Iman Abi Saab
Current Employment:
At Mott MacDonald, I am leading the Buildings for the Middle East region, overseeing the win and delivery of multidisciplinary projects across the built environment. I am also the Regional Technical Excellence Leader driving practices and early career professionals networks with a focus on safeguarding quality and unleashing digital innovation.
Career History:
With an MEng in Civil Engineering, I have built a 25 year career across leading consultancies including Mott MacDonald, Aurecon, Surbana Jurong, AtkinsRéalis and CCL. Specialising in high rise, seismic design and retrofit, I have led multidisciplinary teams to deliver major, complex projects across the Middle East and Asia.
Election Statement:
I am honoured to stand for election as an Ordinary Trustee of the Institution of Structural Engineers.
With more than 25 years of international business leadership experience and a long-standing commitment to the Institution as a Fellow and Regional Group Chair, I am dedicated to strengthening our profession and advancing our global impact.
I bring strategic leadership grounded in governance, integrity, and technical excellence, qualities central to the Trustee Board’s responsibilities.
I will support the Board in defining strategy, safeguarding the Institution’s professional, technical, and financial future, ensuring informed and inclusive decision making and proactive risk management.
I will prioritize initiatives that support accessibility to chartership and industry partnership to maximize impact.
My career has been defined by collaboration, innovation, and service to the engineering community. If elected, I will work tirelessly to ensure our Institution remains resilient, member focused, forward looking, and a global leader in structural engineering.
Q1: How will you contribute to achieving the Institution’s objects and strategy?:
With extensive experience in structural engineering, business leadership, and professional development, I will help shape strategy that advances high quality technical guidance, promoting sustainability, digital innovation, and public safety across the profession.
I will champion initiatives that strengthen industry collaboration, broaden engagement and visibility across regions and encourage meaningful cross border knowledge sharing.
I am particularly committed to supporting busy professionals especially working mothers, by advocating for accessible pathways to chartership and professional growth, ensuring that personal responsibilities do not become barriers to progression and meaningful impact.
I will also expand support for early career engineers, helping create an enthusiastic, inclusive and future focused Institution.
My commitment to integrity will guide my contribution to reinforcing our reputation with industry, academia, and regulators.
As a collaborative leader, I will work closely with fellow Trustees, Council, and wider industry partners to enhance the Institution’s global relevance, impact, and long term societal contribution.
Q2: What specific skills & experience will you bring to the role?:
As a Regional Technical Excellence Leader at Mott MacDonald, I bring a strong combination of technical depth, strategic leadership, and people focused capability to the role of Ordinary Trustee Board Member.
I have led major initiatives to facilitate mentorship, enhance technical quality, advance digital delivery, and embed sustainability within project workflows, demonstrating my ability to support critical skills for our future engineers and shape high performing teams.
I have taken executive roles on professional panels including the Centre of Excellence in Smart Construction and the Construction Technology.
I have a strong industry engagement including speaking at key events and forging first time partnerships and initiatives, demonstrating my ability to drive meaningful change.
My experience provides me with a balanced understanding of institutional governance, member needs, and the importance of inclusive development pathways.
I would bring energy, integrity, and global outlook, with a proven ability to influence, and build trusted relationships.
Q3: Describe any Institution activity/knowledge both regional and global (please include dates where possible):
I have been an active member of the Institution for over a decade, contributing to both regional and international activities that promote professional excellence, collaboration, and the development of future engineers.
Since 2016, I have served on the IStructE UAE Regional Group Committee, including supporting CPD events, students engagement, and industry collaboration.
I have been particularly active in initiatives that connect academia and other professional institutions to advance awareness of sustainability in structural design. I helped facilitate first time joint events between IStructE and partner institutions such as the ICE and CARES, focusing on and low-carbon design and construction.
In 2024 and 2025, I took the chair role for the UAE Regional group and have initiated the Women in Engineering event which is growing in scale and impact.
I am PRI coordinator for the past 5 years.
I have represented the institution in multiple knowledge-sharing through speaking engagements at conferences.