Sharjah: “Al Khaleej”

42 projects out of 114 graduation projects by engineering students at the American University of Sharjah have successfully secured support and sponsorship from leading industrial and governmental institutions. Industrial engineering graduation projects topped the list during the annual graduation projects competition organized by the college, turning classrooms into launchpads where industry partners meet students to transform ideas into practical solutions impacting society.

This year, a project executed by four industrial engineering students in collaboration with Sharjah International Airport—Lin Adel Al Sabbagh, Jana Al Moataz Mohamed, Ezza Al Sadiq Mukhtar, and Shahd Youssef Al Ali—under the supervision of Dr. Mahmoud Awad, Industrial Engineering professor, won second place in the May 2025 student graduation projects competition. The project presented innovative strategies to improve traveler satisfaction and enhance the travel experience.

Traveler Journey

The project focused on reimagining the traveler’s journey at the airport by listening to traveler feedback through collecting comments, measuring satisfaction levels, and proposing practical development plans. The team relied on a systematic analysis of thousands of evaluations, revealing key satisfaction drivers and challenges faced by travelers. The students also designed a simulation model of passenger movement inside the airport, allowing scenario testing and proposing more efficient solutions to handle peak seasons.

Dr. Fadi Ahmed Aloul, Dean of the College of Engineering, stated that graduation projects represent the culmination of the students’ academic journey, giving them the opportunity to harness their knowledge to find solutions to urgent local and global issues. These projects not only enhance technical skills but also develop essential skills such as multidisciplinary teamwork, problem-solving, time management, leadership, and effective presentation. They also allow students to transform their training experience into a year-long project under academic and industrial supervision. Consequently, students graduate from this comprehensive experience fully prepared to lead, innovate, and contribute effectively to society.

Sponsoring Entities

Among the sponsors are: Sharjah National Oil Corporation, Sharjah Municipality, Sharjah Civil Defense Authority, Roads and Transport Authority in Dubai, Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre, Dubai Health Authority, PwC, Apparel Group, Bee’ah Group, and many others.

Through these partnerships, students gain direct supervision from industry experts, practical experience in their fields, access to research data and real facilities. Several projects are already being considered for adoption by some entities, reflecting the direct alignment of students’ work with market needs. These initiatives also enhance the university’s reputation, which ranks first among UAE universities in employability reputation and second in graduate employability outcomes according to the QS World University Rankings 2026.