events/mdd
Speakers

Dr. Mohammad Ahmad Al Qurashi

Acting Head of Supreme Scholars Authority, Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department (IACAD)

Faisal Rashid

Director, Demand Side Management, Supreme Council of Energy

Faisal Ali Rashid, U.A.E national, a degree holder of Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Dayton, Ohio university, U.S.A 1991. Also, a certified PMP(Project Management Professional). Has a wide and solid experience in energy management including supply, strategy and demand. Has strong background in process industrial plant including oil & gas, power& water generation process, material handling process, glass manufacturing process, renewable technology etc. Strengths and competency fall upon the following proficiencies:

-         Project Management.

-         Plant Operation/ manufacturing management.

-         Contract/ procurement management.

-         Engineering management.

-         Project Planning and scheduling management.

-          Performance management.

-         Presentation skill in both languages English and Arabic.

Current job is energy Demand side director in Dubai Supreme Council of Energy looking after the whole energy demand management spectrum of emirate of Dubai.  I served previously in oil and gas industry for many years as project division manager / Project Manager, handling mega feed and EPC projects. I served as general manager in glass manufacturing company as well. 

Ali Al-Jassim

CEO, Etihad Energy Services

Ali Al Jassim, CEO of Etihad Energy Services and holder of both bachelors of science in Civil Engineering and Masters of business administration with honours, has 18 years of experience in leading roles delivering programs and projects. Ali held top positions in both public and private sector entities such as Head of follow-up and development office at the Dubai Municipality, Acting CEO & Director of Drivers Licensing at RTA and General Manager of Qeyadah Driving Solutions.

Mustapha Aanzi

Assistant BD Director – Strategy & Planning, Etihad ESCO

Ehab Mokhtar

Founder-Managing Director, idia

Profile

Over 20 years of experience in Design and Design management in a variety of project types. Residential, public and offices projects amongst some other types, and the scope of work varies from Architecture, Urban and Landscape to the level of Interior Design.

Product Design, Service Design and innovation are areas of great interest for Ehab, and as a specialist in Design Thinking he always explores new domains that Design can help to develop and succeed.

Ehab has also gained a great experience in heritage conservation specially in the islamic art and architecture during his work with the Egyptian minstry of culture, that includes Iconic projects as Ibn Toulon Mosque and the Coptic museum.

Ehab also Co-founder & Managing Director of Iwan Group a multi billion EGP group of companies that work in the fields of Real-estate development, construction, green building materials and energy saving.

Experience

Founder-Managing Director, idia (iwan designs & innovations architects) — 1995-Present

Since its inception Iwan had focus on Innovation and creativity which always marked its projects. Ehab's role is to lead the company to be one of the most successful design studios in Egypt and the region that has its own signature in the market.

Co-Founder-Managing Director, Iwan Development — 2005-Present

Iwan Developments has gained its position among the Elite developers in Egypt through the delivery of a very high standard projects, Ehab's duties as a managing director is to ensure that quality through the Engineering activities of the group.

Hannes Werner

Partner, Wanders Werner Falasi (WWFCA)

Hannes Werner, born in Germany, studied architecture and urbanism in Berlin and Barcelona. He came to Dubai in 2004 and is well known for his excellent skills in architectural and interior design concepts.

In 2008 he founded together with his partners the architectural design studio WWFCA and has established the office together with Wolfgang Labsch and Mansoor Al Falasi as one of the leading consultancies for contemporary modern design.

With more than fifteen years of international and local experience, he has carried out a number of prestigious projects in Germany, Dubai and the Region from masterplanning, concept to supervision.  His team of 25 engineers, architects and designer is working currently on various projects such as mosques, towers, schools, commercials and high-end residential complexes and private residences - and has recently completed one of the largest mosque in Dubai in Nad Al Sheba.

He served as an Adjunct Faculty at the CAAD College of Art, Architecture and Design at the American University of Sharjah and is regular lector at the Northwestern University in Doha/Qatar.

Malak Ali Hassan

CEO, 3dimensions

Born in United Arab of Emirates, Malak Ali Hassan is one of the distinctive architects and Urban planners in the UAE and the Arab world. She is dynamic and innovative
architect with more than 12years of diverse experience between the government and private sector. She is well known for constantly lobbying for sustainability and energy
and experimenting with new and emerging technologies of all fields and design from urban scale to interiors and landscape.

After starting her office on 2013 her work got recognized at a global level and on 2014 she was awarded by Forbes 200 Most Powerful Arab Women, she also got a several
award, GR8! Women Awards Middle East 2015, for promoting Green Living. She also was part of the World Leadership Congress and Awards on October 2015 and was
awarded for her Excellence in Business Leadership. The same month she also receives her latest award by Forbes as one of the Business Leaders Inspiring the UAE!

She commenced her outstanding journey in Ajman where graduated from Ajman University of Science and Technology in the field of Architectural Engineering, she has
then continued her higher studies and graduated from American University of Sharjah in Urban Planning with Master’s Degree, followed by a Diploma in Quantity Surveying
and Construction Management from American Council Accredited Certification in 2013.

With multifaceted competencies in delivering outstanding results she worked with semigovernment entities where she observed a unique understanding on design for 7 years as Urban Planning Manager.

Abdelkarim Ahmed Alhosani

Head of Building and Care of Masjed Department, Government of Sharjah - Directorate of Islamic Affairs

Wafa Al-Sabbagh

Expert Public Works Sector, Ministry of Infrastructure Development

Wafa Al-Sabbagh joined the Ministry of Infrastructure Development in 1981, then established Design center in 1983. Got promoted as a Senior Engineer in 1995 and then as a Chief Engineer in 2000. Held the position of Head of Planning and Design section in 2008 and become the Deputy Director of the Maintenance Department in 2010.Epert at public work sector 2017 Worked on various types of project and studies as Design Green Buildings for the new Extensions for Maintenance Department 2010:2012, Strategic study for saving Energy plan For Ministry of Public works by using control systems for the Federal Government Buildings 2012, Strategic study for Facility management plan for federal government buildings 2012, Proposed saving Energy study case for ministry of public works buildings saving 50%, Pilot projects for saving energy in Al-Rashydia clinic Dubai saving 30%, Pilot project for saving energy in Al-Etihad clinic Dubai target 50%, Road map study for Sustainability for federal government buildings 2014-2016.

Wafa is team leader for work shops to educate endures how to maintain their buildings and a team leader for developing the building materials Cods for the maintenance projects from 2013-

2016 and was the team leader for Sustainable Maintenance in 2011.2016:2107 case studies on smart building for hospitals, courts, community.

 Wafa has a futuristic vision and loves it push the boundaries aiming high for a better United Arab Emirates.

Dr. Ahmed Mokhtar

Professor I Architecture, American University of Sharjah

Dr. Mokhtar has a Master and PhD degrees in Building Engineering from Concordia University, Montreal, Canada. His bachelor degree is in Architecture from Cairo University, Egypt. He also earned an MBA from City University London. Dr. Mokhtar worked as an architect and a design coordinator with large Middle East consultant before starting his academic career as an assistant professor at Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, USA. He later joined the American University of Sharjah (AUS) to teach in the architecture program. Because of his combined background in architecture and building engineering, Dr. Mokhtar is focusing his teaching and research on the design applications of building sciences, environmental control systems in buildings, and computer applications in buildings construction. Dr. Mokhtar is well known for developing design standards for ablution spaces and prayer areas for public buildings and worked as consultants for designing these spaces in some important projects in the UAE.

 

Dr. Ibrahim Mubarak Alnaimi

Secretary General, Abdullatif Alfozan Award for Mosques Architecture

Dr. Ibrahim is a Saudi architect received his bachelor's degree in architecture from King Faisal University in Dammam in 1980 and a Master's degree from the University of Arizona in Tucson, USA in 1985 and a PhD from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK in 1990.

He was the Chairman of Architecture Department at Al-Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal University, (University of Dammam). He also was the Vice Dean for Deanship of Student Affairs and the Academic Vice Dean for College of Architecture and Planning.

Dr. Ibrahim is a member of several professional associations and international organizations; International Solar Society, American Solar Society and The Saudi Umran Society. He has published widely on sustainable architecture, technology and urban issues.
 

Prof. Mashary Al-Nuaim

Director General, National Built Heritage Center at SCTA

Prof. Shams Eldien Naga

Principal, Naga Architects

Education: Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Architecture – University of Alexandria, Egypt

                    Master of Community and Regional Planning – Rutgers University

                    Master of Science and PhD in Architecture Theory – University of Pennsylvania

Registrations: Registered Architect – States of Georgia and Massachusetts, USA; Toronto, Canada

Memberships: AIA, NCARB, CACB and RIBA

Prior to founding NAGA ARCHITECTS in 2000, Dr. Naga spent several years in academia, teaching at several universities in the United States and the Middle East; he obtained an architecture license after working with notable architecture offices in the Philadelphia area. Thanks to a well-balanced approach between practice and discipline, NAGA ARCHITECTS has won numerous design awards and has become one of the top A/E firms in the Middle East. The firm has its headquarters in Dubai, and offices in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Riyadh, Doha, and Tripoli. Beyond the Middle East, NAGA has a growing subsidiary in Boston, MA, and has recently opened a branch in Toronto, Canada.”

Khaldoun El Zaim

CEO, Tijan Engineering Group

Being in the design industry for twenty-six years, Dr. Khaldoun El Zaim has perfected his skills in design, project management, execution, and supervision of turnkey projects.  
Being the CEO of Tijan Engineering Group, Dr. El Zaim is proficient in achieving targets and managing large projects technically and contractually. Prioritizing in establishing and maintaining good relations with clients, Dr. El Zaim leads a team of dedicated and passionate designers, inspiring them to transcend the barriers of design and architecture.

Dr. El Zaim has had the pleasure to work with Adidas, Pepsi, Dubai Islamic Bank, and various other companies, developing their brand image and identity.

With more than 350 International architectural & interior publications from the gulf & the Arab world, Dr. El Zaim’s many accomplishments include:

  • Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for 10 years of Distinguished Academic Excellence, 2007
  • Vice President of the Presidential Commission of the World Congress, 2011
  • Induction to the Hall of Fame for Distinguished Accomplishments, 2010
  • Magna Cum Laude from the American Biographical Institute, 2012
  • Order of the International Ambassadors, rewarding multinational men and women for their outstanding services to world society, 2010
  • American Biographical Institute’s Man of the Year, 2010


Tijan Engineering Group is responsible for the design implementation of projects in Doha and Saudi Arabia. Including also other countries such as Lebanon, Switzerland, Australia, Latvia, United Kingdom, Los Angeles, New York and much more.

He graduated Bachelor of Architecture in the American University of New York, finished his Master’s degree in Ecole des Arts in Paris, France in 1991 and obtained sucessfully his Doctorate degree in Architecture & Project Management in the University of Birmingham in Birmingham, United Kingdom in 2011.
 

Wael Al Awar

Principal Architect / Partner, ibda design

Wael Al Awar founded Ibda Design in 2009, after moving back to the Middle East from Tokyo.  He spent six years in Tokyo, working with renowned Japanese architects (such as CAt, Arata Isozaki, and SANAA) on various scale projects in Japan and around the world.  In 2012, Wael Al Awar was joined by Kenichi Teramoto as a partner.  Both Principal Architects had worked closely in Tokyo on several international projects.  Wael, has a vast experience in designing and managing projects on a local and international level, ranging from University Campuses to Mixed Use Developments to Private Villas and Mosques.  Having worked in Barcelona “the west”, prior to moving to Tokyo “the far east”, he has developed a strong cultural understanding and geographical sensitivity to different project contexts.  He has a multi-disciplinary approach to design, addressing the social, environmental, economical and technological aspects of each project in order to tailor a highly specific concept to the given context. He is always looking to challenge conventional processes pushing the boundaries of design whenever possible.

Adel Mokhtar

Managing Partner, RAWASEM consultants

Adel is Currently a Managing Partner at Rawasem Architecture Workshop. He has more than 17 years of experience in the Architectural & construction field.

Since 2009, He spent 7 years as a Senior Architectural Engineer in the Building department at Dubai Municipality. Adel was a Principle member of the “Green Building Team” in Dubai Government. Where he had worked hard for 3 years with a small group of Engineers to design the Green Building Code in Dubai. The code is currently mandatory for all new buildings in Dubai starting from April 2014.

As an Egyptian native, Adel studied Architectural Engineering at Cairo University. He received his Bachelor degree in 2000. Worked for seven years in Egypt as a Designer and in parallel he was teaching at AAST University - the Department of Architecture & Environmental Design.

In 2007 he moved to KSA to practice projects management for one year with one of the leading Developers in Riyadh. Later he moved to Dubai where he was involved in several consultancy works (Architectural & Urban). During his 17 years of experience, he designed many projects with different typologies in Middle East.

Adel is passionate about bringing Sustainable Architecture to the public. He is frequent, invited speaker in different events & Conferences in the Region.

Ahmed Al Ali

Executive Chairman, X-architects

Ahmed Al-Ali is an Architect and Entrepreneur from the UAE. He graduated from the American University of Sharjah with a Degree in Architecture and established his critical design firm, X-Architects in 2003.

X-Architects projects and work have gained continuous recognition and have been exhibited in international reputed venues like Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) in London in 2011 and Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Copenhagen 2014. In 2010, Ahmed was honoured with the prestigious and one of the highest ranked local awards, the Mohammed Bin Rashid Award For Young Business Leaders.

Ahmed ardently contributes to various research projects and has collaborated on Abu Dhabi’s Urban Planning Council Building and neighborhood guidelines. He is a board member of the Canadian University of Dubai, the UAE University of Al Ain and the Al Hosn University in Abu Dhabi. He is actively involved in academic spheres and is a recurring critic and lecturer at various educational institutions and associations. Ahmed recently lectured and joined a panel discussion called “Housing the Spring” at Harvard University.

Prof. Ali A. Alraouf

Head of Research and Development. Urban Planning Dept., Ministry of Municipality and Environment (MME Qatar)

Prof. Alraouf is an architect and urban planner interested in research and practice related to architectural, urban, sustainable design and holistic planning. He was a Visiting Scholar at University of California at Berkeley-USA. Alraouf has held permanent and visiting teaching and research positions at regional and international universities. He published more than 90 journal refereed papers, critical reviews, essays, in addition to books and book chapters. Alraouf’s current research interests are: Knowledge-based Urban Development, Post-Carbon Contemporary Gulf Cities, Museums in the Gulf, Urban vitalization of historical districts, Knowledge  and Creative cities. He serves in editorial boards and acts as a reviewer for international journals and conferences. He delivered lectures and presentations in over 25 countries. He is the recipient of number of awards and was selected as member of 2012 Excel campaign at Qatar University. He is currently acts as Head of capacity building, training, research and development unit at Ministry of Municipality and Environment (MME). He is also the leader of Green Urbanism and Planning Group at Qatar Green Building Council.

Andreas Huber

Divisional Board Member, Lindner Group KG

Operating range: Europe, Middle East, North Africa, Azerbaijan

Experience: Long term experience in total interior fit out of large scale and mega projects. Experienced in managing business units and processes, contracting, sales and development of new markets and areas of business.

Armin Kainz

Technical Director, Lindner Facades L.t..d.

Operating range: Middle East, World except Europe and USA

Experience: 31 years + experience in entire facades and building envelope business of large scale and mega projects. Experienced in managing companies and all process sequences, sales, concept design, detailed design, fabrication documents, fabrication process, installation process, sub-contracting, development of new markets, independent consultancy, international experience.

Johannes Auer

Board Member, Digital Elektronik GmbH

Operating range: Global

Experience: Experienced in LED lighting concepts, electronics and complete lighting solutions including control systems. Research experienced in robotics, image processing and sensor based arm prosthetics.

Jimmy El-Hajj

Product Manager - Homes, Honeywell – Environmental & Energy Solutions

Jimmy El-Hajj is a project and product management professional with more than 10 years’ experience in manufacturing and product development, currently occupying the role of Product Manager at Honeywell. Previously, Jimmy worked as a Project & Program Manager, leading the development of innovative products and solutions for the HVAC and BMS world. He graduated from University of Montreal with a bachelor degree in mechanical engineering.

Prof. Kasper Oosterhuis

Director, Dutch Creative Industry / ONL BV

Professor Kas Oosterhuis is both a visionary and a practising designer, leading the innovation studio ONL and the Hyperbody research group at the TU Delft. Environments at all scales – from furniture to buildings to cities - are considered complex adaptive systems, both in terms of their complex geometry and their behaviour in time. The main focus of the current research is on parametric design and robotic building in all phases of the design to production and the design to operation process. Projects like the A2 COCKPIT building in Utrecht, the BÁLNA mixed use cultural centre in Budapest, the LIWA tower in Abu Dhabi and the individually customizable BODY CHAIR are living proof of Oosterhuis' lean design to production approach, in terms of precision, assembly time, sustainability, costs, and above all by his design signature. Oosterhuis’ built projects are characterized by a strong integration of structure, skin and ornamentation. The unique design approach of Kas Oosterhuis has paved the way for the affordable iconic. In his book Towards a New Kind of Building, a Designers Guide to Nonstandard Architecture [NAi Publishers, 2011] Oosterhuis reveals the fundamentals of his personal design universe, which embraces the paradigm shift from standard to nonstandard architecture and from static to dynamic environments as the initial condition. Oosterhuis delivered his TEDx lecture in 2012. In 2013 Oosterhuis founded as editor-in-chief the new scientific journal Next Generation Building. Recently Kas Oosterhuis has been appointed full professor at the Qatar University in Doha. He will continue his groundbreaking research and collaborative educational strategies by bringing the internationally renowned Hyperbody brand to Qatar University, open for architecture students of the MENA region.

Dr Shireen Jahnkassim

Assistant Professor, Faculty of Architecture and Environmental Design International Islamic Architecture, Malaysia

Dr. Shireen Jahn Kassim, is both an academic and a practitioner. She has supervised various PhD and Masters studies to completion in the fields of sustainable buildings and energy-conscious design, environmental simulations and more recently, the development of new forms of computational technology for the process of learning and disseminating architectural heritage. She has written a range of books and various papers on these subject areas. As a consultant and specialist, she has led various projects and agencies towards achieving targets in complying with sustainability standards and lower carbon emission goals including the new KLIA2 terminal and masterplan, the Tabung Haji Hotel and Convention Center, the Gateway Retail mall and the KPJ hospital. She is currently appointed by CIDB to lead an advisory and steering committee coordinated by the Construction Industry Development Board Malaysia (CIDB) and

Public Works Department (JKR) for the development, enhancement and implementation of an integrated carbon-based sustainable building rating assessment system mainly for government and commercial buildings in Malaysia. She sits on the editorial board of Elsevier's peer-reviewed International Journal of the Sustainable Built Environment and is a member of the Scientific Committee for the annual International CONVR conference series. She has conducted analytical studies for various TRHY designs aimed at enhancing their bioclimatic and ecological features.