Under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Tahnoon bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, the Ruler's Representative in Al Ain Region, Al Ain Municipality and United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) in partnership with the Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG), one of the biggest specialized societies worldwide with more than 48,000 members, are organizing the Fourth International Conference on Geophysics Engineering, from the 9-12 Oct. 2017 at UAEU.

The International Conference on Geophysics Engineering, which achieved notable success in its last three editions in 2011, 2013, 2015, has been accredited by Abu Dhabi Executive Council (ADEC) and is officially part of the activities calendar for the Abu Dhabi Emirate. Having achieved positive remarks by international experts and specialists, the conference has been ranked as one of the top five international specialized conferences in the field of Geophysics Engineering in the last thirty years.

The number of countries participating in this conference is 44, which has doubled since the first conference. There are 200 papers submitted to the conference, 132 of which were accepted based on relevant scientific criteria. Eng. Dr. Abdullah Belhaif AlNuaimi, Minister of Infrastructure Development and the keynote speaker of the opening session, is to deliver a lectured entitled “UAE, Competitive Infrastructures Using Innovative Methods”.

Eng. Suhail Thani Al Muhairi, Executive Director of the Town Planning Sector at Al Ain City Municipality and the Chairman of the Conference High Committee, emphasized the significance of the Geophysics Engineering applications in the exploration of the underground geological formations that can pose serious hazards to lives and properties without the need for digging or changing sites’ features. These applications are not environmentally destructive and can be used in different ways according to the nature of the site. Geophysics is becoming increasingly important in the fields of construction, environment, criminal investigations and archeology. Geophysics applications are indispensable methods in site investigations of civil and industrial construction sites as well as in search for underground water. The use of the geophysical survey in the study of construction sites has developed significantly in the last decades.

Eng. Muhairi stated that unprecedented urban development of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi led to the decision by the Department of Urban Planning and Municipalities in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi to adopt geophysical study and consider it mandatory for obtaining building permits in the emirate. Geophysical study is also essential in investigating the surface layer of the Emirate in order to establish strict rules to avoid any potential hazards that may occur in the future.

Professor Ahmed Murad, Dean of the College of Science, Vice Chairman of the Conference High Committee and the Chairman of the Conference Preparatory Committee, pointed out that all the preparations have been completed to receive guests, experts and specialists with a total of 250 participants coming from all over the world, including, US, Europe, Australia, China, Japan and GCC.

Prof. Murad explained that the conference has been accredited by the Emirates Scientists Council. He further added that the Innovation Award for Geophysics, the first of its kind worldwide, is to be launched at the conference, coinciding with the government’s directions to encourage innovation in various fields. The participation was open for all researchers and academics of Geophysics and a number of applications have been nominated according to the criteria adopted by the Emirates Scientists Council. Students were also encouraged to participate in the second edition of the Best Student Paper Award, where three papers will be selected. Student conference papers account for 18% of the total number of papers. In addition, an exhibition will be held at the conference, with 24 participating government bodies to showcase the best Geophysics applications.

Professor Haidar Baker, Head of the Conference Scientific Committee, highlighted that the papers and the applications represent the-state-of-art applications in the field of Geophysics. The conference will consist of 17 sessions, as well as two interactive sessions; ‘The role of women in Geology’ and ‘The best practices of geophysics applications’. An exclusive session will be held to present the nominated papers for the Geophysics Innovation Award and to select the three nominated papers for the award. Four experts have been invited to be keynote speakers of the conference sessions.

The conference coordinating committee expressed gratitude and appreciation to the sponsors of the conference; Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority, Al Fujairah Natural Resources Corporation, Hazaa Bin Zayed Stadium, The Sheikh Zayed Desert Learning Centre, Al Ain Palace Museum, Ministry of Energy, Baynunah Laboratories and Fusion Geophysical.