The Philosophy and Ideology Behind Road Planning

Road engineering and philosophy—two fields that do not usually intersect, unless you ask Samer Zoabi, a Technion graduate in civil engineering specialized in road engineering, who has been active in the field for over three decades. Zoabi is the Chief Engineer and CEO of S.M.D Engineers Ltd., a leading company in road engineering responsible for the planning, management, and supervision of numerous roads throughout the country.

When he finished high school, he wanted to follow his heart and study philosophy, but in the reality of four decades ago, his parents were adamant: "Work so you can earn a living; this is not the time for ideas," they said. "It hurt me then and later on as well, when I was already working as an engineer and was expected to solve problems technically rather than creatively," he shares.
Over the years, in the mid-1990s, when he was already a head of a successful company and drawing on his knowledge as a senior quality assessment editor and arbitrator at the Standards Institution of Israel, Zoabi fulfilled his dream and graduated with honors with a master's degree in Philosophy-Engineering from Tel Aviv University. Today, he is working on his doctoral dissertation. "Engineering can be a technical profession with execution guidelines, but in today's reality, to succeed in what you do, you must be creative and understand the ideology behind the planning in order to understand our future," he explains.

From a Small Stone Room to a Leading Company
Samer founded S.M.D Engineers in a small 140-year-old stone room in his grandparents' and parents' home. What began as a one-person company grew into a leading firm engaged in the planning, management, and supervision of many national road projects, employing engineers and professionals and collaborating with experts in the field. Gradually, as the company expanded, the building grew as well, and additional rooms were added. Today, the company operates from two branches—in the village of Iksal and in the city of Nof HaGalil.
With over three decades of professional experience and dozens of successful projects behind him, Zoabi leads the company toward professional independence, overseeing operations from above while bringing heart and soul into the work. "Our activity emphasizes work that goes beyond the technical world. It begins with interpersonal relations with company employees and continues with an emphasis on environmental quality and the preservation of natural treasures." As an example of the strong relationships within the firm, Samer recounts: "One employee, who began working with me upon completing his studies, thought the job would distance him from his family, but discovered that working in our company and with the rest of the team is like having another family. Those who feel they belong stay, even though our planning teams represent the full social fabric and mosaic of the country. There is ethnic diversity and yet there is harmony. For me, this is an achievement that I accomplished and am very proud of."

Roads Innovation: From Planning to Implementation
S.M.D Engineers serves as a master planner in the infrastructure field for major public organizations — from government ministries and "Netivei Israel" to local authorities and private developers. "When project initiators want to execute a road segment, we prepare a comprehensive plan: road planning, drainage, lighting, communications, electricity, landscape design, traffic surveys, measurements, feasibility studies, and more," Zoabi elaborates. "We provide bills of quantities, specifications, execution instructions, and temporary traffic arrangements, submit to committees, and supervise execution," he emphasizes.

What is the contribution of using advanced technologies in infrastructure and road planning?
"The advanced technologies allow us to identify and present the existing situation accurately, including identifying all obstacles along the project in its various dimensions. The more precisely we document the existing conditions, the better we can adapt the planning to the terrain and avoid damage and surprises during execution. Unlike a private house, where you need to match the height of the house to the opposite sidewalk and surrounding plots, with roads you must adapt every meter to its environment. Through the plan, it is possible to illustrate elevations and find the optimal road cross-section, while also considering economic feasibility. An idea, a flash of insight, and creativity at the right time can save significant public funds. In many cases, I invest time and thought in order to find a more economical engineering solution."
For this purpose, and in special projects, the company uses advanced software, including sophisticated GIS systems. "Measurement is carried out at very high resolution, supported by laser imaging with drones and 3D simulation of the existing condition. The result is an image represented as a three-dimensional body upon which the planning is carried out. For this purpose, we use an advanced system called BIM. In addition, we use advanced methods to locate and identify existing underground infrastructure, such as underground pits and metals," Zoabi explains.

What is your contribution to the development of new technologies in road engineering?
"Our contributions extend across multiple domains. At 'Netivei Israel' there is a technological department for new developments, and we are involved in some of its projects. For example, we carried out pilot planning of solar panels within the unused spaces of interchanges. The large-scale project expected in this field is intended to make good use of this resource and provide a significant volume of electricity to the country. Another pilot project in which we are taking part is the establishment of roadside bays for vehicle weighing. The bays, which contain weight-measuring sensors beneath the ground, identify vehicles and signal overweight loads. In this way, a police officer who identifies a vehicle with an excessive load can direct it to the bays that will be located along major routes, preventing disruption to traffic."

Can advanced software replace road planners?
"Even today we integrate new and advanced systems into our work. However, artificial intelligence still cannot replace our work, which requires coordination, planning, and adaptation of ground plans to roads, streets, and the variety of uses imposed upon them. Road and infrastructure planning is far beyond the planning of a building, and the role of the planner is both important and complex, so a human perspective is crucial and can't be replaced'.

DNA of Environment and Community
Behind S.M.D's professional activity stand clear values of innovation, tolerance between people, and environmental preservation, integrated with a philosophical-ideological outlook. Among other roles, the company serves as a green building consultant and is a member of the National Green Building Council. Its activities emphasize recycling and the reuse of materials and construction waste. "It is very difficult for me to cut down a tree. That comes from my culture and childhood," Zoabi shares. "We try as much as possible to avoid harming trees by planning that preserves them, in cooperation with an agronomist specializing in trees."
Community contribution is expressed in projects with social and historical impact. For example, in many Arab villages it was not customary to number houses, creating navigation and traffic difficulties. Consequently, Zoabi voluntarily conducted a pilot for house planning in one of the communities and submitted it to the Ministry of the Interior and the Central Bureau of Statistics — leading to a national project in additional villages that had no street and house numbering. Another example: Zoabi acted to preserve a historic road from the Ottoman period. Despite plans to abolish it, Zoabi presented planning committees with evidence that the road had been in use since 1800, and even enlisted the neighboring mayor for this purpose. Thanks to his efforts, it was decided to preserve the historic road and build a new road along the same route.

International Mega Projects
Samer Zoabi did not inherit an engineering firm from his family, but from his extended family — numbering tens of thousands across the Middle East — he inherited values of respect for people, family, and tradition. These values formed the basis of the encouragement he gave his cousins to enter the construction field. The initial push he gave them, as well as the professional and business knowledge he shared with his family, underpin the success of subsidiary companies engaged in infrastructure and construction. "Some say it is advisable to separate emotion from work, but I believe we are not robots or machines — we are human beings first and foremost, and human relations are good for the soul and for business," he emphasizes.
"One day a man approached me expressing his aspiration to become a site manager and complained that he had not invested enough in his studies at school. I met with him several times, supported him professionally, and guided him until he received his site manager certificate, and to this day he appreciates it," Zoabi shares. "I am proud of our creativity and also of our human approach. We may be engineers, but at our core we are human beings. At the beginning of my career, I encountered very cold people in the field, where there was almost no human interaction, but over the years I have led the change."
Recently, Zoabi has turned to new channels abroad, for example in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. "In our country the market has become crowded, and although in these countries the transportation sector demonstrates rapid development, with very large investments in infrastructure development — for example, between Abu Dhabi and Dubai they are planning and preparing for a 'bullet' train that will connect the two cities - our company is also growing and spreading its wings, and I am thinking creatively about how to develop and advance it. Therefore, I participate in international conferences to expose the company to cross-border global projects —international mega projects. Among other things, I participated in a delegation to Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Export Institute. I also participated in similar delegations in business forums in Bahrain and Albania."

What is your vision?
"Although my decision to study engineering was driven by practical considerations rather than personal passion, after the company achieved business and economic independence, I allowed myself to pursue a master's degree in philosophy. During that time and over the years, I began influencing and changing the company's DNA so that it would include a variety of creative projects, and we expanded into more integrated projects, in new fields and markets. I strive to lead the company — alongside expanding my business and academic knowledge — toward growth and independence for myself and for the company, so that it will continue for generations to come without being dependent on me."

In your opinion, what is the future of road and transportation planning in Israel?
"Road planning is influenced by technological changes and human behavior. Israel suffers from heavy congestion, but developments such as remote work and improved railways do not provide a complete solution. In the future, we will travel in autonomous vehicles, and drones will be used for deliveries — with roads adapted to them," Zoabi says, arguing that progress depends on precise models and measurement technologies that enable accurate terrain-based planning adapted to changing needs. "The solution is not only widening roads, but also changing conduct—such as diversifying working hours and remote work. I believe that professional planning that combines knowledge and experience with new technologies, and takes into account the environment and the human factor — is the future of transportation and road planning."

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