How we started

Solel Boneh (Hebrew for “Paving & Building”) was founded by the Histadrut (the General Organization of Workers in Israel), with the aim of uniting the sporadic groups of workers paving the roads and building the new State. It quickly established itself as the largest contractor in Israel. These groups of workers courageously assumed complex pioneering projects, such as building the power plant in Naharayim, paving main roads across Israel, and constructing the first building of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

In 1956, SOLEL BONEH established a construction company called Nigersol Construction Company Limited in Nigeria, together with Nigerian investors. 

In 1958, Prime Minister Golda Meir encouraged Solel Boneh to expand its operations into Africa. She viewed this activity as a steadfast expression of Israel’s capacity to assist, advance, and grow the forces of creativity and resources in African countries, later saying: “I viewed Solel Boneh as a first-class national instrument”.

SOLEL BONEH established a business relationship with the defunct Western Region Government in the late 50s. The relationship led to the incorporation of Nigerian Water Resources Development Limited (NWRD) as a joint venture company in 1959.

As part of an international consortium, called Reynolds Brezina & Brown or simply RBB,  another subsidiary of SOLEL BONEH (Reynolds Construction Company – New York) participated in and won an international bid in 1968 to construct a $32 million Calabar – Ikom Road,Eastern Nigeria.

Being an off-shore company, Reynolds Construction Company – New York, applied for and secured a Special Approval from the Nigerian Government on 18 November 1968 to operate in Nigeria as a Foreign Company for the purpose of the said Calabar – Ikom Road in Eastern Nigeria.

Reynolds Construction Company (Nigeria) Limited (RCC) was incorporated as a local company in September 1969. It took off with projects in Eastern parts of Nigeria and later expanded all over the country.

RCC is the flagship of the Nigerian operations of SBI.

Control of Solel Boneh was passed on to Housing & Construction Holding Company Limited (Shikun & Binui). The controlling shares of that holding company, including Solel Boneh, were acquired by Ted Arison in 1996 and after his death in 1999, the shares became vested in his daughter, Shari Arison. 

In 2018, Arison Group transferred its shares in Shikun & Binui to Naty Saidoff Group, led by American Businessman and Philanthropist, Mr. Naty Saidoff.

SBI International Holdings AG (SBI) is a subsidiary of and the international arm of Shikun & Binui – SBI’s Infrastructure Limited, the global infrastructure company of Shikun & Binui Group.