14-15 October 2026
12 – 13 October 2026

2026

Fairmont Riyadh

Saudi Arabia

Register

Conference Speakers

Opening Address

Dr. Marwan Alzaylaie

Senior Manager – Geotechnical Engineering,
Dubai Development Authority

Abdullah Al Shamrani

Former Chief Executive Officer
Saudi Geological Survey

Prof. Dr. Lyesse Laloui

Full Professor Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), President – ISSMGE Switzerland

Dr. Vassilis Marinos

President of the International Association for Engineering Geology and the Environment (IAEG)

Prof. Ki-Bok Min

Professor, Department of Energy Resources Engineering College of Engineering
Seoul National University / Vice President for Asia, ISRM

Prof. Anand J. Puppala

President
ASCE Geo-Institute

Keynote Speakers

Dr. Sebastien Burlon

Geotechnical Manager
Cerema

Prof. Pedro Simao Pinto

Professor
University of Coimbra

Dr. Alejo O. Sfriso

Geotechnical Engineer
SRK Consulting

Prof. Ki-Bok Min

Professor, Department of Energy Resources Engineering College of Engineering
Seoul National University / Vice President for Asia, ISRM

Prof. Hesham El Naggar

Distinguished University Professor Director
Thompson Centre for Engineering Leadership & Innovation Western University

Invited Speakers

Dr. Anil Joseph

VP-ISSMGE Aisa, Managing Director,
Geostructurals Pvt Ltd

Dr. Hamza Mridakh

Associate Professor of Geotechnics and Geomechanics in the Mines School of Rabat Mines School of Rabat-IGS Africa and Middle East

Dr.-Ing. Khalid Abdel-Rahman

Oberingenieur / Deputy Head,
Leibniz University of Hannover

Prof. Dr. Mehedi Ahmed Ansary

Founder Director
BUET-JIDPUS

Monique Wainstein

Associate Director
Rock Mechanics

Dr. Ivan Poul

Head Geotechnical Engineer and Engineering Geologist,
Projekce iGEO Ltd.

Dr. Sowmiya Chawla

Associate Professor- Department of Civil Engineering, IIT(ISM) Dhanbad

Dr. Archibald S. Filshill

Founder & Chief Executive Officer,
Aero Aggregates of North America

Suly Tang

Managing Director,
Hunan Drillmaster Trenchless Technology Co.,ltd.

Mohamad Hasan

Technical Director – Middle East, Keller

Dr. Haytham Hamdan

Chief Executive Officer,
Bullivant Arabia Ltd.

Dr. Mohamed Hanafy

Associate Principal Engineer
DAR

Research Speakers

Hassan A. Abbas
Ph.D., P.E.

Head of Civil Engineering Department 
University of Prince Mugrin (UPM)

Dr.Abdulhakim Mawas

General Manager
Deep Dimension Contracting Company

Mohamed Farid Abbas

Associate professor, Civil Engineering Department,
Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University

Omar Mahdy

Senior Consultant – Ground Engineering,
WSP

Mohamed Hassan

Associate – Ground Engineering,
WSP

Dr. Walid El Kamash

Professor of Geotechnical Engineering and Foundation Suez Canal University

Panel Speakers

Adriaan Meintjes

Technical Director – Mining Services,
WSP

Dr. Ahmed Mohammed Alnuaim

Director of Mining Licensing,
Saudi Mining Services Company (ESNAD)
Saudi Arabia

Mohamad Hussein P.E., L.M. ASCE

Executive Director for Global Industry Relations,
Pile Dynamics

Ilias K Michalis

Senior Geotechnical and Tunnel Consultant
INFRA Design and Consulting Engineers CO / SALFO S.A.

Dr. Vassilis Marinos

President – IAEG, International Association for Engineering Geology and the Environment

Chris Arnott

Middle East Business Development Director,
Keller Foundations Contracting LLC

Khaled Zahran

Regional Technical Specialist, Geotech / Tailings
Seequent

Dr. Khalid Al Haj

Lecturer in Civil Engineering,
London Metropolitan University

Prof. Ahmed Elsharief

Adjunct Professor of Geotechnical Engineering, University of Khartoum / President,
Sudanese Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering

Hoda Hany Mostafa

Associate Professor,
Housing and Building National Research Center

Workshop Speakers

Dr. Sebastien Burlon

Geotechnical Manager Cerema

Dr. Richard Witasse

Principal Application Engineer
Seequent

Dr. Marwan Alzaylaie

Senior Manager – Geotechnical Engineering, Dubai Development Authority

Adriaan Meintjes

Technical Director – Mining Services,
WSP

Max Brown

Principal Geotechnical Engineer
SRK Consulting

Richard Martindale

Principal Geotechnical Engineer
SRK Consulting

Dr. Alejo O. Sfriso

Geotechnical Engineer
SRK Consulting

Khaled Zahran

Regional Technical Specialist, Geotech / Tailings
Seequent

Dr. Marwan Alzaylaie

Senior Manager- Geotechnical, Dubai Development Authority, U.A.E. 
Conference Chair, IGIC 2026 Professor in Civil and Geotechnical Engineering

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Marwan Alzaylaie is a professor, geotechnical engineering leader, and innovation specialist with more than 24 years of professional experience spanning advanced geotechnical engineering, smart construction technologies, digital innovation, and higher education. He currently serves as Senior Manager – Geotechnical Engineering at the Dubai Development Authority, where he oversees complex geotechnical activities and contributes to the development of technical regulations, engineering review frameworks, and digital initiatives supporting major urban developments in Dubai.

Prof. Alzaylaie serves as Adjunct Faculty at Heriot-Watt University Dubai and Abu Dhabi University, Professor of Practice at ZIGURAT Global Institute of Technology in Barcelona and Visiting Professor at the University of Dubai. His academic and professional interests include soil–structure interaction, foundation engineering, digital geotechnics, smart construction, and the advancement of geotechnical engineering practice.

He earned his Dr.-Ing. in Civil and Geotechnical Engineering from Technische Universität Darmstadt, Germany, and holds B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in Civil Engineering from the University of Sharjah. He has authored approximately 30 journal and conference publications and serves on the editorial boards of international and regional engineering journals.

Internationally, Prof. Alzaylaie member within the ISSMGE Board-level leadership as Chair of the ISSMGE Board-Level Committee on Global Professional Advancement and International Engagement. He is also a founding member and Vice President of DFI Middle East and is actively involved in the ISSMGE UAE Member Society and the Society of Engineers–UAE.

As Conference Chair of IGIC 2026, Prof. Alzaylaie is committed to strengthening collaboration among academia, industry, government, and international professional societies and advancing innovation, digital transformation, sustainability, and knowledge exchange in geotechnical engineering.

Eng. Abdullah bin Muftir Al-Shamrani

Chief Executive Officer of the Saudi Geological Survey

Engineer Abdullah Al-Shamrani is the current Chief Executive Officer of the Saudi Geological Survey (SGS), a position he has held since November 2020, leading the organization in comprehensive geological surveys and resource exploration across Saudi Arabia.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from King Saud University, with over 32 years of professional experience at SABIC.
Progressed through several leadership positions within SABIC, chaired a number of its affiliate companies, and successfully led the merger of “Petrokemya” and “Sadaf” in 2019, resulting in the establishment of the world’s largest petrochemical complex.
He serves on the boards of the Saudi Geological Survey, the General Authority for Survey and Geospatial Information, the Makkah Al-Mukarramah Regional Council, and the Tourism Development Council

Prof. Dr. Lyesse Lalaoui

Full Professor, Soil Mechanics Laboratory, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Laussane (EPFL), Switzerland

Lyesse Laloui is a professor of civil and environmental engineering at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology at Lausanne (EPFL) where he directs the Laboratory for Soil Mechanics. He is a world-renowned expert in geomechanics and geo-energy. Inspired by the intricate systems of the natural world, his groundbreaking research into the physical mechanisms of geomaterials has unlocked innovative technologies crucial for addressingclimate change, resource optimization, and the widespread adoption of renewable energy. His impact is underscored by prestigious awards, including an Advanced ERC Grant (2018), an ERC Proof of Concept Grant (2020), and an EiC Transition Grant (2023). Prof. Laloui’s international recognition is further solidified by two doctoral honoris causae (Heriot-Watt University, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca) in recognition of his sustainability leadership.

Prof. Laloui holds influential positions within the Swiss Academy of Engineering Sciences and the Academia Europaea, and serves as European Vice President for the International Society of Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering. As Director for Europe of the International Associated Research Centers for the Urban Underground Space, he advances global efforts in sustainable urban development.

As founder and Honorary Editor-in-Chief of Geomechanics for Energy and the Environment, Prof. Laloui shapes the field’s discourse. His vast publication record (13+ books, 380+ papers, 20,000 citations, h-index 67) includes internationally celebrated works. He is a sought-after keynote speaker (>50 conferences) and the recipient of numerous awards, including the RM Quigley Award (2016), Kersten Lecture (2020), Vienna Terzaghi Lecture (2022), and more.

Prof. Laloui’s commitment to innovation extends beyond academia, holding several patents and founding five successful startup. This underscores his ability to translate cutting-edge science into impactful technologies, often drawing inspiration from nature’s own solutions.

Dr. Vassilis Marinos

President – IAEG, International Association for Engineering Geology and the Environment

President of the International Association for Engineering Geology and the Environment (IAEG) and Associate
Professor of Engineering Geology and Rock Mechanics at the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA),
School of Civil Engineering. With 25 years of experience, I have participated as a consultant and team member on
for numerous highway projects, tunnelling, rockfall and landslide analysis, geohazards correlated to natural gas
pipelines, design of engineering structures in rock and use of 3D point clouds (from LiDar and UAVs) for rock mass
structural analysis towards rockfall – landslide hazard and stability analysis and monitoring.
15 years of academic experience at NTUA and AUTH, Greece with a specialization in underground project design
engineering geology and rock mechanics. Teachs numerous undergraduate and postgraduate courses across in two
NTUA master’s programs and other universities. He leads courses in NTUA MSc program in Tunnelling, while he
organizes and executes various educational field trips to tunnel and other civil engineering construction sites in
Greece and European region.
He has authored over 160 publications in scientific journals and international conferences, with more than 3000
citations recognizing my research in geotechnical classifications, tunneling, rock mass properties, engineering
geology and geohazards.
He has been awarded the Richard Wolters Prize (Runner-up Certificate) by the International Association for
Engineering Geology and the Environment (IAEG) and presented more than 50 invited and keynote lectures at
universities and international conferences in more than 30 countires, including invited lecture-workshop tours in the
geomechanical society of Australia, China, New Zealand, Canada, Brazil, Chile, India, Malaysiam in Africa, and
more than 20 european countries, while he has been a visiting professor at Queen’s University, Canada, supported
by the Golder Associates.
He has contributed to over 26 research projects, primarily focused on underground construction and geohazards and
coordinated large teams for consulting support and applications in tunnelling projects, specialized for the
geotechnical classification and underground behaviour of rock masses and geohazard assessment for infrastructure
projects.
He has served as Chair or Scientific Committee/Program Head, or as a member on the organizing committees of at
least ten (10) scientific international conferences. Additionally, he is a member of numerous scientific bodiessocieties and active on editorial boards of scientific journals and regularly reviews scholarly articles of his field

Prof. Ki-Bok Min

Professor, Department of Energy Resources Engineering College of Engineering Seoul National University / Vice President for Asia, ISRM

Ki-Bok Min is Professor of Geomechanics in the Department of Energy Resources Engineering at Seoul National University (SNU). He received his BSc and MSc from SNU and his PhD in Engineering Geology from KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden. His research focuses on anisotropic rock mechanics and coupled processes in fractured rock, with applications to the geological disposal of nuclear waste and enhanced geothermal systems (EGS). He has also served as a guest scientist at the GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in 2025 and 2022, respectively. He is Associate Editor of the International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences, ISRM Vice President for Asia (2023–2027), and Chair of the Organizing Committee for the 16th ISRM Congress, which will be held in Seoul in 2027.

Anand J. Puppala

President ASCE Geo-Institute

Dr. Anand Puppala serves as A.P. Wiley and Florence Chair of Zachry Civil and Environmental Engineering at Texas A&M University and is a Director of Center for Infrastructure Renewal (CIR). He has over 30 years of experience in teaching, research, continuing education and administration in public universities in Texas. Dr Puppala has been conducting research on characterization and stabilization of expansive soils, utilization and stabilization of recycled materials for infrastructure, in situ intrusive methods for site characterization, remote sensing and UAV studies for health monitoring, infrastructure resilience and sustainable studies. Dr. Puppala has been a recipient of several major research grants from federal, state and local government agencies. Dr. Puppala is the director of NSF’s Industry University Co-operative Research Center (IUCRC) on Composites in Civil Infrastructure (CICI) at TAMU, College Station, Texas and was involved with university transportation centers (UTCs). He supervised 49 doctoral students (14 are under current supervision) and more than 60 masters students.

Dr Puppala is a Board of Governor and Vice President of ASCE GeoInstitute (GI) and will be the President of the GI society from October 1, 2026. Dr Puppala is the Chairman of International Society of Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE)’s Technical committee, TC307 – Sustainability in Geotechnical Engineering. Dr. Puppala was the past Chairman of Soil Mechanics section (AFS00) of the Transportation Research Board (TRB) and was a member of Design and Construction group of TRB. He is a member of a newly formed TRB committee on Pavement Foundations (AKN16). He has extensively published over 600 publications and participates with many esteemed organizations including ISSMGE, TRB, ICE, ASCE-GI and others to develop and deliver technical programs. He is on the editorial boards of many esteemed journals including ASCE Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, ASCE Journal of Materials (Chief on Geomaterials), Elsevier’s Engineering Geology and Transportation Geotechnics, International Journal of Pavement Engineering and many others. He received many major awards and distinctions including a prestigious 2020 Ralph Peck Award from ASCE-Geo Institute, 2026 Proctor Honor Lecture from 2026 ISSMGE Proctor Lecture and 2024 Distinguished Member of ASCE – the highest honor given by ASCE. He is also a fellow of Institute of Civil Engineers (ICE) of UK.

Dr. Sebastien Burlon

Geotechnical Expert, Cerema

Sébastien Burlon is a geotechnical expert in Cerema, the major French public agency for developing public expertise in the fields of urban planning and ecological and energy transition. His expertise in geotechnical engineering covers various aspects based on experiences in both private and public companies: geotechnical structure design and consultancy (soil structure interaction, numerical modelling), research and development by leading national and European projects, teaching in various universities and standardization. He has been strongly involved in the development of the 2nd generation of Eurocode 7 for which a specific safety framework has been developed for numerical modelling and he is now the Vice-Chair of Eurocode 7.

Pedro Simao Pinto

Consulting Engineer

Education: Licentiate in Civil Engineering (6-year course, 1965-1971) (with honors);

from 1971 to 1975 worked with Industry; Master of Engineering (1975 – 1977) (with high honors); 1977-1978 – Fulbright scholarship granted by USA with training periods in MIT (Boston, USA), United States Bureau of Reclamation

(Denver), and University of California (Berkeley); Specialist in Geotechnique (Ph.D Level) 1979 – 1983 (with high honors); from 1992 – Director of Research (Full Professor level) (with high honors).

ISSMGE Since 2021 Advisor for HTC of ISSMGE, Appointed ISSMGE Board member (2017-2022), and before Immediate Past President (2009-2013), President (2005-2009), Vice President for Europe (2001-2005) and Chairman of TC4 “Earthquake Geotechnical Engineer Committee” (1994-2000).

Positions: President of Scientific Committee of XVII ECSMGE (2024),

– Member of the European Union Academy of Sciences

– Fellow of the Portuguese Institute of Engineers

– Past Member of the ICOLD Committee on Seismic Aspects of Dams

– Past Member of the Portuguese Committee of Large Dams

– Research Director of LNEC (currently retired)

– Full Professor of Geotechnical Engineering of University of Coimbra (1995-2005), currently retired),

– World Bank Consulting for Dams Safety (2013-2015),

– Professor of Master Courses “Soil Mechanics” and “Engineering Geology” of New University of Lisbon (1983-1995),

– United Nations Consulting for Design and Instrumentation for Dams (1988-1992).

– Invited Guest Lecturer of the University of California, USA (1992-1994).

– President of Portuguese Society for Geotechnique (1996- 2000).

Professional Experience: Pedro Sêco e Pinto is a Consulting Engineer and has participated in more than 450 major projects in Dams, Power plants, Bridges, Tunnels, Landslides and Quay Walls, in Portugal, Angola, Argelie, Brazil, Cabo Verde, China, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guine- Bissau, Guine Ecuatorial, India, Lebanon, Malawi, Morocco, Mozambique, Senegal, Syria, Tunisia, Uganda, Venezuela and Zambia, covering field and laboratory testing, dynamic analyses, earthquake engineering, numerical analyses, ground improvement, slopes, special foundations, instrumentation and safety evaluation.

Lectures: He has presented more than 350 State-of-the Art Lectures and Special Lectures in 80 countries of the 5 Continents.

Awards: Pedro Sêco e Pinto has received more than 50 international Awards including 3rd Victor de Mello Lecture, 3rd Braja Das Lecture, American Biographical Institute USA, “Special Volume for the Contributors of Earthquake Engineering, Nagadi Lecture by Indian Geotechnical Society, Széchy Lecture by Hungarian S M Society and Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Nonveiller Lecture by Croatia Geotechnical Society, Sukle Lecture by Slovenia Soil Mechanics Society, Chin Lecture by Huanzhou University (China), Qian Jia Huan Lecture by Hohai University (China) and Chin Fung Kee Memorial Lecture by Institute of Engineers of Malasia.

Journals: Related to his role with Editorial Boards and Reviewer, he acted as:

– Associate Editor of International Journal of Earthquake Engineering (since 2017)

– Editor in Chief of International Journal of Case Histories (2011-2017)

– Co-Editor of Geotechnical and Geological Engineering Journal, Springer Publisher (2005-2011)

– Member of Editorial Board of several Journals, namely: “Geotecnia”, “Bulletin of Earthquake Engineering”, “Acta de Geotecnia”, “International Journal of Geotechnical Engineering” and SEAG Journal.

Author/Co-Author: Pedro Sêco e Pinto is the author or co-author of 500 Technical and Scientific Reports, more than 185 papers for national and international conferences and journals, and has contributed to 15 Books.

Editor: of the Proceedings of 6 International Conferences.

Dr. Alejo O. Sfriso

Geotechnical Engineer SRK Consulting

Dr. Alejo O. Sfriso is a geotechnical engineer at SRK Consulting with more than three decades of professional experience. Dr. Sfriso is widely recognized for expertise in the design, analysis, and optimization of geotechnical projects, with a particular focus on advanced numerical methods and construction procedures. Professional experience spans projects in more than 25 countries and covers a broad range of soil and rock mechanics applications, including tunnels, embankments, dams, foundations, retaining structures, slopes, and mine waste facilities. Alongside professional practice, Dr. Sfriso has served at the University of Buenos Aires (UBA) since 1989. Academic and professional outreach includes more than 100 courses and lectures delivered worldwide, as well as authorship of over 100 technical and scientific publications. Leadership in the discipline is underscored by service as Vice President for South America of the International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE) from 2017 to 2022, and as President of the Argentinean Society for Geotechnical Engineering from 2011 to 2015.

Prof. M. Hesham El Naggar

Distinguished University Professor Director, Thompson Centre for Engineering Leadership & Innovation Western University

Dr. Hesham El Naggar is a Distinguished University professor and a world leader in foundation dynamics and geotechnical earthquake engineering. He is an elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, the Canadian Academy of Engineering, the Engineering Institute of Canada and the American Society for Civil Engineers. He is Editor-In-Chief of International Journals of Soil Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering, and Urban Resilience and Earthquake Engineering.

He advanced the state-of-the-art in soil-structure interaction analysis and design of foundations for dynamic loads. He published more than 800 technical papers and book chapters including 565 papers in selective and prestigious journals (21,500+ citations, H72, i423). Dr. El Naggar graduated more than 180 PhD and Master students. In recognition of his outstanding research contributions, He received many prestigious awards including the Cross-Canada Lecture Tour, Geosynthetics, Meyerhof and Canadian Geotechnical Colloquium Speaker Awards from the Canadian Geotechnical Society and the Ontario Professional Engineers Medal for Engineering Research & Development. His work was recognized with several best paper Awards in international journals and conferences.

Dr. Anil Joseph

VP-ISSMGE Aisa, Managing Director, Geostructurals Pvt Ltd

Dr. Anil Joseph is the Managing Director of Geostructurals (P) Ltd. a leading
foundation & structural consultancy firm based at Cochin. He has provided foundation and
structural consultancy for more than 3500 High rise structures including many land mark
multistoried and Infrastructure projects in India and abroad in the last 31 years. His design
of Nippon Toyota showroom at Kalamassery, Platynum Mall at Maradu, Lulu Grand Hyatt
Hotel & Convention Centre, Bolgatty Island, Kochi, and Hyatt Regency, Trichur, Lulu IT
Twin Towers, Smart City, Kochi, Prestige Eden Graden, Kalamassery and Noel Tall
Terrace, Kochi has won the ICI- UltraTech Award for Outstanding Concrete structures of
Kerala in the building category in the year 2012, 2017, 2018, 2020 and 2025 respectively.
He was also honored in 2026 with a special award recognizing his outstanding dedication and
professional expertise for the V-Guard Innovation Campus at Kinfra, Kakkanad. He is the
Managing Director of CECONS (P) Ltd. a construction firm specialized in the execution of
pile foundations and also the Director of Engineers Diagnostic Centre (P) Ltd a firm
specialized in Geotechnical investigation and Retrofitting works. He had done his postgraduation in Civil Engineering from SVNIT Surat and has completed his PhD on “Precompression of Soft Marine Clays” from NIT Calicut.
He is the President of Indian Geotechnical Society for the year 2023 to 2026 and is
elected as Vice President of Asia ISSMGE for the year 2026 to 2030, Chairman of the Indian
Buildings Congress, Kerala State Chapter, Governing Council member of Indian Association
of Structural Engineers, the Chairman of Indian Concrete Institute, Kochi Centre, the Vice
Chairman of Builders Association of India, Cochin Chapter and the Treasurer of Kerala
Management Association. He is the Immediate Past Chairman of IEI Civil Division Board
for 2024-25 and served as the National Council Member of Institution of Engineers India in
Civil Division for the term 2021 to 2025. He is representing India in International
Technical Committee TC – 220 on “Field Monitoring in Geo Mechanics” and in Asian
Technical Committee AsRTC-14 on Smart Observation Methods. He is the Immediate
past President of Association of Structural and Geotechnical Consultants, Kerala,
Immediate Past State President of Graduate Association of Civil Engineers, the Past
President of Association of Piling Specialists, Kerala, Member of Association of
Contracting Engineers, Executive Committee Member of Deep Foundation Institute India,
and an adjunct faculty of Albertian Institute of Science & Technology, Cochin, TocH
institute of Science and Technology, Cochin, Federal Institute of Science and Technology,
Angamaly. As per the direction of Supreme Court, it was decided to raze 5 high rises at
Maradu, Cochin and Dr. Anil Joseph was appointed as the Geotechnical and Structural
expert in the technical committee by the Govt of Kerala in the year 2019. He also played vital
role in demolition of Supertech Twin tower Noida in August 2022. He was bestowed with
the Honorary Membership of Nepal Geotechnical Society in 2024. He has numerous
publications in various International and National Journals, conference proceedings and has
contributed a chapter on “Slope Issues Encountered in the Construction of a Resort in
Coorg” for the book on “Landslides: Causes, Mitigation, Case Studies”, 2021, CUSAT,
Cochin, India, Contributed Chapters on (Kerala Soils and Lakshadeep Soils) in the book
entitled Indian Soils and Rocks published by Francis and Taylor in the year 2021 and
contributed a chapter on Construction Technology written by Narayan V Nayak and Anand
J Kadival in the year 2023 by Mc Grow Hill publications.
Dr. Anil Joseph is also involved in various social activities such as Vice President
of the Regional Sports Centre, Kadavanthara, Cochin. He is an active Rotarian and was the
Former Assistant Governor of Rotary District 3201 and past president of Rotary Club of
Cochin Downtown. He was one among the top 10, Diamond Hall of Fame, New Age Icon
Change Makers 2020. He is married to Rinna Anil, Director of Cecons Pvt Ltd and is blessed
with two children. Son, Akhil Anil who is doing his PhD. in Geotechnical Engineering from
Texas A & M University U.S.A. and daughter Alina Anil doing her M.S in Earthquake

Ahmed Hamza Mridakh

Associate Professor of Geotechnics and Geomechanics in the Mines School of Rabat Mines School of Rabat-IGS Africa and Middle East

Ahmed Hamza Mridakh is an Associate Professor of Geotechnics and Geomechanics in the Mines School of Rabat at the Mining department, Morocco. He is currently the IGS chair for Africa and the Middle East. In addition, he serves as the Moroccan young liaison to the international society for soil mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE). He is a board member of the Moroccan Chapter of the IGS, the Moroccan association of underground woks, and the Moroccan society for soil mechanics and geotechnical engineering. He mainly works on soil improvements, numerical modeling, soft soils and drainage for strategic projects such as the Moroccan high speed railway line, road embankment, slope stability. Lately, he’s more involved in tailing storage facilities, underground works, and open pit mine slope stability.

Khalid Abdel-Mageed Abdel-Rahman (B. Sc., M. Sc., Ph.D.)

Oberingenieur / Deputy Head, Leibniz University of Hannover

Khalid Abdel-Mageed Abdel-Rahman (B. Sc., M. Sc., Ph.D.) finished his Bachelor study at Faculty of Engineering, Ain-Shams University, Cairo, EGYPT, with overall grade “Excellent”. Afterwards he went to Germany at “University of Hannover”, where he got a master degree with overall grade “Excellent” in “Geotechnique and Infrastructure Engineering”. His PhD study at University of Dortmund – Germany was completed with innovative results related to the “Numerical Investigation of Scale Effect by Earth Pressure Problems”.
After getting his Ph.D., he joined the team at Institute for Geotechnical Engineering at “Leibniz University of Hannover” as Senior Lecturer then he was nominated by the head of the department “Prof. Martin Achmus” to be his “Deputy Head”. During his academic career, he published with the team in his department more than 90 publications mainly in the Numerical Modeling of Foundations Systems for Wind Energy Plants (Onshore & Offshore).

Prof. Dr. Mehedi Ahmed Ansary

Founder Director, BUET-JIDPUS

Prof. Dr. Mehedi Ahmed Ansary graduated from the Department of Civil Engineering, BUET
in 1991 and joined at the same Department as a Lecturer in June 1991. He obtained his PhD
in Civil Engineering from the University of Tokyo in 1996. He was promoted as a
Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering, BUET in 2006. He became a
Selection-Grade Professor in early 2019

His research interest is urban disaster mitigation which includes development of
microzonation maps for the cities of Bangladesh, assessment of various ground improvement
techniques, assessment of building and lifeline vulnerabilities, characterization of strong
ground motion from free-field and bridge data monitoring, raising awareness among citizens
of Bangladesh through simplified experimental techniques and easily understandable
guidelines for earthquake resistant construction, study of other urban disasters such as
cyclones, floods, fires and tornadoes, etc

Prof. Ansary is the founder Director of BUET-JIDPUS (Japan Institute of Disaster
Prevention and Urban Safety) Institute at BUET. Dr. Ansary is also the founder
Secretary General of Bangladesh Earthquake Society. Prof. Ansary is a Director of World
Seismic Safety Initiative (WSSI) which is a prestigious international body founded by
International Association of Earthquake Engineering IAEE) for earthquake risk reduction of
the developing countries. Prof. Ansary is also a member of the Technical Advisory
Committee on Disaster Management of the Government of Bangladesh.

Prof. Ansary’s number of publication in International Journal and Proceedings is more
than 300. Under guidance of Prof. Ansary, 65 students have obtained

He has a joint patent “A PROCESS FOR CONSTRUCTION OF WRAP-FACED
EMBANKMENT ON SOFT CLAY”, which was accepted on 03-09-2023 and numbered as
Bangladesh patent serial no. 1006783

Prof. Ansary worked as consultant for JICA, UNDP, UNOPS, WB, for numerous GoB
agencies.
Prof. Ansary is also involved as a Panel of Expert (Chairman/Member) of the following
agencies:
• Updating Bangladesh National Building Code (BNBC), Ministry of Works, GoB
(2005-2020)
• Comprehensive Disaster Management Project (CDMP), Ministry of Disaster
Management, GoB (2009-2015), funded by UNDP
• Ensuring the Structural Safety of the Ready-Made Garments (RMG) Industry of
Bangladesh, Ministry of Labour (2013-2023), funded by ILO
• Civil Construction of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (RNPP), Ministry of Science &
Technology, GoB (2019-2022)
• Urban Resiliency Project (RAJUK-Part), Ministry of Works, GoB (2015-2024),
funded by WB
• Dhaka Mass Rapid Transit Development Project (Line-5): Northern Route, Ministry
of Road Transport & Highways Division, GoB (2024-till to date), funded by JICA

Monique Wainstein

Associate Director – Rock Mechanics 

Monique Wainstein is an Associate Director in Ground Engineering at WSP with more than 24 years of experience in geotechnical engineering, specializing in rock mechanics for both mining and civil infrastructure projects. She has extensive experience in hard rock mining, having worked on underground and open-pit operations across gold, platinum, coal, and iron ore mines throughout Southern Africa.

Her expertise spans geotechnical investigations, slope stability assessments, open-pit cutback and highwall design, and the planning and design of underground mining infrastructure, including ventilation shafts, mine declines, and bord-and-pillar operations. Monique has been involved in the application of rock engineering principles throughout the project lifecycle, from site characterization and design through to operational support.

She holds a Master’s degree in Rock Engineering and is a registered Professional Natural Scientist. Recognized for her technical leadership and practical approach to complex ground engineering challenges, Monique regularly contributes her expertise to multidisciplinary projects across the mining and infrastructure sectors.

Dr. Ivan Poul

Head Geotechnical Engineer and Engineering Geologist, Projekce iGEO Ltd.

Born 1981

Focused on Earth retaining structures, Mechanically Stabilized Earthworks, Geotechnical Investigation (CPTu, DP), Clay Mineralogy and Mechanics

Education

1999 – 2004 — M.Sc. in Geology, Hydrogeology and Geochemistry, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno

2006 — RNDr. in Geology (focus: structural geology and rock mechanics), Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno

2010 — Ph.D. (focus: soil mechanics), Faculty of Civil Engineering, Brno University of Technology

Professional Experience

2004–2010 — Czech Republic: Geotechnical Investigation, Tunnel Constructions Supervision

2011–2012 — Iraq (Kurdistan): Earth fill Dams Advisor (concrete structures)

2012–2015 — New Zealand: Geotechnical Investigation (soft soil mechanics, volcanic ashes)

2015–present — Czech Republic: Head Geotechnical Engineer and Engineering Geologist, Projekce iGEO Ltd.

Professional Certifications

Registered Engineering Geologist (Czech Republic) — 2009

Chartered Professional Engineer in Geotechnical Engineering (Czech Republic) — 2010

Registered in Hydrogeology, Investigation of Earth Structures, Geochemistry, Geophysics, and Environmental Geology (Czech Republic) — 2011–2021

Prof. SOWMIYA CHAWLA

Associate Professor- Department of Civil Engineering, IIT(ISM) Dhanbad

Dr. Sowmiya Chawla obtained her Ph.D. degree from IIT Delhi in 2013. She joined IIT (ISM) Dhanbad as an Assistant Professor in 2014 and has been serving as an Associate Professor since 2022. Dr. Sowmiya’s research interests include Geotechnology for Roads and Railway Tracks, Ground Improvement, Reinforced Walls and Slopes, Numerical Modelling of Soil Behaviour, Discrete Element Method, and Geosynthetic Applications. Dr. Sowmiya’s pioneering contributions to geotechnical and railway engineering have been acknowledged through numerous national and international accolades. These include the ‘IEI Young Engineers Award (Civil Engineering)’ from the Institution of Engineers, India; the ‘Young Geotechnical Engineer Award’ for the best paper on Solutions of Problematic Soils from the Indian Geotechnical Society-Chennai Chapter; and the ‘Outstanding Woman in Engineering’ Award (Major Area of Study – Civil Engineering) from Venus International Foundation, India. She has also been selected among the ‘Top 75 Women Leaders in India in Geotechnical Engineering’ by the Indian Geotechnical Society under its ‘Daughters of Soil’ initiative, in recognition of her remarkable and extraordinary contributions to the field. Her outstanding contributions to Transportation Geotechnics and Ground Improvement Techniques for existing Railway Tracks have been recognised at the national and international levels. Her research has received the Best Paper Award at the International Symposium on Lowland Technology, Japan, and the Best Paper Award in the field of Ground Improvement in Transportation Infrastructure from the Australian Research Council’s Centre of Excellence for Geotechnical Science and Engineering, Australia. Her research group has also received several prestigious recognitions, including the Best Paper Award in Computational Geomechanics, the IGS–Delhi Chapter YGE Award for the best paper on Ground Improvement, the IGS–Baroda Chapter YGE Award, the IGS–Kolkata Chapter YGE Award, and the best paper award on Earth Retaining Structures. Dr. Sowmiya Chawla is the Honorary Secretary of the Indian Geotechnical Society, Dhanbad Chapter. She is an Associate Member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, a Member of the International Geosynthetics Society, and a Life Member of the Indian Geotechnical Society.

Dr. Archibald S. Filshill

Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Aero Aggregates of North America

Archibald S. Filshill, Ph.D., is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Aero Aggregates of North America and a civil and geotechnical engineer with more than three decades of experience in geotechnical engineering, geosynthetics, construction materials, and infrastructure development.

Dr. Filshill founded Aero Aggregates in 2015 and led the introduction and commercialization of ultra-lightweight foam glass aggregate manufactured from recycled glass in North America. He has worked with transportation agencies, consulting engineers, universities, contractors, and researchers to develop engineering applications for lightweight fill in transportation, environmental, and civil infrastructure.

His project experience includes major transportation and geotechnical projects throughout North America and internationally. Foam glass aggregate supplied by Aero Aggregates has been used on projects including Philadelphia International Airport, the emergency reconstruction of Interstate 95 in Philadelphia, and the reconstruction of Teton Pass in Wyoming.

Dr. Filshill has been recognized for his contributions to civil engineering, entrepreneurship, and the introduction of innovative construction materials. He is a frequent technical speaker on geotechnical innovation, lightweight fill, recycled materials, and the adoption of new technologies within civil infrastructure.

Suly Tang

Managing Director, Hunan Drillmaster Trenchless Technology Co.,ltd.

With 20 years’ experience in horizontal directional drilling (HDD), Suly has worked extensively in HDD engineering, construction, and trenchless solutions worldwide. From 2007 to 2013, he served as China representative for American Augers, contributing to major HDD projects in China and abroad. In 2014, he founded LIYAN Technologies, focusing on international HDD consultancy, engineering, and construction.

Suly has led or supported numerous complex projects including HIBG (Bangladesh), TPLEP and NFPT (Thailand), Tilenga EPSCC (Uganda), EACOP (Tanzania), and BALG (Iran), specialising in long-distance, large-diameter crossings in challenging conditions, with some exceeding 4,000m. Under his leadership, LIYAN Technologies received the 2023 CSTT “Project of the Year – New Installation” and the 2025 CAPEC “Most Outstanding Project of the Year – New Installation.”

An ISTT and NASTT International member, Suly also contributes to CSTT and CAPEC technical committees and serves on the editorial board of China Trenchless Technology magazine.

Mohamad Hasan

Technical Director - Middle East, Keller

Technical Director for the Middle East and Africa at Keller, with over 16 years of experience in geotechnical and structural engineering. He leads a diverse team focused on delivering technically advanced and cost-effective ground engineering solutions across the region. His portfolio includes deep foundations, retaining systems, and a broad spectrum of ground improvement techniques implemented on some of the most complex infrastructure projects in the Middle East and Africa.

Keller Company Limited, part of Keller Group plc, will present its latest advancements in ground engineering and foundation solutions.

As the world’s largest geotechnical specialist contractor, Keller combines more than 160 years of experience, global expertise, innovative technologies, and specialist equipment to deliver technically advanced, safe, and cost-effective solutions for the most challenging ground condition.

During this presentation, we will showcase Keller’s advanced ground improvement technologies where developments in design optimization, construction methodologies, sustainability initiatives, and quality assurance practices to help clients achieve demanding bearing capacity, settlement, liquefaction mitigation, and ground stabilization requirements.

We will present a selection of real project case studie, demonstrating how these solutions have been successfully.

Haytham T.S Hamdan

Executive Manager
Bullivant Arabia Ltd.

Haytham Hamdan is the Executive Manager of Bullivant Arabia Limited  since 1999, Bullivant Arabia Limited is a leading Saudi Arabian Company operating in Saudi Arabia since 1989 (Affiliated to Roger Bullivant Limited of UK till 2012) offering services in micropiles, soil nails, bar and strand anchors, grouting, geotechnical instrumentation, structural appraisal and structural strengthening, concrete repairs, waterproofing, shotcrete, topographic survey, geophysical survey, geotechnical investigations, geothermal survey, rockmass stability assessment and strengthening, GIS solutions, underground utilities identification and mapping.

Haytham Hamdan is responsible for the day to day management of the company leading 100-200 staff and has substantially grown the company over the last 25 years achieving excellent record in execution specialist Geotechnical and Structural Engineering Projects to highest quality standards. Haytham Hamdan holds Master Degree in Geology and Master Degree in Geotechnical Engineering, Soil Mechanics & Foundation Engineering.

Mohamed Hanafy

Associate Principal Engineer, DAR

Mohamed Hanafy is an Associate Principal Engineer at Dar with 18 years of experience in geotechnical and heavy civil engineering across the Middle East, Africa, and Europe. His experience covers deep foundations, high-rise developments, tunnels and underground structures, marine works, ground improvement, retaining systems, and major transportation infrastructure.

He specializes in advanced numerical modelling, soil–structure interaction, and the design of pile, piled-raft, and raft foundations under complex ground and loading conditions. His work includes developing, managing, and reviewing geotechnical design packages, as well as calibrating and verifying numerical models through the back-analysis of pile load tests and field-monitoring data.

His major foundation projects include several Towers in KSA, UAE and Egypt. He has also contributed to Dar’s in-house numerical modelling guidelines and completed advanced training in computational geotechnics and PLAXIS applications.

Hassan A. Abbas Ph.D., P.E.

Head of Civil Engineering Department , University of Prince Mugrin (UPM)

Dr. Hassan A. Abbas is an Assistant Professor at the University of Prince Mugrin in Madinah, Saudi Arabia. He holds a Ph.D. in Geotechnical Engineering . His teaching and research interests include soil mechanics, foundation engineering, ground-improvement techniques, sabkha soils, and sustainable geotechnical engineering. His recent research focuses on evaluating the environmental performance and carbon footprints of foundation and ground-improvement systems. Dr. Abbas has extensive academic and professional experience in civil engineering education, research, curriculum development, and quality assurance.

Dr.Abdulhakim Mawas

General Manager, Deep Dimension Contracting Company

Dr. Abdulhakim Mawas holds a PhD from the University of Derby, UK, where his research focused on optimizing transmission-line foundations using machine-learning techniques.

He is the General Manager of Deep Dimension Contracting Company, operating in the power and water construction sectors, and has served as a Senior Structural Engineer and consultant to several engineering and construction organizations.

His professional experience spans structural engineering, transmission-line and substation design, value engineering, and major infrastructure projects. His research and technical interests focus on applying artificial intelligence and machine learning to civil and geotechnical engineering to improve design efficiency, optimize engineering solutions, reduce construction costs, and support more sustainable infrastructure development.

Mohamed Farid Abbas

Associate professor, Civil Engineering Department, Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University

Mohamed Farid Abbas is an Associate Professor in the Civil Engineering Department, Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He graduated from Faculty of Engineering, Cairo University and joined the Housing and Building National Research Center as a Research Assistant in Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering Institute and finished his MSc degree also at Cairo University in geotechnical engineering. He continued his academic study in and acquired the PhD from King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. His research interests include unsaturated and expansive soil behavior, thermo-hydro-mechanical behavior, fundamental soil mechanics, soil improvement, innovation in laboratory testing and field testing, sustainability, and circular economy in geotechnical engineering. He participated in several funded projects and is the author and co-author of several peer-reviewed papers.

Omar Mahdy

Senior Consultant - Ground Engineering, WSP

Omar Mahdy is a Senior Consultant at WSP in the Middle East, leading and contributing to the design and delivery of large-scale infrastructure and complex high-rise developments across the region. He brings broader experience from projects across the Middle East, Europe, Africa, and Canada.

His experience spans deep foundation systems, underground structures and tunnelling, excavation support, marine geotechnics, airport infrastructure, earthworks design, and seismic hazard assessment. His work centres on the application of advanced numerical modelling, computational geomechanics, and soil–structure interaction to inform design and address complex ground engineering challenges.

Mohamed Hassan

Associate - Ground Engineering, WSP

Mohamed Hassan is a Geotechnical Lead with over 20 years of experience delivering complex infrastructure and development projects across the Middle East. He has led multidisciplinary teams on major transportation, water, high-rise, mixed-use, and master-planning developments, managing geotechnical risk from project inception through design and construction.

Recognised for combining technical excellence with strategic project leadership, Mohamed specialises in solving complex ground engineering challenges, aligning technical solutions with commercial objectives, and driving value through efficient and resilient design. His published work focuses on value engineering, optimised material use, and sustainable ground engineering practices that support low-carbon, commercially viable project delivery.

As the first Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) Carbon Champion in the Middle East, Mohamed actively promotes low-carbon ground engineering solutions and supports clients in integrating sustainability into project delivery. His work contributes to the advancement of resilient infrastructure and aligns with the ambitions of Saudi Vision 2030 and broader regional sustainability objectives.

ADRIAAN MEINTJES

TECHNICAL DIRECTOR - MINING SERVICES

Adriaan Meintjes is a Technical Director – Mining Services at WSP, with 44 years of professional experience in civil, geotechnical, dam safety, and tailings storage facility (TSF) engineering. His expertise includes TSF design and review, site characterization, slope stability assessment, dam safety evaluations, GISTM compliance, Engineer of Record support, independent technical reviews, and risk-based tailings management. He has held senior roles across major mining and infrastructure projects in South Africa, Ghana, Botswana, Oman, and Australia, supporting clients such as Anglo American Platinum, Gold Fields, Debswana, MMG, Impala Platinum, Eskom, and others. Adriaan is a registered Professional Engineer with the Engineering Council of South Africa and a Fellow of the South African Institute of Civil Engineering. He holds an MSc in Soil Mechanics from Imperial College London and multiple civil engineering degrees from the University of Stellenbosch.

Dr. Ahmed Mohammed Alnuaim

Senior Geotechnical Consultant, Saudi Mining Services Company (ESNAD)

Dr. Ahmed Alnuaim is a consultant for the Saudi Mining Service Company (ESNAD) which is part of the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources (Saudi Arabia) ecosystem; and is an Associate Professor at King Saud University. He previously worked as an advisor for the Royal Commission for Riyadh City (RCRC), Riyadh Metro, and Riyadh municipality. He has over 18 years of experience in academia, engineering design and projects. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from King Saud University, a Master’s and a Ph.D. in Geotechnical Engineering from the University of Western Ontario in Canada. He has published more than 50 papers in scientific journals and international conferences.

Dr. Mohamad Hussein P.E., L.M. ASCE

Executive Director for Global Industry Relations, Pile Dynamics

Dr. Mohamad Hussein, P.E., L.M. ASCE is Executive Director of Global Industry Relations at Pile Dynamics, Inc. and Principal Engineer at GRL Engineers, Inc., the world’s oldest and largest specialty deep foundations testing equipment manufacturing and testing consulting services companies, respectively. In his 40+ years career he has consulted on more than 1,000 projects throughout the USA and several countries.  Mohamad is the Chairman of the Technical Committee of the PDCA, a member of technical committees of DFI, ASCE, and ASTM, and Managing Lecturer of the American Society of Civil Engineers’ (ASCE) Continuing Education Class: Deep Foundations Design, Construction, and Quality Control.

Dr. Mohamad is the recipient of several professional and industry awards and recognitions. Published over 60 technical papers, and co-edited 10 engineering books.  He holds Expert level certificates, and is a registered Professional Engineer in several USA States. Mr. Hussein conceived and chaired the first International Foundations Congress and Equipment Expo (IFCEE) that has been successfully repeated and is now an international industry landmark. 

Ilias Michalis

Senior Geotechnical and Tunnel Consultant, INFRA Design and Consulting Engineers CO / SALFO S.A.

Ilias Michalis has a 31-year professional career in managing, consulting and participating in the design phases of major infrastructure projects such as: Deep Tunnel Sewerage System Phase 2 Project (Contract T07) in Singapore, Doha Metro of Qatar Various phases of Athens Metro, Egnatia Highway Project, as well as major Highway Concession Projects of Greece. Michalis completed his engineering studies in the National Technical University of Athens in 1988 and holds an MSc in Soil Mechanics and Engineering Seismology from the Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine of London. Michalis during the period 1994 – 2011 had a very active participation in major geotechnical and tunnelling projects in Greece. Between 2012 – 2015 Michalis co- operated successfully with Deutsche Bahn International for the mega Project of Doha Metro. For the period 2015 – 2018, Michalis led the geotechnical and tunnelling design teams of Arcadis Middle East and Parsons Overseas Limited in Dubai. For the period 2018 – 2020, Michalis worked with Arcadis Singapore, at the position of Senior Technical / Project Director, leading the Detailed Design of the T0-7 Contract of the DTSS Phase 2 Project for Zublin. For the period August 2021 until December 2024, Michalis offered his consulting services to AVAX S.A (main Contractor of Line 4A of Athens Metro Project), having the responsibility of all the detailed designs of the Project’s Civil Works Since November 2023, Michalis is co-operating with the Greek Ministry of Infrastructure and Transportation, by offering his consulting services to geotechnical works and tunnels of many major motorway projects.

Chris Arnott

Middle East Business Development Director, Keller Foundations Contracting LLC

Chris Arnott is a geotechnical industry executive with over two decades of international experience spanning consultant, construction management, client, subcontractor and main contractor roles across the ground engineering sector. His career has been built with organisations of genuine industry pedigree including AECOM, AMEC, ADNOC, Fugro and Keller giving him a rounded, cross-industry view of how ground risk and subsurface intelligence shape project delivery from every side of the table. He has held executive P&L leadership positions, managing teams of 800+ across the UK, Middle East and India, and has won and delivered projects extending into East Africa, the Maldives, Japan, Taiwan and Brunei. Now Business Development Director at Keller, covering the Middle East, Chris combines deep technical grounding with a strong commercial and strategic focus, aligned with Keller’s purpose of building the foundations for a sustainable future as the world’s largest geotechnical specialist contractor.

Khaled Zahran

Technical Solutions Specialist - Geotechnical/Tailings, Seequent

Khaled Zahran is a geotechnical and tailings specialist with global experience in tailings dams, civil infrastructure, and soil improvement projects. He has worked on large-scale tailings storage facilities across North and Latin America and led complex grouting and ground improvement projects in the UAE.

Holding a Master’s degree in Geotechnical Engineering from Dalhousie University, Khaled brings expertise in geotechnical instrumentation and monitoring, geotechnical lab testing, and risk-informed solutions for tailings management and dams safety.

He currently serves as a Technical Solutions Specialist – Geotechnical Engineer at Seequent, the Bentley subsurface company, based in Dubai, helping engineering professionals leverage data-driven solutions to improve safety, efficiency, and performance in geotechnical and tailings management projects.

Dr. Khalid Al Haj

Lecturer in Civil Engineering, London Metropolitan University

Dr Khalid M. A. Alhaj Abdalla is a Civil Engineering academic and researcher with over 20 years of teaching experience and extensive research and industry expertise. He holds a PhD in Civil Engineering from Imperial College London. His research interests include geotechnical engineering, unsaturated soil mechanics, expansive soils, highway and pavement engineering, and sustainable construction materials. He has undertaken research at leading UK universities, including the University of Cambridge and Imperial College London. His recent research includes sustainable bioconcrete and self-healing concrete, alongside investigations into soil behaviour and infrastructure foundations. He is actively involved in teaching, postgraduate supervision, and research, with a commitment to advancing sustainable and innovative engineering solutions.

Prof. Ahmed Elsharief

Adjunct Professor of Geotechnical Engineering, University of Khartoum / President, Sudanese Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering

Prof. Ahmed Mohamed Elsharief, PhD, is a senior academic and researcher at the Building and Road Research Institute (BRRI), University of Khartoum, with over 30 years’ experience in geotechnical engineering and pavement materials, including expansive/problematic soils, soil stabilization, foundations, and infrastructure performance. He holds a PhD in Civil Engineering (Geotechnical) from Purdue University (1992), and BSc and MSc degrees from the University of Khartoum (1981, 1987).

At BRRI, he currently serves as Adjunct Professor and Head of the Geotechnical Division (2023–present), having previously been Professor and Head of Department (2016–2022) and Director (2010–2015); he was also a Visiting Professor at the Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil (1999–2000). He has authored 70+ technical publications, including 35+ peer‑reviewed journal papers. His service includes committee roles overseeing major dams and infrastructure (e.g., Merowe, Roseires heightening, Upper Atbara Dam Complex), extensive consultancy on buildings, dams, bridges, seaports, highways, and airport pavements, and leadership as President of the Sudan Society of Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (2026–present) and Vice President of the Sudan Engineering Society (2021–present).

Hoda Hany Mostafa

Associate Professor, Housing and Building National Research Center

Dr. Hoda Hany Mostafa is a Geotechnical Consultant with more than 20 years’ experience of professional practice and academic research. The professional experience was gained from holding a senior geotechnical engineer position at Dar Al Handasah Associates. Dr. Mostafa was involved in the design and analysis of a wide range of geotechnical-related engineering projects of different scales in Egypt, MENA region and worldwide.

On the Academic side, Dr. Mostafa is an Associate Professor of Geotechnical Engineering at the Housing and Building National Research Center (HBRC), Egypt. She earned her PhD degree in Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering through a co-supervision program between Tufts University, USA and Cairo University, Egypt. She also holds B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in Civil Engineering from Cairo University. Dr. Mostafa has several peer-reviewed Journal and Conference publications in the field of Geotechnical Engineering. She also served in the editorial and scientific boards of international and regional journals and conferences. Her research interests include geotechnical earthquake engineering, seismic hazard assessment, geospatial applications, deep foundations and numerical modelling for foundations and slope stability analyses.

Dr. Mostafa is currently an elected Board Member of the Egyptian Geotechnical Society, the Egyptian chapter of the ISSMGE. She is also a member in the scientific Committee responsible for updating the Egyptian Code of practice for Soil Mechanics and foundation design, part 2 (2025-2027). In addition, Dr. Mostafa is a member of the Egyptian Syndicate for Engineers, the society of woman engineers, the deep foundation institute and also a nominated member of ISSMGE numerical modeling and Earthquake Geotechnical Engineering Technical committees.

Dr. Richard Witasse

Principal Application Engineer, Seequent

Richard Witasse is a principal geotechnical engineer and numerical modeling specialist with over 25 years of experience in finite element–based geotechnical analysis. He specializes in advanced 2D and 3D numerical modeling of complex geotechnical systems, including excavations, foundations, dams, and underground structures. In his role within a geotechnical software organization, he focuses on user enablement, advanced training, and the practical application of numerical methods to real-world engineering problems.

Max Brown
CEng, MSc, BSc, MCSM

Principal Geotechnical Engineer, SRK Consulting

Max Brown CEng, MSc, BSc, MCSM is a Chartered Engineer and Principal Consultant (Geotechnical Engineering) and leads the geotechnical department at SRK UK.  He has over 28 years’ international experience in the extractive industries specialising in rock mechanics within both open pit and underground mining.  He is an experienced geotechnical engineer, skilled in the development and interpretation of geotechnical datasets (drillhole, geophysics and mapping) and subsequent definition of rock mass characterisation for use in excavation design. Max is conversant with 3D modelling and specialist limit equilibrium and finite element software.  He has managed numerous large-scale open pit and underground geotechnical programmes, ranging from scoping through to feasibility level as well as providing support to active operations.  Max has undertaken a significant number of geotechnical audits of open pit mining operations and is experienced in geotechnical due diligence of mining projects at various levels of development.  Max has worked on base, precious-metal, coal, uranium, diamond and industrial mineral projects throughout Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and the Americas.  Max is Chair of SRK UK’s Practice Leaders Group.

Richard Martindale
CEng, MSc, BSc, MCSM

Principal Geotechnical Engineer, SRK Consulting

Richard Martindale CEng, MSc, BSc, MCSM is a Chartered Engineer Principal Consultant with SRK (UK). His background includes 22 years of experience in consulting, where he has gained extensive experience in; assessment and design of rock and soil slopes; numerical modelling; design and management of ground investigations; design and management of ground performance monitoring schemes; technical due diligence; and, audits of slopes and waste storage facilities for project evaluation, technical performance and regulatory compliance.  He is also experienced in providing Expert Witness services to Insurers and lawyers in relation to his areas of specialisation.  Richard has worked on base, precious-metal, coal and industrial mineral projects throughout the UK, Europe, Africa, South America and North America.