Fadi Alshakhshir

Fadi Alshakhshir
MSc Energy (2014)
Director of Strategic Planning, Emaar

Home to the world's tallest building, biggest shopping mall and largest ever fireworks display - to name but three of Dubai's record breaking claims to fame – the city exudes a restless energy. So it's appropriate that - with talent, hard work and a Heriot-Watt education - MSc Energy graduate Fadi Alshakhshir has become a fast-track success in the city of superlatives.

Director of Strategic Planning in corporate facilities management with one of the city's leading property developers (Emaar Properties PJSC), Fadi has swiftly made the transition from student to teacher at Heriot-Watt's Dubai campus and now lectures weekly on the Energy Program at the School of Engineering and Physical Sciences where he graduated with Distinction only in 2014.

Fadi explains why he originally chose to study at Heriot-Watt: “In 2012 I started researching different universities to further my studies at. I was looking for a university with excellent engineering programmes and a good reputation. I selected HW University because it offered me applied teaching, relevant projects with practical implementations that connected with something on the ground and provided useful interaction with market experts. These advantages of the Heriot-Watt teaching style expanded my knowledge and experience. I became more exposed to the market, more oriented at work, and more determined in life, and I had the opportunity to implement some of the science I learnt in my role with Emaar.”

Fadi's single-minded dedication to his career has been rewarded with his current post as Director of Strategic Planning in corporate facilities management. “The corporate facilites management team,” he says, “is responsible for strategic planning of FM operations across Emaar Properties portfolio including The Dubai Mall [the world's biggest mall] and Burj Khalifa [the world's tallest building].

“The Corporate Facilities Management team also conducts cost analysis and benchmarking, development and planning of operational energy management processes, maintenance planning, sustainable facilities management practices, operational risk management, as well as staff training and development.”

Fadi Alshakhshir has advice to new students wishing to follow his lead: “Focus on your studies, work hard and learn as much as you can, and learn to give, coach and teach others.

“Explore more,” he says. “A lecture of three hours is hard but you still need to learn more. It isn't just about completing the exam. There are lots of other things students need to explore, research and develop on their own about their chosen work and the wider industry. Make your target clear and work to achieve it, don't have a plan B, stick to plan A and achieve your target.”

Fadi – who is originally from Jordan – put the style of disciplined, academic writing he learnt at Heriot-Watt to good use writing his first book: Energy Centred Maintenance – A Green Maintenance System, published in January 2017. The book aims to help organisations reduce energy consumption and the resulting environmental impact and offers practical process on how to do so. With his other on-going commitments, the book is a remarkable achievement but then Fadi has a boundless energy of his own, ideally suited to the fast pace of dynamic Dubai.

26 April 2017