CPR UAE - International Cost, Procurement, Risk in Engineering Sector

Our Speaker

Keynote Speaker
Speaker

Dr. Alaa K. Ashmawy, P.E.

Dean, School of Engineering
American University in Dubai (AUD)

Dr. Alaa K. Ashmawy, P.E.

Dean, School of Engineering
American University in Dubai (AUD)
United States of America

Dr. Alaa holds a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering and M.S. in Civil Engineering from Purdue University in US and B.S. in Civil Engineering from Alexandria University (Distinction with Honors) in Egypt. Dr. Alaa Ashmawy joined AUD in 2006 as Dean of Engineering. Prior to his appointment at AUD, he had been a tenured Associate Professor at the University of South Florida in Tampa. His expertise is in geotechnical Engineering, with interests in numerical modeling of foundations and earth structures, environmental geotechnics, and soil dynamics & earthquake Engineering. Dr. Ashmawy's experience includes Engineering consulting for a number of companies in the US, and a visiting professorship at the Universidád de las Americas in Puebla, Mexico. He is a licensed professional engineer in the State of Florida (USA) and an ABET Program Evaluator.

Dr. Ibraheem Sheerah

Chief Executive of Business Sector
Quality Of Life Program Center

Dr. Ibraheem Sheerah

Chief Executive of Business Sector
Quality Of Life Program Center
Saudi Arabia

Ibraheem Sheerah, Chief Executive of Business at the Quality of Life Program Center and the former Director General of the Project Management Office at the National Center for Privatization & PPP, holds a bachelor's degree in production and mechanical system designs from King Abdul Aziz University in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in 2000 and three Master's degrees: two in Mechanical Engineering Systems and an MBA in Operations and Supply Chain from the University of North Texas and a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington. In addition, he holds some executive, administrative, engineering and project management certificates. In 2014, he earned an executive certificate from Harvard Business School in General Management. He is also an accredited trainer in Project Management, Negotiation and Supply Chain. Dr. Sheerah started his career as a mechanical systems Design Engineer, working his way up to Project/Portfolio/Program Manager, Business Support Director, Quality, ERM and Asset Management Director and Corporate Control Director, including performance based Contract Manager. Dr. Sheerah has also worked as a consultant in business administration, strategy, financial and engineering for many companies and entities inside and outside the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He has held a number of leadership positions and contributed to the establishment of many companies, project management offices in particular, with over 21 years of experience in various industrial fields, including economic offset companies for the Ministry of Defense projects, companies that supply products and services to the Ministry of the Interior, Healthcare Sector, Railway and Transport Sector and companies working with the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture and other small and medium-enterprises in Retail businesses.

Eng. Stelios Kentritas

Senior Consultant & Partner
ziconNET

Eng. Stelios Kentritas

Senior Consultant & Partner
ziconNET
Greece - United States of America

Stelios Kentritas is a Senior Advisor & Consultant, and a Chemical Engineer with an MSc degree from Rutgers University with an international career spanning over 4 decades. Stelios is a recognized “thought leader” on Industry 4.0, Operational Excellence and Megaprojects’ Lifecycle Management Solutions that targeting cost, schedule and quality improvement. Stelios’ subject matter expertise and experience extends to the areas of Business Intelligence, Advanced Analytics, Data Mining, Business Process Modeling, Geographical Information Systems, Facilities Management, Manufacturing Operations Management and Execution Systems, Process Automation, Simulation and Advanced Solutions.

Eng. Danilo Arba

Managing Director / AACE Region 9 Director
Piemme Group / AACE International

Eng. Danilo Arba

Managing Director / AACE Region 9 Director
Piemme Group / AACE International
Italy

Piemme Group / AACE International / Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield / ICMS-Coalition. Managing Director - Piemme Group / AACE International Region 9 Director / Planning Manager Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield / Trustee ICMS-Coalition. Over 15 years of experience in the areas of project control, cost engineering, planning, planning. International experience spans multiple industries, including residential / commercial / industrial developments, airports, high-speed rail lines, highways, bridges and hydropower in countries like the Philippines, Nigeria, Algeria, Libya, Europe and South America , with projects starting from $ 10 million to over $ 1 billion with ever increasing responsibilities. With a degree in Economics and Business Administration from the University of Lugano (Switzerland) and a Master in Total Cost Management at the Italian Association of Economics Engineering in Milan, MBA candidate MIP Polytechnic of Milan School of Management. Currently Managing Partner at Piemme Group, Planning Manager at Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, AACE International Region 9 Director and Trustee ICMS Coalition

Dr Sabih Gatea Khisaf

Head of Engineering MENA Region
Hyperloop Transportations Technologies Inc.

Dr Sabih Gatea Khisaf

Head of Engineering MENA Region
Hyperloop Transportations Technologies Inc.
UNITED KINGDOM

Dr. Sabih has extensive experience in the design and construction of heavy civil infrastructure projects, such as Heathrow Terminal 5 in London, Khalifa Port and Khalifa Industrial Zone in Abu Dhabi, Vasco da Gama Bridge in Lisbon, A13 DBFO Project in London, Metro operation, London Underground (Tube Lines, London), program management for the development of multi-mode transit systems (e.g. Abu Dhabi’s US$ 32-billion Integrated Public Transport Program), as Civil Infrastructure Design Manager, Metro Design, Doha Metro and recently, Head of Engineering with Hyperloop Transportation Technologies MENA Region. Dr. Sabih is a Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers, and Fellow of the Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation.

Dr. Ali Ali Shash

Professor
King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals

Dr. Ali Ali Shash

Professor
King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals
Saudi Arabia

Dr. Ali Shash is a Professor in the Construction Engineering and Management Department of the College of Environmental Design at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM), Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. Dr. Shash has a B.S. in Civil Engineering from KFUPM, awarded 1981, and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Construction Management from the University of Texas at Austin, Texas, USA, awarded in 1984 and 1988, respectively. Dr. Shash assumed administrative responsibilities in KFUPM as Chairman of the Architectural Engineering Department (1992-1995), Chairman of the Construction Engineering and Management Department (1995-1996), Manager of the Research and Innovation Support Office in the Research Institute (1997-2002), and Director for the Center for Engineering Research. Currently, he is the Director of the Construction Industry Institute. Dr. Shash served as a Consultant for several organizations. Dr. Shash authored many articles published in highly reputed journals and an English-Arabic construction dictionary.

Eng. Samer Abu Daqqa

Group Director of Cost Control
Engineering Contracting Co. LLC

Eng. Samer Abu Daqqa

Group Director of Cost Control
Engineering Contracting Co. LLC
Jordanian

Samer Abu Daqqa Group Director of Cost Control MBA, B.Sc. Civil Engineering Samer Abu Daqqa has developed a wealth of experience across a broad range of sectors, primarily in Cost Control and Budgeting. With over two decades of experience in the Middle East, Samer has developed proficiency in a diverse range of projects, from low rise housing schemes and major high-rise towers. In his current role as a Cost Control Manager at ECC, Samer has achieved success in enhancing company efficiency. His achievements include training, supervising, and managing numerous staff members for several flagship projects, comprising of Cost Control Engineers, Project Engineers, Accountants and Supervisors, amongst others. Samer has implemented key systems and principles such as Lean and BIM, in order to increase efficiency and add value to all of project stakeholders. Through building and enhancing the cost control system Samer has ensured delivery of efficient, effective, and reliable methods and practices, including monitoring cash flows, forecasting estimated costs at completion, corrective action and feedback. All of these systems are in line with internationally recognised standards. Samer has a Master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA) from Chifley Business School, Australia and a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering, Applied Science from the University of Amman, Jordan.

Eng. Maged El Hawary

Managing Director
Analytica Management Solutions – ASGC Group

Eng. Maged El Hawary

Managing Director
Analytica Management Solutions – ASGC Group
Egypt

Maged El Hawary is a Project Management Consultant with more than 20-year of successful experience in all aspects of Project Management, Planning, Risk Management, Cost Control and Earned Value Management. Maged is currently a Controls Director in ASGC UAE. Started his career as a Planning & Monitoring Engineer in The Arab Contractors Company in Egypt, and then continued as a Planning Engineer with ASTCC UAE. Later on, Maged held several managerial positions in key international companies and was managing major projects in Residential & Commercial, Oil & Gas, and Industrial sectors. He also worked on a consultancy basis with the major consultants and developers, such as Hill International, ECG, DAMAC, DAEP, Al Futtaim, Emaar and other. Being a Guest Lecturer, Dissertation Supervisor in Heriot-Watt University, Member of Industry Advisory Board IAB and President of AACEI-UAE, enriched his experience and exposure. A professional speaker and panelist in many international conferences, lecturer in topics ranging from Project management, cost control, leadership, planning and project integration. Maged has received the following international awards: - Charles Kean for distinguished service award – AACE international 2014 - Team Leader of the Year – 1st UAE PM Conference – SOE -2015. Maged holds BSc. in Civil Engineering- Cairo University- Egypt, MSc. Degree in Construction Project Management from Heriot Watt University. Maged is a Certified Consultant in Construction Management (Egyptian Syndicate of Engineers), Certified Project Management Professional (PMP -PMI/USA), Certified Cost Professional (CCP - AACEI/USA), Planning & Scheduling Professional (PSP- AACEI/USA), Earned Value Professional (EVP - AACEI/USA), Registered Expert for CRCICA (Egypt) and Associate Member - ACIARB.

Eng. Hadif Hussain Alsuwaidi

Civil Engineer
Sharjah Directorate of Public Work

Eng. Hadif Hussain Alsuwaidi

Civil Engineer
Sharjah Directorate of Public Work
United Arab Emirates

Master in Civil Engineering with 3 years’ experience in construction management field. Diploma in interior design. Working in several Mega Projects for the Government, passion with making a difference in projects, a continues learner in life.

Dr. Zalailah Salleh

Associate Professor
Faculty of Business Economics & Social Development

Dr. Zalailah Salleh

Associate Professor
Faculty of Business Economics & Social Development
Malaysia

Associate Professor Dr. Zalailah Salleh is a lecturer at the Faculty of Business Economics and Social Development, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT). She started her academic career after serving the industry for more than 5 years. She worked as an auditor and accountant in international and local organizations to gain knowledge and to become a Chartered Accountant that is registered with the Malaysian Institute of Accountants (MIA). With her vast experience in auditing, she is currently entrusted with the role of Head of Internal Audit, UMT. The role provides her with opportunities to develop management skills and networking; both of which are important for her career advancement. She holds a PhD in Accounting obtained from Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia and a M.Sc. Accounting and Finance from University of Essex, United Kingdom. Her current research and academic duties focus on Accounting disciplines, particularly Financial Accounting, Auditing, Corporate Governance and Ethics. She is involved in research projects, which are funded by various agencies, either as the main or co-researcher. She also shares her knowledge by publishing articles in international and local refereed-journals including Asian Review of Accounting, Managerial Auditing Journal and Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal. In addition, she is involved in reviewing articles for both local and international journal publications and she is actively participated in presenting papers in national and international conferences.

Eng. Hassan Ahmed Helmy

Regional Government Manager, Middle East
Autodesk, Inc.

Eng. Hassan Ahmed Helmy

Regional Government Manager, Middle East
Autodesk, Inc.
Egypt

With a strong portfolio of over 20 large, complex multi-use development projects successfully managed in his 21-year career where he has held executive leadership roles for notable PM/CM and Real Estate Development organizations, Hassan Helmy is a seasoned construction executive with a passion for adopting the latest technology in construction. Hassan Helmy joined Projacs International (now part of egis group and is ranked 12th in the ENR – Engineering News Record for the Top 20 Non – US Firms in International Construction Management and Program Management Fees for 9 consecutive years) in 2000 as a Junior Project Manager. He quickly rose in the ranks as his organizational and creative thinking skills were recognized and he became the Assistant Vice President in 2008. Hassan remained for fifteen years before he moved in 2015 to work with the renowned Damac Properties in Dubai as the Vice President for Business Planning (Damac has ranked # 2 in Forbes 2016 rankings of the top 100 Real Estate Companies in the Middle East). Hassan Helmy received his Bachelors in Architectural Engineering and then continued his post-graduate studies in Building Services Engineering Management at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, UK. Upon graduation, Hassan Helmy began his career as an Architectural Designer and then as a Site Engineer with a General Contracting firm. Currently, Hassan works with Autodesk as the Regional Manager for AEC/Government helping business owners, corporate leaders, and government agencies through their digital transformation journey, BIM implementation and mandate by coupling business management acumen with proficiency in emerging business technologies Hassan Helmy is a Project Manager Professional (PMP),a Licensed Consultant Engineer and is a frequent speaker at industry events.

Eng. Makram Al-Jaibaji

Regional Manager
12d Model

Eng. Makram Al-Jaibaji

Regional Manager
12d Model
IRAQ

Mr. Jaibaji, senior civil engineer acting as Technical Director at Global Construction Solutions, Regional Director of 12d Model and CEO in Madian Green Smart Building, hold a Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering Design and Project Management from UK. his experience as designer for Highway and Drainage engineering and in surveying for underground radar survey and Geographic Information Systems GIS bathymetric and Laser scanning. Mr Jaibaji has developed particular expertise which harmonizes sophisticated technical knowledge in operating to the highest engineering standards with the ability to manage individual projects to commercially successful conclusions. Mr Jaibaji previously worked with Buro Happold and AKSWARD as infrastructure designer in the UK.

Dr. Imad Ismael, P.Eng., PMP

Traffic / Transportation Manager
Dar Al Handasah

Dr. Imad Ismael, P.Eng., PMP

Traffic / Transportation Manager
Dar Al Handasah
IRAQ

Dr. Ismael is a Transportation Specialist and Licensed Professional Engineer with over 38 years of experience in the field of Transportation Planning and Engineering. He has a Project Management Professional (PMP) certificate from the Project Management Institute (PMI). Moreover, he is a Registered Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) with a certificate from Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO). He graduated from the University of Baghdad – College of Engineering in 1978 with a B.Sc. in Civil Engineering. Then, he obtained his M.Sc. in Transportation Engineering from the same university in 1981. Moreover, he further obtained his Ph.D. from Bradford University, UK in 1990. Dr. Ismael worked in both Higher Education sector and Engineering Design & Consultancy sector for more than 35 years. He became an Assistant Professor in Transportation Engineering in March, 2003. He supervised more than 60 postgraduate research works, and served as an External Examiner in more than 70 postgraduate Examining Committees in different universities in Iraq, as well as contributed in many refereed scientific journals, and participated in many scientific conferences in the field of Transportation Engineering. In July 2004, Dr. Ismael joined Dar Al-Handasah (Dar Baghdad) in Iraq, and in 2006 he joined Parsons in Dubai, UAE, as a Senior Transportation Engineer, and assigned the task of project management for different transportation projects. In 2008 he became a Project Manager responsible for many transportation related projects including Traffic Impact Studies, Preliminary Studies and Highway Design Projects. Then, in March 2015 he became a Traffic Section Manager in Parsons’ Dubai Office. In 2018, Dr. Ismael re-joined Dar Al Handasah as Traffic / Transportation Manager in Dar Dubai office. In this role, he is managing traffic impact studies for several developments in Dubai.

Professor Ammar Kaka

Provost
Heriot Watt University Dubai Campus

Professor Ammar Kaka

Provost
Heriot Watt University Dubai Campus
UNITED KINGDOM

Professor Ammar Kaka is the Provost of Heriot Watt University Dubai Campus. Within Heriot Watt University, he holds the position of Vice Principal and the Professor of Construction Economics and Management. In 2008 he was also allocated the title the William Watson Chair of Building Engineering. Professor Kaka’s contribution to the transnational education in general and to the Dubai’s education hub in particular has been immense. With a student population of 4000 and a growing research culture, the Dubai campus is currently recognised as one of UK’s leading provider of transnational education. Professor Kaka has an international reputation for research on the assessment, planning and control of construction projects. Author of more than a hundred research papers, he has held numerous funded research grants with impact demonstrated by the extent of citation and direct industrial application. He is a fellow of the RICS and member of the editorial boards of a number of international academic journals. He has supervised more than 25 PhD students to completion, many of which have developed into senior roles in governments, industry and academia.

Eng. Haya S. Saleh

General Manager / Founder
MESC Construction Management

Eng. Haya S. Saleh

General Manager / Founder
MESC Construction Management
Jordan

Haya S. Saleh is a planning, scheduling and claims consultant with almost 19 years of rich experience in the construction industry especially in scheduling and delay analysis. Haya S. Saleh is currently the General Manager and Founder of MESC Construction Management in Jordan. She started her career as a Planning Engineer in Saudi Binladin Group ? Amman Four Seasons Hotel Project, then continued as a Planning Engineer in DEPA Arabtec Hotel Interiors in one of the most prestigious projects in Jordan. Later, in addition to the planning and scheduling; Haya had started working in contracts, claims and delay analysis since 2003; after which she worked as a scheduling and claims consultant in an impressive number of local and international projects ranging from five-star hotels to commercial complexes; power plants; water/wastewater, roads and special military projects; and shopping centers in Jordan, the UAE and KSA, totaling over 135 different projects at an estimated value of USD 3.5 billion. Haya was part-time instructor at the University of Jordan, and a trainer at the Jordanian Engineers Association and she is currently the President of AACEI- Jordan section. Haya holds a MSc. Degree in Industrial Management and B.Sc in Civil Engineering from University of Jordan; a Certified Project Manager (CPM), certified (planning and scheduling professional (PSP-AACEI/USA), and Associate Member Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb)

Eng. Luay Ayyash

General Manager
Khansaheb Industries

Eng. Luay Ayyash

General Manager
Khansaheb Industries
Jordan

General Manager of Khansaheb Industries, has a wealth of national and regional experience in managing MEP constructions firms in the GCC region and Middle East for over 20 years and was shortlisted as Construction Executive of the Year for the Construction Week Awards 2017. Luay, a well qualified and highly experienced mechanical engineer and business leader, has successfully spearheaded the entry of a highly innovative and disruptive technology into the UAE and GCC markets — Spiralite insulated energy saving HVAC Ductwork, a pioneering green building product. Apart from his strong managerial and team building skills, Luay has strong academic credentials, including a Masters of Science in Construction Management. In July 2017 he presented a research paper to the American University of Dubai entitled “Evaluating the Effect of Total Quality Management (TQM) on MEP Construction Productivity in Dubai”. The underlying research was based on a case study in Dubai with quantitative analysis and the paper has made a valuable contribution to the knowledge base around total quality management and productivity.

Dr. Nabil Mohd Ali Abbas

Owner
Abbas Consultants

Dr. Nabil Mohd Ali Abbas

Owner
Abbas Consultants
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA)

He is an architect and construction consultant. Is a Saudi national, he holds a Phd. in construction engineering and management from the Univ.of Strathclyde - Glasgow (UK), has a Post Graduate degree in Islamic Studies and a Bsc in Architecture. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (Britain), Elected member of the Association of Cost Engineers (UK), Associate member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and member of the FIDIC Arabic translation committee of construction contracts (2007 – 2013) (Which so far has translated seven of Fidic's suite of contracts). He is one of only four Arab accredited Fidic trainers and the only GCC national. He is a member of the Fidic new trainers’ assessment committee. He is a Registered Arbitrator.. He was appointed as arbitrator, sole arbitrator or expert witness for over 330 cases in construction projects. He has published 32 technical papers on engineering topics, construction claims, arbitration and ADR, published in local and international journals, as well as two books.

Eng. Sameer Daoud

CEO
MECIC Contracting LLC

Eng. Sameer Daoud

CEO
MECIC Contracting LLC
Jordanian

As Chief Executive Officer of MECIC, Sameer Daoud is responsible for the overall activities of the firm. Sameer comes with 20 years of experience in the construction industry which began with him joining the HNTB Corporation in the United States. This was followed by him working in the Middle East with prominent industry names like WS Atkins and WSP Middle East. Having proven himself as a business leader heading up departments from HR, marketing, sales, legal, commercial, operations, and finance, he joined Hyder Consulting as the Regional Managing Director - Transport & Infrastructure, and after the company's acquisition by Arcadis he took over as Global Business Leader for Infrastructure & Water. Prior to his current appointment at MECIC, Sameer held the position of Group Chief Development Officer and Managing Director of Drake & Scull (DSI) one of the leading engineering and construction company in the region and was responsible for all activities in UAE, KSA, Jordan & Algeria, managing projects worth +USD 1 Billion.

Dr. Ibrahim Bakry

Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering
American University in Dubai

Dr. Ibrahim Bakry

Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering
American University in Dubai
United Arab Emirates

Dr. Bakry is an Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering at the American University in Dubai. His expertise is in the construction engineering and management domain. Prior to joining AUD, he worked at Concordia University in Canada as a Postdoctoral Fellow, where his research focused on integrated infrastructure asset management. His research interests include managing repetitive projects, schedule optimization, modeling uncertainty in construction projects, simulating construction processes and Lean construction. Dr. Bakry also has years of experience in managing construction projects of industrial nature in six different African countries.

Shady Ateem

Partner
InShield International Consultancy

Shady Ateem

Partner
InShield International Consultancy
Egypt

Mr. Ateem has intensive construction management and dispute resolution experience particularly in projects’ planning, cost management, contract administration, claims management, expert determination, and arbitration. He has been practicing his career internationally being involved in several projects in the Middle East and North Africa. Mr. Shady brings to the firm a valuable blend of academic and practical performance. Through his experience, Mr. Ateem has been working extensively with international forms of construction contracts such as FIDIC, JCT, and NEC3; he has successfully undertaken various contractual aspects from project initiations through execution to completion and closing-out stages. Mr. Ateem is a renowned specialist in the areas of delay analysis, contract management, claims preparation, assessment, defense, and arbitration. Mr. Ateem recorded in his cecum-vitae a diversified category of projects that include infrastructure, bridges, high rise towers, museums, hotels, hospitals, and marine structures, in addition to oil and gas projects. He has experienced all the construction industry trades from deep foundations to final fit-out works.

Dr Taha Elhag, BSc (Hons), MSc, PhD, MAPM

Associate Professor Project Management
Heriot Watt University

Dr Taha Elhag, BSc (Hons), MSc, PhD, MAPM

Associate Professor Project Management
Heriot Watt University
UAE

Dr Taha Elhag is an associate professor in project management at Heriot Watt University. Previously he was an associate professor at UCL, University of London. Before that, he was an assistant professor at Manchester University. His teaching duties comprise undergraduate and postgraduate programmes; and course directorship. Dr. Elhag academic experience also includes the supervision of MSc dissertations and PhD research; and acting as internal and external examiner for different Universities. He is also an expert reviewer for many international journals and EPSRC research projects. His research experience incorporates his role as principal investigator of EPSRC research grants. Dr Elhag was a visiting lecturer at Manchester and Reading Universities and the British University in Dubai (BUiD). He is an internationally respected academic with a track record of publications. Dr Elhag is regularly invited to join international conference advisory committees. He is the author of over 60 refereed papers in international journals and conferences. He has wide ranging expertise providing project management consultancy. His experience also involved working as an engineer and project manager with contracting organisations. He is a member of the Association for Project Management (MAPM). Dr Elhag is a highly skilled training facilitator, with experience of delivering interactive learning interventions at all levels of organisations. He has developed and run events covering all major areas of project management theory and practice. He provides accredited professional training for PMI and APM qualifications in the UK, North Africa and Middle East. He also worked with the UNDP (United Nations Development Program) for capacity building and development programmes. Dr Elhag has been developing and delivering bespoke education and professional training interventions for a range of government ministries, private sector and universities.