Dubai, United Arab Emirates: The UAE Society of Engineers has announced the opening of registration for the 2nd Excellence and Creative Engineering Award under the patronage of Sheikh Rashid bin Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Supreme President of the Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation for Distinguished Academic Performance. The Award, which primarily aims to promote and encourage a culture of excellence, innovation, and creativity and highlight the significance of national engineering work, seeks to ignite a spirit of competition, leadership and excellence in various engineering fields to keep up with the fast-paced advancements globally.

The Excellence and Creative Engineering Award, initiated under the directives of the late Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, may he rest in peace, is the first of its kind in the UAE. It is designed to highlight the best practices and innovative engineering models that have proven successful to further develop engineering projects across diverse fields.

“I am pleased to officially announce the launch of the second edition of the Excellence and Creative Engineering Award, which will accept entries until October 17th. This Award is a testament to our commitment to promoting innovation and excellence in engineering across the UAE. Aligned with the UAE’s Centennial Plan 2071, which considers innovation as one of the national priorities, this Award is part of the efforts to achieve a diverse knowledge-based economy led by competent Emiratis, ensuring sustainable prosperity by keeping pace with the continuous development in the engineering sector and adopting and implementing

innovative projects and ideas,” Eng. Abdulla Yousef Al Ali, President of the UAE Society of Engineers, said.

He added: “The Award honors the outstanding contributions and achievements in the engineering sector, and inspires the next generation of engineers to push the boundaries of what is possible and make a positive impact on society. It also seeks to adopt winning projects and innovative ideas in the sector, motivating and encouraging engineers to innovate and provide sustainable and innovative solutions and practices. Furthermore, the Award plays a role in enhancing the ability of institutions, companies, and individuals to adopt an active, competitive, and inspiring environment for exploring new horizons, achieving leadership and excellence, and unprecedented achievements in the engineering fields, contributing to ensuring a sustainable and better future.”

The Award’s organizers have also announced the addition of new sub-categories for the competition this year, bringing the total number to 11 sub-categories, compared to seven last year. These include the Pioneering Engineering Project Award, Best Engineering Consultancy Company Award, Best Engineering Services Company Award, Best Construction Company Award, and Best Industrial Company Award. The awards for Best Startup Engineering Company and Best Scientific Research in Engineering Field were recently added to the list.

The Pioneering Engineering Project Award, meanwhile, will be given to the Best Mega Project, Best Medium Project, and Best Small Project.

For the Individual category, there will still be the Leading Personnel, Outstanding Engineer, Outstanding Student, and Rising Engineer awards. The Rising Engineer Award is the new name given to last year’s Future Engineer Award.

Those who are eligible to join are Government and Ministers, Consultants and Engineering Services Providers, Industrial Companies, Engineering Start-ups, Contractors, Students and Professors in Educational Institutes, Research Centres, Project Owners, and Project Management Companies.

The Excellence and Creative Engineering Award is based on the highest international standards for excellence and innovation in the engineering sector and operates with complete transparency and a rigorous evaluation process, overseen by a committee of experts in various engineering fields. The evaluation process assesses the quality of the project and the extent to which innovation and technical excellence are employed throughout the project life cycle, from the design concept, engineering, and construction, to their impact on society and the environment. Participants can submit any previous, current, or future projects.

Launched in March 2022, the Excellence and Creative Engineering Award was intended to foster a culture of creativity and enhance the pace of innovative competition in the field of engineering designs and projects. This initiative is in line with the country’s vision, strategies, and national projects, which are focused on achieving leadership, quality, and excellence across various sectors and fields.

The UAE Society of Engineers, which organizes the Award, has been in existence since 1979 and has attracted over 65,000 engineers and engineering companies to its membership. Over the years, the association has made remarkable progress in the field of engineering certification, organizing professional practices, standards and specifications, and developing the skills and qualifications of all engineers in the UAE through its Accreditation Committee.