Filipina engineer Ronnet Closa has been shortlisted in two categories at the Construction Technology Awards 2026, an announcement carried on the LinkedIn page of industry platform Ventures Connect naming her among seven professionals recognized across the region for advancing climate-positive practices and ESG-driven projects.
Closa appears on the Sustainability Rising Stars 2026 shortlist for the built environment, and separately on the shortlist for ConTech Star | Rising Star of the Year, a category that recognizes professionals who have delivered game-changing ideas and measurable innovation within their organizations.
She is corporate manager for environment and sustainability at Masri Engineering and Contracting MEC SAL, the Abu Dhabi-based arm of the Lebanese contracting firm. The company itself has been shortlisted for Contractor of the Year 2026, putting both the engineer and her employer in contention at the same ceremony.
“Truly humbled and grateful to be shortlisted as Sustainable Contractor of the Year and Sustainability Rising Star of the Year across the region,” Closa wrote in a post acknowledging the recognition. “This recognition is a blessing, and we are deeply thankful to everyone (MEC Family), specially with the judges and Contech Award body.”
The Sustainability Rising Stars list also includes Ahood Alwahedi and Remya Mohan of Parsons Corporation, Mahmoud Amr of BEC Arabia, Nouf Khalid Almarzooqi of Trojan General Contracting LLC, Noura Al Maazmi of Dubai Municipality, and Rashid Alikhan of Red Sea Global.
At MEC, Closa leads Estidama implementation, environmental compliance, and sustainability reporting, coordinating across project teams to align deliverables with client, authority, and corporate requirements. She has designed tracking systems for waste diversion, material sustainability, and environmental documentation that translate rating-system criteria into site-level processes — work that has improved data accuracy and strengthened audit readiness.
Recycling and waste diversion rates on projects under her oversight exceeded 95 percent, well above a 75 percent project target. Her portfolio spans compliance with Estidama, LEED, and BREEAM frameworks alongside IMS and ISO standards.
Masri Engineering has operated in Lebanon since 1982 and in the UAE since 2007. The firm is ISO certified for ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015, and ISO 45001:2018, and is listed with UAE bodies including the Ministry of Presidential Affairs, Abu Dhabi Airports Company, ADNOC, and EMAAR Properties. Its integrated engineering–contracting model gives clients a single point of accountability from concept design through handover, a structure the company credits for faster delivery and tighter quality control.
Closa’s path to Abu Dhabi began in a field where she was rarely welcome. Speaking to GMA News Online, she recalled applying to hundreds of companies in 2006 before one called her back. “Maraming panglalait, pangma-maliit, pagdi-discriminate, at higit sa lahat rejection,” she said of her early years in the profession.
She holds a master’s degree in urban planning and sustainability design from Batangas State University and has been pursuing a law degree online. Her certifications include ISO 45001:2018 lead auditor, Estidama Pearl Qualified Professional, BREEAM associate, and LEED AP BD+C.
Her earlier recognitions include Best Sustainability Contractor of the Year 2022 from the Emirates Green Building Council and the Innovator of Green Engineering Award at the Dubai Vibes Eminent Awards 2023. She was a Global Filipino Icon Awards honoree the same year.
Winners will be announced at a ceremony on September 10, 2026, at the Conrad Hotel in Dubai, held alongside the 9th Construction Technology ConFex.
