WSP wins CIBSE MENA Project of the Year for Zayed National Museum

Dubai, UAE - WSP has taken the Project of the Year title at the CIBSE MENA Awards 2026 for its engineering of Abu Dhabi's Zayed National Museum, which also collected two Highly Commended placings.

The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) handed out the awards at a ceremony at Dubai's W Hotel, Palm Jumeirah, on 29 October. Previously called the CIBSE UAE Annual Awards, the programme now spans the whole MENA region, recognising companies, projects and individual engineers.

In a statement, WSP said the awards honour achievement in building services engineering in the Middle East and North Africa, rewarding projects, organisations and individuals who are moving innovation, sustainability, safety and performance forward in the region.

Alongside the top prize, the museum was Highly Commended in the Mechanical Project of the Year category, and again for Plumbing Project of the Year.

Two members of the WSP team in the Middle East were also singled out. Athiya Junaid received a Highly Commended mention as Graduate of the Year, and Farah Kais was Highly Commended in the Woman Professional of the Year category.

The museum was one of five schemes shortlisted for Project of the Year. Competing entries came from Ramboll for Aquarabia in Qiddiya City, Meinhardt Group for Dubai Trump Tower, Egis Engineering Consultants for the King Salman Park Water Treatment Complex, and Arup for the University of Khorfakkan's Sharjah Marine Research Institute.

WSP delivered the engineering design and construction supervision for the museum in a joint venture with Foster + Partners, using specialists drawn from its teams in the Middle East, the UK and the US.

According to the company, the engineering was shaped by the building's intricate architecture. Its five steel wings reach heights of up to 123m and also work as solar thermal towers, which help to ventilate the museum naturally and cool it passively.

The museum on Saadiyat Island was inaugurated during the UAE's 54th National Day celebrations, with EMSTEEL supplying steel, cement and blocks for its construction.

Drew Tinsley, Director of Building Services at WSP in the Middle East, said: “We’re incredibly proud to see the Zayed National Museum named Project of the Year. It’s a hugely important project for the UAE, and one that our teams have put an enormous amount into.”

“This award is a great recognition of their expertise, hard work and attention to detail, as well as the collaboration that has gone into bringing such a special project to life,” he added.

WSP calls itself one of the foremost firms in the world for engineering, science and infrastructure solutions. Having grown from local beginnings, it now has a presence in more than 50 countries and a workforce of approximately 85,000 professionals, whom it calls Visioneers.

Its projects cover building, energy, water, the environment, transportation, infrastructure, and mining and metals.