Ahmad bin Shafar

Position: Chief executive officer (CEO), Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation (Empower)

Biography: Ahmad bin Shafar has been CEO at Empower since the company was set up in February 2004. He is a member of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating & Air-Conditioning Engineers, and also of the US-headquartered International District Energy Association. Prior to moving into the district cooling sector, Bin Shafar spent eight years in senior management at the UK’s Standard Chartered Bank. Bin Shafar graduated from California State University, Los Angeles, with a bachelor of science degree in business administration in management. Empower is a joint venture of Dubai Technology & Media Free Zone, and Dubai Electricity & Water Authority. It was established by royal decree to provide district cooling services to real estate developments in Dubai, including projects undertaken by state-owned firms.

Contact Tel: (+971) 4375 5555

Sujit Parhar

Position: CEO, National Central Cooling Company (Tabreed)

Biography: Sujit Parhar was appointed CEO of Abu Dhabi-based Tabreed in May 2009. Previously, he spent more than eight years with Semb-Corp Industries, a Singapore-based utilities company. In his final position at Semb-Corp he was senior vice-president, head of regional business development. In this role, Parhar was responsible for identifying and developing acquisition and greenfield development projects in the power and utilities, environmental management, marine and industrial sectors. He led the winning bid for the Fujairah F1 independent power and water project in the UAE in 2005, and has been involved in supplying utilities to several industrial parks in Asia and the Middle East. Before joining SembCorp, Parhar worked at Keppel Fels Energy for four years in a variety of utilities supply and project development roles.

Contact Tel: (+971) 2645 5007

Shafiq Khoori

Position: Managing director, Palm District Cooling

Biography: Shafiq Khoori began his career in 1995 working in the engineering department of Dubai Aluminium Company. In 2002, he joined the firm’s major projects team as senior mechanical engineer, and was subsequently appointed head of mechanical engineering, with responsibility for the construction of potline seven and casthouse three. Khoori joined Palm District Cooling in 2004 as acting general manager. Following his promotion to chief operating officer, he assumed responsibility for planning, executing and operating all the company’s district cooling plants and networks. He was appointed managing director in January 2007. Khoori has a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Colorado in the US. Palm District Cooling was established in 2004 by Dubai-based investment holding company Istithmar World.

Contact Tel: (+971) 4375 1200

Fouad Younan

Position: CEO, CityCool

Biography: Fouad Younan has more than 20 years’ experience in the Gulf’s air-conditioning and district cooling sector. He spent 17 years working with UAE heating, ventilation, air-conditioning and refrigeration firm UTS Carrier, which he joined in 1987, and was appointed general manager in 1996. He left the firm in 2005 to take up the role of CEO at Qatar Cool, a district cooling joint venture of Doha’s United Development Company and Abu Dhabi-based Tabreed. Between 2006 and 2008, Younan was general manager of UAE district cooling firm Emirates District Cooling, before moving to head up CityCool. The company was established in 2006 to supply cooling services to real estate developments in Sharjah and the northern emirates. The firm also has offices in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. Younan graduated with a masters degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Massachusetts in the US.

Contact Tel: (+971) 6556 6771

Faris Abour

Position: Director, Emaar District Cooling

Biography: Faris Abour is the director of Emaar District Cooling, a wholly owned subsidiary of Dubai-based real estate firm Emaar Properties. Emaar District Cooling was set up in October 2004 to build and operate district cooling plants to service Emaar’s master-planned developments. Emaar’s portfolio of projects in Dubai includes Emirates Hills, Dubai Marina, Downtown Burj Dubai, The Meadows, The Greens, The Views, The Springs, Arabian Ranches and The Lakes. Emaar District Cooling will operate three district cooling plants designed by the US’ Allied Consultants at the site of the world’s tallest tower, Burj Dubai, and the world’s largest shopping centre, Dubai Mall, which will have a combined capacity of 145,000 tonnes of refrig-eration. An estimated 41,000 tonnes of air-conditioning equipment will be involved in servicing the Burj Dubai tower and Dubai Mall.

Contact Tel: (+971) 4367 3697

Martyn Calvert

Position: General manager, Emirates District Cooling Company (Emicool).

Biography: Before being appointed as general manager of Emicool, Martyn Calvert was managing director of York Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Company, a subsidiary of US chiller unit supplier Johnson Controls in Qatar. Emicool is a 50:50 joint venture of Dubai-based real estate firm Union Properties and M’Sharie, an ancillary company of Dubai Investments. The majority of Emicool’s business comes from its two shareholders. It delivers district cooling to the Green Community and Dubai Motor City projects under development by Union Properties, and Dubai Investments Park, which is owned by Dubai Investments. Adib Moubadder, director of facilities at Union Properties, was acting general manager at Emicool in the period between Fouad Younan’s departure for CityCool and Calvert’s appointment.

Contact Tel: (+971) 4885 2452