2026 Awards Judges

Senior Development Director at KAFD
Executive Director, Past President & Co-Founder at AIA Middle East

Sherif is an architect and development management director with over three decades of diverse experience spanning the USA, UK, and the GCC. Since 2007, Sherif has been actively involved in transformative projects across the UAE and Saudi Arabia.  With a keen focus on design and design management, Sherif has a proven track record of developing innovative, cost-effective designs in architecture, interior design, and urban planning.  His high-profile project portfolio consists of large, mixed-use commercial/residential projects, corporate headquarters, hotels, university campuses, and buildings, extensive multi-use developments, major educational projects, and contemporary residences, all of which incorporate qualities that make projects successful, attractive, sustainable, and livable.

An award-winning and published designer, Sherif is a regular speaker, panelist, and chairperson at regional conferences and design award juries. He has been ranked #68 in the ‘Power 100 most influential people in the GCC’s construction industry.  As a founding member of the American Institute of Architects Middle East Board of Directors and a Fellow of the Institute, Sherif presently serves as the chapter’s Executive Director and has served as Treasurer, Secretary, Vice President, and President.

Sherif holds a Bachelor of Architecture from New York’s Syracuse University School of Architecture and is a licensed architect in the State of Massachusetts.

Mohamed Aqeel is a seasoned real estate development expert recognized for delivering high-impact, design-driven, and sustainability-focused projects across masterplans, cultural, healthcare & hospitality. As Director of Development & Project Management at BEEAH Group, he oversees a multi-billion Dollar real estate portfolio managing complex, multidisciplinary teams to deliver projects harnessing the power of sustainability and technology to drive positive change. 

Mohamed’s career spans award-winning initiatives like the Museum of the Future & Bee’ah Headquarters, where he championed cutting-edge technology integration, sustainable building practices, and project delivery excellence. A passionate advocate for next-generation real estate, Mohamed’s experience positions him as a thought leader at the intersection of sustainability, technology and the real estate revolution.

DSM Strategy & Policy Lead
Dubai Supreme Council of Energy

Director & Board Member
Advancing Net Zero Volunteering Team

Founder
MajdTalks

Featured among the Top 50 Sustainability Leaders in MENA in 2023 by Sustainability Middle East
Magazine. Majd is a decarbonization strategist and award-winning engineer with a track record in
assisting NGOs and government organizations in developing and implementing innovative strategies and
programs aimed at advancing decarbonization, energy efficiency, and green building principles in the
region.

Currently, Majd leads strategy and policy development related to demand side management, water
management, green mobility, and circular economy at the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, Dubai
government. He is the committee secretary at two high-level government committees in Dubai which
aim to accelerate efficiency principles in order to reduce Dubai’s energy and water demand by 30% by
2030 and achieve net zero emissions by 2050.

Majd is also the director and board member of the Advancing Net Zero Volunteering Team which aims
to accelerate the transition to net zero cities in the UAE. Prior to that, Majd held several positions
including senior energy advisor to the Royal Danish Consulate General in Dubai, technical lead at
Emirates Green Building Council, and project manager of the National CDM Program for Solar Energy in
Lebanon.
Majd is the founder of an online platform #MajdTalks which aims at raising awareness about
sustainability and decarbonisation topics.
Majd was a speaker at 100+ flagship sustainability events in the UAE and region and a jury member of
several regional awards programs. He is also the lead author of 10 technical energy publications and has
been interviewed by 15+ regional magazines, radios, and newspapers on energy and sustainability
topics.

Majd was selected to be part of the first cohort of Emerging Board Leaders Fellowship, powered by
HSBC which recognizes exceptional Arab and North African men and women under the age of 45 and
accelerates their pathway to boardrooms.

Majd holds a Master’s degree in Renewable Energy from Saint Joseph University and a bachelor’s degree
in Mechanical Engineering from the Lebanese University. He also holds a Certified Energy Manager,
LEED Accredited Professional (Operations and Maintenance), and TRUE Zero Waste Advisor credentials.

James is a distinguished professional with over 30 years of experience in the utility industry, spanning the UK, EU, and Middle East. He currently serves with the Regulation and Supervision Bureau in Dubai, where he plays a pivotal role in shaping and implementing regulations that support Dubai’s Clean Energy Strategy. His work focuses on Independent Water and Power Producers (IWPPs), Energy Service Companies (ESCOs), and District Cooling.

James's career is marked by influential roles in the UK water sector, where he developed regulatory strategies for price reviews, competition, asset management, and water resource management.  In Dubai, he has authored the regulatory framework for district cooling, consulting and managing a wide range of stakeholders in the process. He holds a BSc (Hons) in Civil Engineering and is an alumnus of the London Business School’s Advanced Development Programme. Additionally, James is a Certified Energy Manager, underscoring his commitment to energy efficiency.

Energy Efficiency Sector, Department of Energy Abu Dhabi.
Adjunct Assistant Professor in Rochester Institute of Technology in Dubai.

Dr. Pablo is a Demand Side Management expert in the Energy Efficiency Sector within the Department of Energy Abu Dhabi and an Adjunct Assistant Professor in Rochester Institute of Technology – Dubai.
Dr. Pablo holds an Engineering Doctorate (EngD) from the University of Surrey in the UK on Environmental Technologies as well as a Master of Science (MSc) on Applied Energy from Cranfield University also in the UK. His bachelor was Industrial Engineering from the Universidad Politecnica de Madrid in Spain with specialization on energy.

As part of his academic career, Dr. Pablo has taught both undergraduate and postgraduate courses at RIT Dubai since 2017. The topics he covered included sustainable energy management and contemporary issues in energy and environment. He has also been a guest lecturer in sustainability for the MBA students of the University of Wollongong in Duabi. Dr. Pablo has done applied research in collaboration with Dr. Mohan Guruswamy, the Chief Knowledge Officer of the World Free Zones Organization regarding the Green Free Zone certification. 

In the professional field, Dr. Pablo has more than 20 years of experience in sustainability and energy management during which he has developed demand side management programmes and initiatives for Government entities in the UAE across commercial, industrial, residential and government sectors. He has also carried out several walk-through and detailed energy audits in hotels, malls, and residential buildings in Spain and the UAE where he identified significant energy savings with sort paybacks. He has also developed corporate sustainability strategies and completed detailed energy and waste management strategies for masterplan developments resulting in more sustainable real estate portfolios for companies in the Middle East and Europe. Finally, he has certified several buildings using the LEED for Operations and Maintenance rating system. 

Prior to joining DoE, Dr. Pablo was the head of the energy services section in Ras Al Khaimah Municipality and he also worked in the UAE as Senior Manager for Energy Audit and Consultancy for Smart4Power, an ENGIE Solutions company, and PMO Director for Dubai Carbon Centre of Excellence, a semi-government entity in Dubai. Before moving to the UAE in 2015, he has also worked with private engineering consultancies and real estate advisory firms in the UK and Spain.

Professor Lynne Jack is Deputy Vice Principal at Heriot-Watt
University’s Dubai campus. She was previously Associate Principal for
International Research and was also Director of the University’s Institute for Sustainable Built Environment, one of the largest Institutes within Heriot-Watt University. Prior to this, she held the role of Director of Research at the University’s Malaysia campus (2017- 2020). Professor Jack has a PhD from Heriot-Watt University and is a Chartered Engineer. She is a Fellow of the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers, a Fellow of the Society of Public Health Engineers and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Professor Jack is also Director of the University’s Centre of Excellence in Smart and Sustainable Construction. This Centre is based in Dubai and was established in 2019 to stimulate industry-led innovations and research-driven solutions to address challenges in the Built Environment. Professor Jack’s research focuses on predicting simultaneous design flow for water distribution networks and on the integration of water-efficient concepts within buildings. She was Chair of the CIBW062 Scientific Committee (for Water Supply and Drainage for Buildings) from 2015 until 2025, and was also President of the Chartered Institution of Buildings Services Engineers from 2019-2020; the Institution’s first female President.

Prof. Ghalib Y. Kahwaji is Director of the Sustainability & Energy Center at RIT Dubai and former Chair of Mechanical Engineering. With over 35 years of academic and industry experience, he has published 60+ papers in energy systems, sustainability, and HVAC. He has led numerous regional and international research projects, including award-winning work on geothermal cooling in Dubai. A PhD graduate from Colorado State University, Prof. Kahwaji serves on editorial boards, SDG councils, and as a reviewer for leading journals. His current work focuses on smart cities, net-zero strategies, and advancing sustainable technologies in the UAE and beyond.

Samiullah Khan, Head Sustainability – Al Tanmyah , Ex.CSO of Fakhruddin Holding, CEO of Saif AIR Tech,
Advisory Board member Rochester University and MD of Euka International an Innovation based company
involved in research and implementation of advanced technology projects in the field of sustainability, Net
Zero, Direct Air Carbon Capture and renewable energy is trained Design Thinking and innovation expert, Ex
CEO (Chief Executive Officer) of The Island, (Lebanon Island – www.theisland.ae) one of the most exclusive ,exotic and unique destination on the face of Earth.
Ex Vice President SRM University (www.srmuniv.ac.in) A passionate learner, educator and master trainer
with over 28 years of corporate expertise. Established and promoted SRM University, SRM technologies (IT
Company), SRM Constructions, SRM Media, SRM Institute of Medical Science (Health Care) and SRM Hotels in
the Region. Counseled over 35,000 students in schools / Universities across Asia, Middle East and Africa. Ex Country Head of Tata Motors and established TATA Motors among the market leaders in Saudi Arabia.
Involved with the Tata business with Mercedes Benz (India), Daewoo (Korea), Hispano (Spain), HispanoMarabi (Morocco), Tata ACGL (Goa), TATA NITOL (Bangladesh),Jaguar and Land Rower(Saudi Arabia).Operated in over 52 counties, an active learner, sportsman and team leader with an uncanny ability to exponentially amplify
the dormant potential in both senior and junior colleagues.

James is Managing Director, EMEA for Energi People with over 17 years of experience in MEP Building Services Engineering recruitment across the whole project lifecycle, within the UK, MENA & APAC regions. Appointed as a judge at the MEP Middle East Awards for the last three years, James is a recognised and respected expert in MEP Building Services across the MENA region.

James is also responsible for driving Energi People’s brand, values and services to clients across the globe, spearheading multi-disciplinary business development, 360 recruitment within MEP Building Services design – both contingency, retained and headhunting, and leading the growth of the building services design team.

A strategy and sustainability leader with more than 25 years’ experience in energy
transition, climate change and sustainable strategies for major projects, Dr Spanos is
known for his ability to develop and deliver advanced solutions that recognise the
interconnectedness of different programmes, align technical delivery to budgets, and
support stakeholder communication and engagement on sustainability. He has
provided consultancy and advisory services for developing projects across various
sectors, including education, healthcare, hospitality and leisure, renewable energy,
sports, real estate, and urban planning. Dr Spanos has been in the Arabian Gulf
region since 2013, working closely with world event organisers and developers of
future global destinations.
 
A Chartered Engineer, holding a PhD in Physics from Coventry University and a
Global Executive MBA from INSEAD, his undergraduate and postgraduate academic
studies focused on engineering, construction management and building services. Dr
Spanos is a Member of CIBSE for more than 20 years.

Casey D Rutland is a global digital transformation leader in the built environment. As Chief Data & Digital Officer at Property Cortex, he helps organisations embrace innovation, smart data, and open standards to drive better outcomes.
An architect by background and digital strategist by nature, Casey contributed to ISO 19650 and helped shape the CDBB Digital Twin Toolkit.  As Chair of buildingSMART UK & Ireland, he advocates for digital twins, open data, and interoperable tech.
Known for bold insights and real-world relevance, Casey speaks worldwide, from the GCC to the US, on sustainability, digital futures, and doing things better through data.

Sandra Woodall is a renowned British architect and urbanist recognised for a generation of pioneering work in sustainable and human-centred design across the Middle East and beyond. As Design Principal of tangramMENA, she leads social and critical infrastructure projects that seamlessly blend cultural identity, environmental responsibility, and innovation whilst creating spaces that enhance the way people and communities live, work, and connect.
Throughout her career, Sandra has been a leading voice in shaping modern architecture around context, community, and resilience. Her design philosophy is grounded in empathy and the belief that truly successful environments are those that respond intuitively to human needs and promote well-being for people and planet.
A Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects (FRIBA) and of the Academy of Urbanism (AoU) she is a dedicated advocate for design excellence, sustainability, and mentorship, whilst delivering complexity with clarity.
Advocating that architecture is about people and sustainability is about life, Sandra’s work continues to shape the profession toward a more responsive and regenerative future.