The judging criteria

• Economic and social feasibility – Impact on employment and job creation, economic and social benefits
• Design and architecture – Innovation, use of traditional materials or methods, new technologies and sustainability
• Engineering – Innovative solutions, methodology, problem-solving
• Sustainability – Impact on the local environment and population over time, waste management, meeting international standards, power generation and water reuse

The six judges

Abdul Majeed Basheer al-Gassab – Bahrain

As general manager of the Bahrain Aviation Fuelling Company, Abdul Majeed al-Gassab is responsible for the management and operations of the firm’s assets and staff. Al-Gassab is a mechanical engineer and has been president of the Bahrain Society of Engineers since 2008, as well as being president of the local branch of the US-based Project Management Institute. A former member of the National Measurement & Standardisation Committee of Bahrain’s Commerce & Industry Ministry, he acts as an engineering expert for the Committee for Organising Engineering Professional Practices at the Works Ministry. Al-Gassab is a registered arbitrator in Bahrain’s courts and has organised and chaired more than 30 engineering conferences.

Matar Ali al-Mutairi – Kuwait

Matar Ali al-Mutairi is an engineer and project manager with extensive experience in major projects in Kuwait. After working with Kuwait National Petroleum Company as a mechanical engineer, Al-Mutairi was appointed supervision and design engineer with Kuwait’s Ministry of Social Affairs & Labour. In 2000-04, he was project manager for the South Sabahya Mental Disability Clinic. Since then, Al-Mutairi has been chairman and head of the construction committee for the Sulibekhat and Doha Cooperative. He has a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in mechanical engineering and a master’s and a doctorate degree in industrial psychology. Al-Mutairi is a member of the Kuwait Society of Engineers.

Sulaiman al-Hudhaili – Oman

Sulaiman al-Hudhaili is a chartered member of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers and a member of the Engineering Council, both based in the UK. Al-Hudhaili has more than 20 years of experience in the oil and gas sector and has worked with Petroleum Development Oman in various positions. He worked for Tebodin Consultants & Engineers (Oman) in 2006-09. Al-Hudhaili now manages his own consultancy advising international clients and runs a health and safety services company. He is a member of the industrial advisory board for the mechanical department of the College of Engineering at the local Sultan Qaboos University and is secretary general of the Oman Society of Engineers.

Ahmad Jassim al-Jolo – Qatar

Ahmad Jassim al-Jolo has more than 25 years of experience in the construction industry. A civil engineer by profession, Al-Jolo is now chairman of the Qatar Society of Engineers and a founding member of the Qatar Green Building Council. A former chairman of the Professional Engineers Committee at the country’s Urban Planning & Development Authority, he is now a member of the accreditation board for the engineering programme in the College of Engineering at Qatar University. Al-Jolo is also an evaluator for graduate student projects and lectures frequently at the Qatar branch of Texas A&M University. He is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers.

Ghazi Mohammed Alahmadi – Saudi Arabia

Ghazi Mohammed Alahmadi has worked in various sectors of Saudi Arabia’s economy, including oil & gas, information technology & communication, banking, defence and real estate development. In 1990, Alahmadi graduated with a bachelor’s degree in systems engineering from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, located in Dhahran. He then completed a master’s degree in information technology and systems engineering at the University of Strathclyde in the UK in 1997. Alahmadi also has an executive master’s degree in business administration from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals and has spoken at regional and international conferences.

Rashad Bukhash – UAE

Rashad Bukhash is director of the architectural heritage department of Dubai Municipality. In his 23-year career, Bukhash has planned, directed, managed and supervised modern architectural projects. He has worked on the conservation of historic buildings, museum design and management, and landscaping projects. Bukhash supervised the conservation of more than 145 historic buildings in the UAE and abroad and also supervised the design and construction of 12 museums in Dubai, including the Dubai Museum and the Sheikh Saeed al-Maktoum House. He has won awards including the Rashid Prize for Scientific Excellence in 2002, the UAE Excellence Award in architecture in 2008 and the Best Architect of the Year (2nd grade) from the Arab Cities Organisation in 2010.