Ahmad Majjan, Edison of the UAE, visits AUS

The American University of Sharjah (AUS) student branch of Engineers Without Borders held an inspirational talk about becoming an innovator by world-renowned engineer Ahmad Majjan on May 8. Majjan, who has won several awards and honors for his inventions, is also known as the "Edison of the UAE," and has over 1,000 patents registered under his name.

The founder of seven of companies, Majjan started innovating at a young age and drew inspiration from his father's belief, "For every problem there is a solution." Majjan said that this belief, along with his passion and drive to innovate, has allowed him to develop several inventions over the years. Some of his inventions include an automatic fish feeder, a solar-powered tiller, a thief-catching clock, an electronic map of Dubai and step-counting shoe. According to Majjan, motivation, time and money are the keys to an inventor's success.

Majjan said he is a stern believer in the idea that creativity has no limits. "Invention is an idea and you don't need to have houses and certificates to be an inventor; there is no career for creations," said Majjan.

Majjan-who won six gold medals at the 13th Annual British Invention Show for Design, Innovation and Technology in London-said that he lives by the invention principles of "dream, imagination and reality" and hopes to promote young research talent by opening his own research facility in the UAE in the future.