A career that goes the distance

Today, Sahbuddin serves as service manager for the mining and earthmoving product segments at Liebherr Saudi Arabia, leading aftersales operations, customer support activities and service teams across the Kingdom. However, his Liebherr story began many years earlier, thousands of kilometres across the sea, in a very different role.

Getting started in Indonesia

Sahbuddin started his Liebherr career in 2003 with Liebherr Indonesia as an electrician supporting the assembly and commissioning of mining equipment. One of his earliest milestones was participating in the assembly of an R 994 excavator, the 300-tonne precursor to the R 9350 in Liebherr’s portfolio today.

‘It was an incredible learning experience for a young technician. Being involved in the assembly and commissioning of such a large mining excavator gave me valuable hands-on experience and strengthened my passion for heavy equipment,’ he recalls.

That experience served Sahbuddin well when the first R 9350 mining excavator entered the Indonesian market a few years later when Sahbuddin and five other people became the first team in Indonesia to assemble and commission one of these machines. To prepare for the arrival of this new machine, all members of the team received specialised technical training.

Working as an electrician gave Sahbuddin the chance to collaborate with customers and field teams, allowing him to develop a deep understanding of machine systems, troubleshooting and customer support. Which all came in handy when he became a trainer himself three years later.

As a trainer, Sahbuddin was responsible for developing and delivering technical training programs for customers and for Liebherr Indonesia technicians. It was during this period that he achieved another significant milestone in his career: in 2007 he was one of four Liebherr Indonesia employees selected to attend product training at Liebherr Mining's manufacturing facility in Colmar, France. The opportunity allowed him to deepen his technical expertise, learn directly from product specialists and gain valuable international experience. Following the training, he played an active role in developing others, providing technical training to both Liebherr employees and customer personnel at various mining sites across Indonesia.

A new chapter in Saudi Arabia

The opportunity at Liebherr Saudi Arabia came at the right time in Sahbuddin’s career. The role matched both his background and his interests, while also giving him the chance to work on larger projects and gain international experience – all of which motivated him to move to Saudi Arabia in 2008.

His journey with Liebherr Saudi Arabia began with major infrastructure ventures that included the Makkah Haram Area Extension and Taif Al Hada Road projects. The successful completion of these projects marked the beginning of a long and rewarding career in the Kingdom.

Over the next ten years, Sahbuddin worked as a service engineer, supporting numerous construction and mining projects throughout Saudi Arabia. During this time, he worked extensively with Liebherr mining equipment, including the R 9150 and R 9350 excavators.

Interestingly, history repeated itself.

When the first R 9350 entered the Saudi Arabian market, Sahbuddin once again became part of the first team in the country to assemble and commission the machine, mirroring the same achievement he had accomplished years earlier in Indonesia.

‘Being involved in the first R 9350 in both Indonesia and Saudi Arabia is a unique experience that very few people can claim. It is one of the milestones I am most proud of in my career.’

As his experience and leadership abilities continued to grow, Sahbuddin moved into a supervisory position in 2018, serving as supervisor for the earthmoving and mining product segments for almost three years. In this role, he was responsible for leading technical teams, supporting major customer projects and ensuring high levels of service quality across multiple regions.

Sahbuddin today

Sahbuddin’s ability to combine technical knowledge with operational leadership eventually led to his promotion to his current role as service manager – a position he has held for the past five years. Today, he leads teams of engineers and technicians, supports strategic customer relationships and contributes to the continued growth of Liebherr's service business in Saudi Arabia. His work combines technical expertise, operational leadership and customer relationship management, helping ensure that Liebherr machines operate reliably the extreme heat, dust and high winds often found in Saudi Arabian mines.

‘My journey with Liebherr has been built on learning, teamwork and a passion for supporting customers. Looking back, joining Liebherr Indonesia and later Liebherr Saudi Arabia were among the best decisions of my professional career. I am proud of what I have achieved so far and excited about what lies ahead,’ he says.

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