25th Gulf Engineering Forum starts with focus on sustainability and future engineering

Jamil Khan, Senior Reporter

More than 500 participants from UAE and different Gulf countries have been attending the 2-day Gulf Engineering Forum to discuss various topics related to future trends in the engineering sector and its role in enhancing the global sustainability system.

The 25th edition of the forum under the theme ‘Smart Engineering for Sustainable Future’ is inaugurated by Sheikh Rashid Bin Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Supreme President of the Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation for Medical and Educational Sciences at Intercontinental Hotel Dubai Festival City on Wednesday.

The hosting of the event in the UAE coincides with the announcement by His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the President of the UAE, of the year 2024 as an extension of the 2023 Year of Sustainability, reflecting the UAE's commitment to adopting sustainable practices and innovative solutions to address key issues and challenges in the engineering field.

The event, organized by the UAE Society of Engineers in collaboration with the Gulf Engineering Union, runs until February 8th, attracting prominent government officials, regional and local experts, speakers, decision-makers, and leading professionals and thought leaders in project management from the GCC countries.

In his opening speech, Eng. Abdullah Yousuf Al Ali, President of the UAE Society of Engineers, expressed sincere gratitude and appreciation to Sheikh Rashid Bin Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Supreme President of the Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation for Medical and Educational Sciences, for his generous patronage and unlimited support for organizing the 25th edition of the Gulf Engineering Forum.

The President of the UAE Society of Engineers also emphasized the importance of the engineering sector and its contribution to improving the quality of life, solving problems, and turning challenges into opportunities. He highlighted the role of engineers and the necessity to develop their skills, knowledge, and creative abilities to keep pace with changes and developments in the engineering world, and to leverage them in serving their communities, countries, and the world.

Engineer Mohamed Ali Alkhozaae, Secretary General, Gulf Engineering Union said in his speech: “Throughout the years, we, at the Gulf Engineering Union and the General Secretariat, have ensured that our forums serve as platforms for the discussion of diverse topics of importance to our Gulf engineering community, from disaster planning and management to environmental engineering, to our current forum with the theme ‘Smart Engineering for a Sustainable Future’. This forum serves as a dialogue platform to exchange ideas and experiences, contributing to the development of smart and sustainable engineering solutions for the challenges we face. In this forum, we will explore together, through multiple sessions, how to employ smart engineering to enhance sustainable development in various fields such as energy, water, transportation, infrastructure, and industry.”

Alkhozaae added: “We will focus on technological innovations and new ideas that can contribute to achieving sustainable development goals, such as reducing harmful emissions, improving resource efficiency, and promoting environmental sustainability.”

Sheikh Rashid Bin Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum toured the exhibition accompanied by a number of attendees, and they visited various booths of participating entities. They also listened to explanations from their representatives about the latest developments and sustainable practices in the engineering sector.