Redefining the Possibilities for Pioneering Visions

Dr. Mohamed Hegazy on setting the tone for innovative engineering marvels

Buildings and structures are legacies of architects and engineers. The more complex or unique the designs, the greater the chances of them becoming landmarks in a city or country. Dubai has a rich portfolio of such structures, each exhibiting unique engineering prowess.

Dr. Mohamed Hegazy, Senior Technical Director at WSP Middle East, has been involved with many such projects. Some notable projects that WSP Middle East has worked on of late include the Mobility Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai, the Address Residences Jumeirah Resort, Atlantis The Royal, and the most unique One Za’abeel. Outside the UAE, WSP Middle East is delivering multi-disciplinary engineering and advisory services for a number of giga-projects in Saudi Arabia, including The Red Sea Development Company’s iconic Desert Rock mountain resort.

“We see uniquely designed project ideas as opportunities to display our engineering strengths. In the case of One Za’abeel, we have used the most economic, cost-effective, and high-end materials, and devised innovative approaches for this building,” said Dr. Hegazy, who was crowned ‘Engineer of the Year’ at the Construction Week Awards in 2020 for his work on One Za’abeel. He has an eye for detail, a passion for delivering excellence with an attention to cutting costs and boosting efficiencies.

Dr. Hegazy adds that people and culture are huge factors for delivering unique projects. “The culture at WSP is very supportive and incubates innovative ideas. We owe our success to the technical elevation and knowledge sharing culture among our talented pool of people. At WSP, we focus on encouraging innovation, nurturing growth, and upskilling our people including the development of key talent and graduates, which I am particularly passionate about. Our aim is to continually provide unique engineering solutions that satisfy our clients’ needs and exceed their expectations.”

Even after over two decades in this field, it is not business as usual for the engineer. “I have witnessed and proudly participated in the amazing growth of the construction sector in Dubai and the UAE. I tend to see every project with a fresh approach and think of different ways to deliver the projects with high efficiency. Our work at One Za’abeel led to several new approaches and practices that can be used as a reference guide for future engineering projects around the globe,” said Dr. Hegazy.

WSP Middle East and Dr. Hegazy have received multiple industry awards for their ingenuity and engineering solutions. When asked what keeps him motivated at his job, he said: “After every project, you think you have done your best, but then comes another project with a new set of challenges that forces you to further advance your innovative thinking to devise solutions and techniques that can realise the plans of architects and visions of clients. It is the challenge of being unique that keeps me motivated.”