CIBSE MENA x MAHE | Student Design Competition 2026 – Pre-Award Celebration

🌟 SDC 2026 | PRE-AWARDS CELEBRATION 🎓

The Final Presentations Begin

Following the announcement of our 12 shortlisted entries, the next stage of the CIBSE MENA Student Design Competition 2026 is here.

📅 28 October 2026

📍 Manipal Academy of Higher Education - MAHE, Dubai)

Block A | 3rd Floor Auditorium

REPORTING TIME

2:30 PM | Judges & Shortlisted Teams

EVENT

3:00 PM – 6:00 PM

Under this year's theme:

“Integrated Lifestyle Communities: Engineering Net Zero Districts by 2050”

A Key Stage of the Judging Process

The 12 shortlisted teams will now present their submissions to the judging panel.

For teams based in the UAE, attendance in person is required. Shortlisted teams based outside the UAE will join the event online by link - https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/395391499885458?p=O8GwAQu7qdzOrSTZlj.

Each team will be required to:

🔹 Prepare ONE SLIDE summarising their submission

🔹 Deliver a 2-minute presentation

🔹 Take part in a Q&A session with the judges

The presentation and Q&A will form part of the SDC 2026 judging process, giving the judges an opportunity to hear directly from the students and explore their design approach, ideas and proposed solutions.

🌟 A Day of Learning, Recognition & Connection

The Pre-Awards Celebration will also feature a technical session by Rudy Riachy, bringing additional industry insight and learning to the event.

We are also delighted that the event will be attended by Ruth Carter, CEO of CIBSE, and EurIng Prof Dave Cooper MBE, President of CIBSE, making this a special opportunity for our shortlisted students to connect with senior CIBSE leadership.

Participation certificates will also be presented to the shortlisted students and teams during the event.

The event will also feature the announcement of the newly selected CIBSE MENA Student Representatives, following the Student Representative Programme selection session on 21 October 2026.

This reflects CIBSE MENA and CIBSE YEN MENA's continued commitment to engaging university students, recognising emerging talent and creating stronger connections between students and the building services industry.

12 shortlisted entries.

1 slide.

2 minutes.

One opportunity to make their mark.

We look forward to welcoming our shortlisted teams, judges, CIBSE leadership, Student Representatives and the wider CIBSE MENA community as we take the next step towards the SDC 2026 Awards.

The future is yours to engineer.

#CIBSEMENA #CIBSE #CIBSEYEN #YENMENA #SDC2026 #StudentDesignCompetition #StudentRepresentative #BuildingServices #Engineering #NetZero #Sustainability #FutureEngineers #NextGeneration #MENA

CIBSE Privacy Notice

The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers ('CIBSE') is committed to protecting your privacy, and takes its responsibilities regarding the security of members' and customers' information very seriously. For the purpose of registering you for this event and providing you with further information in relation to this event we will process your personal data within our customer database. On the basis of legitimate interest we may use your data to inform you of similar events in the future and to promote services, activities and commercial objectives that are designed to support the science, art and practice of building services engineering . For more information about how we process any personal information that we collect about you, how you can instruct us if you prefer to limit the use of that information and procedures that we have in place to safeguard your privacy please view our privacy notice.

CIBSE Event Behavioural Policy

CIBSE wants all attendees to feel welcome and included at our events. We ask attendees to keep in mind that they are within a professional environment when at CIBSE events and they are expected to always demonstrate professional behaviour modelling high standards of ethical conduct, honesty and integrity to protect the reputation and standing of CIBSE. CIBSE will not tolerate or allow any discriminatory or disrespectful behaviours by any person during CIBSE events, including bullying, harassment or sexist, racist, or exclusionary comments or jokes at our events. Where alcohol is provided, attendees are expected to know their limits and drink responsibly. The provision of alcohol should not be taken as an endorsement by CIBSE for attendees to drink excessively nor for any resulting improper conduct or activity.

By registering for this event, you agree to abide by the CIBSE Event Behavioural Policy.