Forty years since establishment
Society of Engineers... Pre-Registration Scenes
merce and Industry
resolution to establish the Society of
and Dubai Award
Engineers in the United Arab Emirates,
for Best Practices'
on April 3rd, 1979, in accordance with
Board of Trustees.
Ministerial Resolution No. 33 as the first
How was the be-
professional society within UAE. Then,
ginning of SOE's
SOE's first Board of Directors (in Afri-
foundation
and
ca Hall, Sharjah) was elected in 1980,
the pre-registra-
which I was honored to chair and the
tion scenes?
Ministry of Public Works was the stage
The notion of SoE
of the Board's meetings.
Engineer Ali Hamad Al Shamsi, first
foundation
arose
Engineer Ali Al Shamsi adds: After
president of Society of Engineers ­
by a group of young national engineers.
SOE's official registration and as a re-
UAE, in an interview with "World of
This group recognized the urgent need
sult of implementing the General As-
Engineering" Magazine through the fol-
for a professional entity gathering all
sembly's resolution that Dubai will be
lowing section, revealed the notion of
engineers within the UAE, fulfilling their
the headquarters of SOE, the impor-
the establishment of SOE, the pre-reg-
aspirations, keeping pace with the eco-
tance of having a headquarters for SoE
istration scenes and the challenges
nomic growth witnessed by the UAE at
in the Emirate of Dubai emerged, to be-
faced by SOE post establishment.
the time and serving the engineering
come a place to hold SOE's activities
Engineer Ali Hamad Al Shamsi's Bi-
sector within UAE.
and meetings of its members. Accord-
ography
The Ministry of Public Works and Hous-
ingly, an office in a building located at
Engineer Ali Al Shamsi received Bach-
ing was the starting point, the theater of
Maktoum Street in Dubai was chosen,
elor Degree of Civil Engineering, Ain
thoughts and the platform for exchange
where HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid
Shams University, Cairo, 1974. He ob-
of visions and ideas for laying the foun-
undertook to pay the rental fees. Later,
tained Master Degree from North East-
dation of SOE so as to serve as the
SoE was gifted by His Highness Sheikh
ern University, United States, 1988.
reference for all engineering institutions
Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dep-
He assumed various positions at the
and sectors within the UAE, by allowing
uty Ruler of Dubai, Minister of Finance,
Ministry of Public Works and Housing
all engineers to become members of
the main supporter of SOE in the UAE,
from 1974 to 2002, the last position he
SOE and to serve all engineering bod-
with SOE's current new headquarters,
assumed was an undersecretary of the
ies and sectors within UAE.
located in Al Mamzar, Dubai, inaugu-
Ministry in 1993-2002. He headed the
After continuous meetings that led to
rated in 2013. SOE was also gifted by
Ministry's delegation in many confer-
the formation of an interim administra-
His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin
ences such as Council of the Ministry
tive committee, I was honored to be the
Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the
of Housing, the Cooperation Council,
head of such committee to follow up
Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah,
the Council of Arab Housing Ministers
the registration process with the rele-
with a headquarters for SOE in Al Qas-
and the United Nations Housing Con-
vant Ministry and draft a law for SOE.
ba, Sharjah.
ference. Al Shamsi is also a former
These visions culminated in issuance
member of Sharjah Chamber of Com-
of Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs'
Dialogue
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