19 February 2008 A delegation from the Hong Kong Government Planning Department visited The American University in Dubai (AUD) on Tuesday, February 19, 2008. The group was greeted by Dr. Alaa Ashmawy, Dean, School of Engineering at AUD. Attending on behalf of AUD were Drs. Elias Saqan and Edgar Small, Assistant Professors of Civil Engineering. The delegation included Mr. Raymond Wong, Assistant Director of Planning, Mr. Alfred Lau, Chief Town Planner, Ms April Kun, Senior Town Planner, Mr. Ming Law, Town Planner, and Ms Hannah Yick, Town Planner.

The purpose of the visit was to update the Hong Kong government officials on the construction and development activities in Dubai. During the meeting, the delegation discussed with Dr. Ashmawy various opportunities for collaboration with AUD. "Our faculty were truly impressed by the level of technical competence of the delegation, and by their understanding of all the parameters controlling the development growth in Dubai. The support from their government to carry on such visits is commendable, and we hope to continue this dialogue to learn from each other's experience," noted Dr. Ashmawy.

At the end of their visit, the visitors expressed their gratitude to the AUD Engineering faculty for hosting the delegation and sharing current views on the environmental impact and construction management challenges of mega projects in Dubai.