Ayah Rahmoun

Ayah Rahmoun is a rising star in the engineering world, recognized as the 2024 CIBSE Graduate of the Year for her exceptional academic achievements, visionary thinking, and unwavering commitment to sustainable innovation. She holds an honors degree in Architectural Engineering from the School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society (EGIS) at Heriot-Watt University Dubai. Ayah’s final-year dissertation, “Unveiling the Hidden Challenges of Building-Applied Photovoltaics,” tackled the critical issue of dust accumulation on solar panel efficiency in arid climates. Her research proposed innovative, water-conscious maintenance strategies earning recognition from CIBSE, ASHRAE, and sparked interest from industry-leading companies. Ayah Rahmoun has distinguished herself in the engineering field by securing multiple accolades, such as being top 5 in the prestigious CIBSE UK Undergraduate of the Year competition as well as recognition in Future Urbanism 2070, Worley’s COP28 and COP29 competitions, EEG’s Sustainability Competition, and Heriot-Watt’s Lightication – Year of Zayed team. In the CIBSE Student Design Competition, Ayah led her team to success with an innovative redesign of the HATTA library, demonstrating how existing buildings can be transformed into sustainable, energy-efficient spaces. As a CIBSE YEN Light and Lighting Champion, she plays an active role in promoting awareness and excellence in lighting within the next generation of building professionals. Currently at Arup, Ayah has applied her technical expertise to a wide range of high-profile projects, contributing innovative ideas that are helping to shape the future of the built environment. She stands at the forefront of exploring how automation and AI can unlock new possibilities in the field by bridging emerging technologies with timeless engineering principles. All while ensuring human ingenuity remains at the core of her work. In Arup’s Dubai Future Forum Workshop, she co-presented with global thought leaders on shaping “A New Material Culture for Dubai 2050.” Her ability to approach challenges with a blend of creative thinking and data-driven solutions has set her apart. As a young engineer with a vision for change, Ayah Rahmoun is steadily carving out her place at the forefront of the industry.