REGIONAL REPORT DFI Middle East 2016 DFI Middle East Conference The 2016 DFI Middle East Conference (DFIMEC) was held May 11-12 at the American University of Dubai (AUD). The event, one of the most sought after engineering conferences in the region, is a leading technical conference in the field of foundation engineering. The two-day conference provided an opportunity for the region’s geotechnical engineering practitioners and academics to interface, exchange information and experience, and present the latest develop- ments in the field of foundation design and construction. It comes at an appropriate Networking at DFIMEC 2016 time when Dubai is about to witness a new era of construction challenges, one of which is foundation engineering. Co-sponsored by DFI and AUD, and supported by the Society of Engineers- UAE, The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB), SELEM DMCC and the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), this year’s conference built upon the success of DFIMEC 2012 and 2014, also held at AUD, and provided a top-quality forum for discussing cutting-edge technologies and current developments in the field through case histories. Emad Sharif, chair of the DFI Middle East Chapter, presented speakers’ certificates The conference featured prominent keynote presentations by Dr. Abdussamie M. Haimoni, expert-CEO office, Rail Agency, Roads and Transport Authority- UAE; Dr. John Endicott, executive director- geotechnical engineering, AECOM-Hong Kong; and Dr. Toby Roberts, chairman, WJ Groundwater-U.K. “We were honored to have well-known experts from Europe, Asia and the UAE participating as keynote speakers as they tackled topics that are urgent and relevant to the region, said Emad Sharif, chair of the DFI Middle East Chapter and geotechnical engineering director at e.Construct, UAE. “We were excited to have such a successful conference at such a crucial time.” The conference exhibit, running in parallel with the technical sessions, enabled over 20 companies to showcase their qualifications and project portfolios. Key sponsors included e.construct, Menard-Vibro, VSL Intrafor, Dawson Construction Plant, ZETAS, ACES, BASF Construction Chemicals, VP PLC Ground- Force and Ischebeck Titan. More than 20 companies exhibited at the conference DEEP FOUNDATIONS • JULY/AUG 2016 • 53
