More than 300 senior architects, engineers, policy-makers, developers, contractors and building managers from across the GCC will be in Dubai, UAE, to attend the Smart Skyscrapers Summit, which kick off next week.

The second Annual Smart Skyscrapers Summit is being held at Sofitel Dubai The Palm Resort and Spa from May 11 to 12 under the patronage of the Dubai Municipality, said the event organizers, Expotrade.

The summit will be inaugurated by Abdullah Al Rafia, the assistant director general (Engineering and Planning Department) Dubai Municipality on May 11.

The by-invitation-only summit will see experts deliver a series of thought-provoking presentations, case studies and panel discussions focused on bringing into the limelight the latest advancements in skyscraper technology.

At the heart of the summit is sustainability, with topics on the agenda shedding new light on issues such as construction challenges, intelligent transit, safety, innovative technology, energy efficiency and trends in architecture, said the organisers.                                    

This year, the speakers include Ahmad K Abdelrazaq, senior executive vice president, Samsung C&T; Wassim Aboushaar, executive managing director, Schindler Middle East; Saeed Alabbar, director, AESG; Simon Lay, director (Fire Engineering) Aecom; Abdulmajid Karanouh, the director (Head of Façade) Ramboll Middle East; Rudi Clayton, the manager (Marketing & Exports) SULB Company; Dr Yasser Mahgoub, the head of architecture and urban planning, College of Engineering, Qatar University; Johannes de Jong, the head of technology, Major Projects, Kone; Errol Bull, the architectural engineer, Technical Services Manager, GE Construction Sealants; Gabor Andrasi, the sales and marketing director - Africa & Middle East, Guardian; Rafic Hanbali, the managing partner, Emirates Insolaire and Wulf Binder, the sales manager (Architecture) Novelis.

This year’s edition features a greater number of partnerships with major companies such as Schindler, SULB Company, Kone, Al-Jazeera Paints, Emerson Climate Technologies, Kansai Paint, GE Sealants, Guardian, Emirates Insolaire, UTC Building & Industrial Systems, Vision Project Services and Novelis.

The exhibitor lounge will feature over 25 solution-providers showcasing their innovative product ranges for the benefit of the audience.

Brad Hariharan, the regional director, Expotrade Middle East, said the summit focuses on highlighting challenges and solutions in sustainable skyscraper development.

"We are privileged to be supported in this regard this year by the Dubai Municipality. We look forward to bringing a platform to showcase the best in skyscraper technology to our audience," he added.-TradeArabia News Service