The United Arab Emirates University and Al Ain Municipality announce the “Fourth International Conference on Engineering Geophysics” to take place in October 2017
The United Arab Emirates University and Al Ain Municipality held a joint press conference
at the Crescent building on Thursday 24th November 2016 to announce the organization of the “Fourth International Conference
on Engineering Geophysics” during the period 9-12 October 2017. The press conference
was held in the presence of His Excellency Engineer Suhail Thani Al Muhairi, Executive
Director of Infrastructure and Assets in Al Ain Municipality and the Conference Higher
Committee Chairman, Dr. Ahmad Murad, Vice-Dean College of Science and Deputy Chairman
of the Conference Higher Committee and Chairman of the Preparatory Committee organizing
the Conference, Professor Haydar Baker, Geology Professor at the College of Science,
Chair of the Technical Committee of the Conference, and members of the Technical Committee
of Al Ain Municipality and from the College of Science at the University.
His Excellency Engineer Suhail Thani Al Muhairi reviewed Abu Dhabi Executive Council's decision to include the International Conference on Engineering Geophysics in the fourth session 2017 within the Abu Dhabi events calendar, following the success of the Conference in its previous three sessions, and the positive reactions from specialists and researchers participating from around the world. The conference has been respected by specialists as one of the top five global conferences in the field of engineering and environmental geophysics, during the last 30 years of Engineering Geophysics and applications.
An announcement gave the approval of relevant State authorities, in cooperation with UAEU, Al Ain Municipality and the American "Society of Exploration Geophysicists” SEG, for the launch of the first award for innovation at the level of the UAE State and the world in the field of Engineering Geophysics and its applications. Named the "Innovation Award in Geophysics", it will be open to the participation of specialists, innovators and creators in the fields of Engineering Geophysics applications. The award was announced in conjunction with “UAE Innovation Week” by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, in line with the UAE State orientations to support and encourage innovation in all vital areas of national priority in strengthening the 2021 Plan for Innovation. This also supports the Government's vision for the State in the transition to the knowledge-based economy to achieve sustainable development, which will strengthen the concept of happiness of the citizen in the community by providing the best municipal services through scientific and research applications of the national University, and for the latest science around the world in Engineering Geophysics applications to develop the infrastructure of Al Ain City and Abu Dhabi Emirate.
Engineer Al Muhairi said that the fourth session of the Conference will be held with the participation of the American Society of Exploration Geophysicists as a scientific partner. ASEG is the largest specialized society in the world with more than 48000 members, and has wide international participation of more than 150 scholars, academics and specialists in the field of Engineering Geophysics and its applications. Its experts come from more than 30 countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, China, Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, South Africa, the Arab Gulf States, European countries and more.
Al Muhairi said: “The unprecedented transformations and urban renaissance in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi has led to a decision by the Department of Municipal Affairs at Abu Dhabi to adopt a geophysical study as mandatory for the purpose of obtaining building permits for any construction project in the Emirate. It is imperative to know the nature of the surface layer of the Emirate to establish true and solid rules to help engineers in designing for infrastructure projects in the Emirate, in order to avoid any sudden prospects that might happen in the future, so that the existence of the caves or buried channels or underground fractures and changes in groundwater level are seen as threats if pinned down in residential or industrial areas. Thus, locating these objects and distinguishing their shapes and dimensions and knowing the terrain and changes has become one of the priorities in engineering projects and environmental studies. Also, locating buried archaeological and heritage sites is vitally important in national and historical terms."
Dr. Ahmed Murad said that the preparations for the fourth Conference have actually began with tasks being distributed to members of the Preparatory Committee of the Conference. The Conference is considered one of the top five global conferences in the specialization on the global map, and will host the best scientists and experts, who, in turn, will offer the best global practices in the field of geophysics and engineering applications in the year 2017. Dr. Murad noted that the innovation award in Geophysics, which is the first of its kind at global and regional levels, is in line with the government’s policy launched in promoting innovation in different areas, so it will be open to all researchers and academics in geophysical science and its applications. It will also encourage students to participate in scientific research up to the global level and the three best student researches will be chosen at the Conference.
The conference will be accompanied by an exhibition featuring the latest developments and products of scientific instruments with the participation of specialized major international companies.
Professor Haydar Baker, Chair of the Technical Committee pointed out that the participants will discuss several topics contained in scientific research and modern applications. The most important topics are natural geological hazards, and those which are human induced; methods to detect them by different geophysical methods and techniques; modern technics in Geophysics used in groundwater and the environment; methods of detection of ruins; the use of airborne geophysical methods; modern theory and practice methods used in the analysis of geophysical information and its applications and other specialized scientific and technical subjects in this vital sector.