Active Reconstruction and Expansion

The changing political environment in Afghanistan in the early 2000s created a new window of opportunity for our members to get actively involved in the physical reconstruction process of our country. Our members began traveling to Afghanistan frequently, working as consultants on governmental and non-governmental projects, and serving as technical advisors and coaches to local agencies.

To push the necessary reconstruction and rebuilding of Afghanistan further, we organized numerous high-level professional gatherings featuring both national and international participants. Our key milestones during this period of active expansion included:

• 2002: We became the first professional organization to send a team of 37 volunteer professionals directly to Kabul. Working alongside the Afghanistan Assistant Coordination Authority (AACA), we established the country’s first volunteer capacity-building program.
• 2002: In cooperation with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, Habitat for Humanity, and the Japanese Society of Civil Engineers, we organized the first International Conference in Kabul, titled “National Urban Visions and the Future of Kabul City.”
• 2003: We hosted the “Empowerment of Afghan Professionals” conference at the Stevens Institute of Technology in New Jersey.
• 2004: We organized the “Infrastructure Rehabilitation and Development in Afghanistan” conference at U.C. Berkeley in California.
• 2005: Alongside the Society of Afghan Architects and Engineers (SAAE), we held a joint conference at Kabul University focused on “The Role of the Private Sector in the Reconstruction and Development of Afghanistan.”
• 2007: In a landmark joint effort with the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), we were awarded a major capacity-building contract. Twelve of our seasoned members and five Kabul University staff members successfully trained 74 Afghan engineers (including 3 female engineers) over three intensive 10-day workshops hosted at Kabul University to enhance private-sector engineering consulting capabilities.

We also served as key advisors to the Ministry of Public Works on massive infrastructure initiatives, such as the Salang Tunnel Project. Our members offered professional training at governmental institutions—including the Ministry of Public Works and the Faculty of Engineering at Kabul University—covering 15 different practical applications for the country’s highway system, including rockfall mitigation, avalanche control, snow removal, and hydrology.

2010–2020: Maturation, Standardization, and Continued Advisory

As we entered the 2010s, our focus expanded to include long-term sustainability, communication, and the standardization of Afghan infrastructure. In 2010, we launched the SAE eNewsletter, a quarterly publication that has run continuously for over 16 years, serving as the voice of our organization and a critical forum for sharing technical knowledge, project updates, and professional achievements across the global Afghan engineering community.

Throughout this decade, our technical advisory footprint grew significantly:

• We actively collaborated with the Afghanistan National Standardization Authority (ANSA) and facilitated relationships with ASTM International. Our support helped lead to the adoption of over 120 ASTM standards in Afghanistan by 2020, improving the safety and quality of building materials and practices.
• We provided extensive peer reviews and technical analyses for vital projects, including Kabul City groundwater aquifer storage, the development of the Kabul New City (Deh Sabz), and the drafting of the “Housing Standards of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.”
• Our leadership, including a delegation led by then-President Atiq Panjshiri (who served from 2015 to 2020), traveled to Kabul in 2015 to meet directly with the President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and key cabinet members to advocate for the utilization of Afghan professionals in national development.
• We continued to host major annual technical conferences in the United States, bringing together subject matter experts to discuss topics ranging from seismic safety and urban storm drainage design to the historical preservation of landmarks like the Dar-ul-Aman Palace.

We also engaged in foundational textbook translation, working to democratize engineering knowledge by translating complex structural analysis and engineering materials texts into native languages like Pashto for local university students.

2021–Present: Educational Continuity and Humanitarian Relief

Following the geopolitical shifts of 2021, the operational landscape in Afghanistan changed once more. In response, we adapted our strategy to ensure that we could continue supporting the Afghan people through direct humanitarian aid and remote educational empowerment.

We expanded our role as a philanthropic organization to respond to immediate crises. Since 2021, we have successfully organized emergency relief fundraising campaigns to deliver vital humanitarian support to internally displaced families in Kabul and Kandahar. We also provided direct emergency assistance to victims affected by severe flooding in Nangarhar, Zabul, Baghlan, Faryab, and Ghore, as well as to victims of the devastating 2022 earthquakes in Paktika and Khost.

Simultaneously, we reinforced our commitment to the next generation of Afghan builders. Through the Afghan Education for a Better Tomorrow (AEBT) initiative and our dedicated subcommittees, we established ongoing online engineering and architecture studio training courses for students at institutions such as Kabul University, Kabul Polytechnic University, and Kandahar University.

To foster innovation despite challenging circumstances, we have funded student participation and awarded cash prizes for initiatives like the Bamiyan International Student Design Competition (“Rehousing the Cave Dwellers of Bamiyan”). Through collaborative knowledge sharing, the promotion of professional ethics, and rapid-response humanitarian mechanisms, the Society of Afghan Engineers remains steadfast in our enduring quest to support the foundation, resilience, and future development of our homeland.