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President Muizzu presents the Engineer of the Year Award to Dr. Furqan during the inaugural Engineers' Award 2026 ceremony - Photo: President Office

MALÉ: Dr. Furqan Ibrahim, General Manager of Risk and Compliance at Malé Water and Sewerage Company (MWSC), won the Engineer of the Year award at the national Engineers Awards ceremony held at Barceló Nasandhura Hotel.

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu presented the top honor to Dr. Furqan, who holds a PhD in energy technology. Dr. Furqan began his career at MWSC 20 years ago as an assistant mechanic, later earning a degree in mechanical engineering and a master’s in energy technology and management from the National University of Singapore before completing his doctoral studies.

The ceremony also honored three veteran figures with Lifetime Achievement Awards for their long service to the nation’s infrastructure, power generation, and aviation sectors. Former STELCO Managing Director Abdulla Shakoor Solih was recognized alongside the late Ahmed Mahreen, who served over 40 years in infrastructure and aviation, and the late Mohamed Rasheed, a former STELCO Chairman who dedicated over 50 years to the power sector.

Organizers received over 70 applications across 10 categories for the first edition of the awards, with honors ultimately presented in eight categories.

• Lifetime Achievement Award Recipients: Abdulla Shakoor Solih, Late Ahmed Mahreen, and Late Mohamed Rasheed.

• Key Category Winners: Mohamed Zaidhan Hassan (Young Engineer Award), Asrar (Women in Engineering Award), and Hussain Jaushan (Student Innovator Award).

• Institutional & Project Awards: MWSC for Decarbonized Seawater Desalination System (Sustainability Champion Award) and Dhuvaafaru Integrated Utility Project (Community Impact Award).

President Muizzu designated August 30 as National Engineers’ Day through a presidential directive issued in June 2025 to honor the vital contributions of engineers toward national development. The date was intentionally chosen to mark the anniversary of the opening of the Sinamalé Bridge (China–Maldives Friendship Bridge) on August 30, 2018, which remains the largest and most complex infrastructure engineering project in Maldivian history.

During the inaugural celebration on August 30, 2025, President Muizzu announced the creation of the National Engineers’ Award to recognize outstanding technical excellence, leading to its official launch and first presentation ceremony.