The chief executive officer of Emirates Central Cooling Sytems Corporation (Empower) has won the 'CEO of the Year - Energy' honour at the CEO Middle East Awards, organised recently by the CEO Middle East Magazine.

 

The award was in recognition of the role played by Ahmad Bin Shafar in strengthening and expanding Empower and his contributions to the district cooling sector in the Middle East, as well as his significant achievements in transforming Empower into a global player, said a statement.

 

The ceremony took place at the InterContinental Hotel in Dubai Festival City and was attended by a galaxy of decision-makers from the public and private sectors from around the Middle East, it said.

 

It also included 'CEO of the Year' in aviation, BPO and technology, telecoms, banking, financial services, project construction, hospitality and tourism, and retail, as well as 'Businesswoman of the Year', 'Young CEO of the Year', 'Humanitarian of the Year', 'Visionary of the Year', Islamic banking, and lifetime achievement award.

 

"It is a great honour to be selected as CEO of the Year – Energy. I attribute this honour to the inspiring vision of Government of Dubai, led by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai, in the fields of energy and sustainability," said Bin Shafar.

 

"This award will be another motive for further innovation in District Cooling, and propel Empower to new heights of success. I dedicate this achievement to the Empower's team that works tirelessly to achieve the vision of the company locally, regionally, and globally,” he said.

 

Bin Shafar succeeded in transforming Empower into the world’s largest district cooling services provider, turning the company from a startup (with three employees) into a company that commands a market share of more than 70 per cent, said the statement.

 

Under his direction, Empower is supporting global initiatives related to organisations such as the UN and holding MoUs with leading companies in the energy fields, it said.

 

Moreover, Bin Shafar was the brain behind one of the largest acquisition in the district cooling industry, by acquiring Palm Utilities, including its district cooling service entity Palm District Cooling (PDC), from Istithmar World. 

 

Bin Shafar was granted membership to the board of directors of the US-based International District Energy Association (IDEA), the world’s oldest and most authentic body on district energy industry. 

 

Under his direction, Empower teamed up with the UN in the UN Climate Summit held in New York and has received a series of awards under Bin Shafar’s supervision.

 

Through his vision, Empower has moved to innovative solutions such as use of Treated Sewage Effluent (TSE) which offers many economic and environmental benefits. 

 

Bin Shafar promoted the concept of district cooling to large master developers and building owners. He enhanced credibility of the industry among banks, financial and other institutions, said the statement.

 

The firm operates more than one million refrigeration tonnes (RT), providing environmentally friendly district cooling services to large-scale real estate developments, such as Jumeirah Group, Business Bay, Jumeirah Beach Residence, Dubai International Financial Centre, Palm Jumeirah,  Jumeirah Lake Towers, Ibn Battuta Mall, Discovery Gardens, Dubai Healthcare City, Dubai World Trade Centre Residences and Dubai Design District, it added. - TradeArabia News Service