The Arab Council for Asset, Facility, and Maintenance Management concluded the 22nd International Asset, Facility, and Maintenance Management Conference, in partnership with several government entities, as well as local, regional, and international organizations. The conference announced several important recommendations aimed at developing the asset, facility, and maintenance management sector.

The conference was attended by experts from the United Arab Emirates, including Engineer Ali Al-Suwaidi, Vice President of the American University of Sharjah, and Dr. Asma Al-Nuaimi, Head of the Continuing Education Center at the University of Sharjah, along with representatives from the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure and the Sharjah Public Works Department.

During the opening ceremony, which was held under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Khalid Al-Faisal, Advisor to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and Governor of Makkah Region, Professor Dr. Mufid Al-Samarrai was honored with the 'Lifetime Achievement Award' in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the field of building maintenance and sustainability.

Dr. Mufid Al-Samarrai, a former faculty member in the Civil Engineering Department at the University of Sharjah and an educational consultant for the 'Ready' program under the patronage of Sharjah Holding, is a pioneer in the field of building maintenance and sustainability. He has achieved numerous milestones, including several patents, the maintenance of over 100 buildings and bridges in Iraq, Jordan, and the UAE, and participation in more than 240 research papers and workshops in the fields of material engineering, building repair, sustainability, heritage building maintenance, and the application of artificial intelligence in these areas.

Dr. Mufid Al-Samarrai stated: 'I dedicate this honor to His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al-Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, who has supported science and scientists and provided them with the appropriate environment and climate. Through his vision and aspirations, education and academic institutions in Sharjah and the UAE have become beacons from which students draw the right principles to embark on new horizons, forming the most important foundation for their educational and professional journeys.'

He added: 'I feel immense pride and humility to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award from OMAINTEC, and I extend my deepest gratitude to the Council for this recognition. My presence and workshop presentations after more than six decades in this field demonstrate that one should never stop learning and keeping up with developments in their specialty. For example, the advent of artificial intelligence today requires a complete re-evaluation of curricula, standards, and performance indicators.'

Based on the lectures, workshops, discussions, and interventions during the conference, several recommendations were made. These included urging various institutions to focus on artificial intelligence applications and providing the appropriate environment and frameworks to activate them in asset, facility, and maintenance management. This is due to their significant impact on improving performance quality, reducing costs, and supporting maintenance decisions. The recommendations also emphasized the need to consider cyber security requirements to protect facility management systems and adopt maintenance strategies that leverage artificial intelligence, smart technologies, and sensors for inspecting and maintaining service systems and infrastructure.