SHARJAH, United Arab Emirates, Feb. 3, 2026 — The American University of Sharjah’s College of Engineering hosted the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers Students Regional Conference under the theme “Beyond Efficiency: Shaping Tomorrow, Today,” bringing together more than 200 industrial engineering students from universities across the UAE.
The conference provided a platform for students to explore real-world industrial and systems engineering applications, engage with industry leaders and learn about emerging career opportunities in the field.
Organized by the AUS Department of Industrial Engineering and the university’s IISE student chapter, the event marked the first time the IISE Students Regional Conference was hosted and organized in the UAE and the Gulf Cooperation Council. IISE is a global professional society that advances the industrial and systems engineering profession through leadership in application, education, training, research and development.
“This conference reflected the kind of engineering experience AUS aims to provide, where students engage with real industry thinking and develop skills that translate into impact,” said Dr. Fadi Aloul, dean of the AUS College of Engineering. He said the theme encouraged a broader discussion on how engineers create value by improving systems responsibly, communicating effectively and leading change amid rapid technological transformation.
Speakers from industry and the public sector shared practical insights throughout the day. Ahmad Mourad, chief information officer at Transmed, delivered a talk titled “Beyond the Hype: Building Meaningful Value in the Age of Intelligence.” Musa Faisal, senior vice president for operations research and effectiveness at Emirates Airline, spoke on applying industrial engineering for process excellence in large-scale aviation systems.
Other sessions included “Storytelling for Industrial Engineers” by Qabas Shaer, founder and lead consultant at Riforma Consulting, and reflections on professional experience and career development by Tarik Abdulaal, global supply chain head at IFFCO Group.
Additional presentations covered future opportunities, retail and logistics integration, strategic foresight for public services and supply chain careers in fast-moving consumer goods. Speakers included Rishikesh Trivedi of MarketMate; Saeed Almokhtar, chief executive officer of Konnect Logistics; Ahmad Jallad of Dubai Municipality; Ayman Elrafie of Nestlé; and Batool Madani, a transportation and logistics researcher at the International Association of Public Transport.
Two panel discussions focused on career development and the expanding role of industrial engineering. The first, “From Campus to Career,” addressed early-career transitions and workplace readiness, while the second, “Why Industrial Engineering,” examined the discipline’s contributions through systems thinking, optimization and problem-solving across industries.
“Industrial engineering is about improving systems in ways that matter, and that requires more than technical skills,” said Dr. Abdulrahim Shamayleh, head of the AUS Department of Industrial Engineering and academic adviser to the IISE AUS chapter. He said the conference allowed students to apply ideas in a practical setting and better understand the profession’s impact across sectors.
Sabrina Attari, president of the IISE AUS student chapter, said the conference aimed to demonstrate that industrial engineering extends beyond theory to real-world problem-solving, collaboration and leadership.
The AUS Department of Industrial Engineering offers undergraduate, master’s and doctoral programs in engineering systems management. The programs prepare students to design and manage data-driven solutions for complex systems, address unstructured problems and assess the broader organizational and societal impact of engineering decisions.