Mohamed Mathbout: camaraderie gets me through the tough times

Creating places where people feel at home

Thinking long-term about the places we create makes our work more meaningful. Whether it's a cultural building, residential development or a theme park, we need to remember why we’re doing what we’re doing, says Mohamed Mathbout, our buildings director in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Can you tell us a bit about your journey into engineering?

Growing up, I was always a science and maths person, so engineering felt like a natural path for me. The first opportunity that came up after university was working in the buildings industry and I've just never looked back.

I've worked on buildings projects in on-site roles, design and project management in the UAE and for eight years in Canada. My latest role, leading the buildings business in the UAE at Mott MacDonald is a fantastic opportunity to bring all that experience together.

Why is it a good time to work in the buildings industry in the UAE?

The UAE has changed a lot over the past 25 years as more expats have stayed for the long term. I'm one of the first generation of expats who grew up here and decided to make the UAE their home. As more people have settled here and home ownership has grown, there's been a shift to longer-term thinking about the places we create.

That makes our work as engineers and designers more meaningful. There's always pressure to deliver, but as a leader I think it's important to keep reminding teams why we're doing what we're doing. Whether it's a cultural building, residential development or a theme park, it is important to focus on the value that it brings to people's lives and communities.

Another major trend in the region is the need for data centres to support increased use of artificial intelligence and digital technology. That means a bit of a change in the type of infrastructure projects that we do and I'm excited to contribute to that too.

Which projects stand out from your career in the UAE and in Canada? 

One of the projects that stands out is SeaWorld Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. I led the design, working closely with Miral, to create the first fully indoors SeaWorld project. There was a strong focus on conservation and rehabilitating local marine life, which was one of the things that gave the project real meaning for me and contributed to its success.

I also worked on the refurbishment of the Fairmont Hotel MacDonald in Edmonton, Canada, a 111-year-old building in the style of a 16th century French chateau. Coming from the UAE, it was my first experience modernising a historic building.

In terms of social value, I'm also proud of another building project in Edmonton providing affordable office space for not-for-profit organisations of all sizes, helping them to support the local community.

How is technology reshaping the way we work?

I'm full of optimism that digital tools can make our designs smarter and improve the performance of buildings – but we need to embrace digital innovation in the right way. Building digital tools into a project early creates the biggest benefits.

For example, if we build rules into the design process at the start, they can guide designers as they work, helping different disciplines to stay coordinated and avoid problems later on.

I'm also excited about how we can get more value from digital models. Digital twins give us a digital representation of a building or asset, but it's the information we bring together within the model that is really useful.

By bringing together information about access, environmental conditions and energy use, we can forecast how a building or theme park is going operate and use that insight to improve performance.

The trick is to invest in digital tools upfront so that designers can help shape buildings that operate better from day one. Making changes retrospectively can be hard work and might be too costly.

What's your leadership style like?

One of the skills of being a leader in the UAE is to bring together people from different cultures, understand the nuances and create an environment where everyone is engaged.

There's a lot of camaraderie that comes from working in a high-pressure environment. People need to support one another, especially when it really gets tough. I always try to bring optimism, a smile and a sense of meaning to the work that we do.

How would you describe the culture at Mott MacDonald?

There is a strong sense of community that doesn't come easily. Even though there's pressure to deliver, people are open and eager to support one another, which is so important for success.

People really focus on their work when they're in the office, but there are also lots of gatherings where people catch up and look out for one another.

When you meet someone from another office, there's a genuine excitement to understand what you're doing and to celebrate successes. Our employee ownership structure is part of that. It gives everyone a stake in the company's success and a sense that we're all part of something together.

What advice would you give to someone starting out their career? 

First, be curious to understand the big picture. It's easy to focus on developing experience in your own discipline, but it's important to understand why we're doing what we're doing. What benefit does it bring to the wider community?

Second, make sure you support the people around you. When you support somebody today, they'll support you tomorrow. People remember how you contribute to the overall success of a project.

How do you spend your time outside work?

The UAE is so centrally located that we do a lot of travelling as a family. But I'd never visited London until two months ago. I absolutely loved it! We went full tourist for eight days, visiting the museums, Westminster Abbey, the Tower of London. I've got three young children and they loved it too.

When I'm at home in Abu Dhabi, I stay as active as possible. It helps me to switch off and balance the demands of work and family life.