Member Spotlight: Mohammed Azeem MRICS

This year the Islamic holy month of Ramadan began on March 22 and will end April 21 or 22. RICS is shining the spotlight on those celebrating Ramadan, why it’s important to them, and how the profession can be more inclusive for Muslim professionals.

For this special edition Member Spotlight, RICS spoke with Mohammed Azeem MRICS, a Commercial Manager with High Speed Two Ltd, and a RICS APC counsellor and mentor.

What inspired you to become a surveyor?

From an early age, I was always interested in the buildings around me, from the terraced house I grew up in, to my primary school, the local library and then the town hall and council buildings. As I got older and started travelling the world I witnessed incredible architecture, from the temples at Karnack to the Skyline of Dubai, the wow factor of these always had me thinking – how did they build this? Fast forward to the 2008 financial crisis, where a lot of people were affected, I made the choice to move into Quantity Surveying from being a Project Manager previously as it provided more job security. I went back to university as a mature student and did a part-time BSc (Hons) in Quantity Surveying and Commercial Management (RICS Accredited), with a future aim of becoming Chartered at some point in my career.

What has your experience been like as a Muslim working in surveying and the wider built environment industry?

Growing up as a child in the UK I did not see Muslim representation in the built environment for me to look up to. In the last 15 years or so, the profession has diversified immensely, and I see more ethnic and gender diversity. However, I still don’t see enough people who look like me in senior or director level commercial positions, so there is work still to do. As a Muslim working as a Quantity Surveyor in construction it’s been great. I’ve experience colleagues being mindful of fasting during Ramadan and being flexible with working hours, I’ve experienced first-hand in many site-based construction offices, space made available for daily prayers, ablution facilities and halal food options.

What are some of the key considerations colleagues and managers should be considerate of during Ramadan?

Having a flexible working policy in place helps employees that are fasting during Ramadan, particularly if they need to take some time due to the demands of fasting which may be affecting them. Allow all Muslim colleagues (and others of different faiths) appropriate facilities and a place or faith room to pray. I remember one of my former employers National Highways, were good at this. Be mindful and let colleagues know that if they are eating, drinking or having a snack in the office that their Muslim colleagues who may be fasting may want to be somewhere else whilst you’re eating, but not all will, so don’t be afraid to ask them if they are okay or would like some privacy for a bit. Be mindful that not all Muslims fast as there are exemptions, so be respectful of this if you notice a Muslim colleague is not fasting during Ramadan.

Ramadan is a time for non-Muslims to learn more about the month and Islam in general and not feel shy ask questions, just be respectful.

What do you think organisations in the built environment could be doing better to support Muslim employees, clients and communities?

Consider design in the built environment for cultural sensitivities. I was really proud during my time working for Birmingham City Council on their Building School for the Future programme in the mid 2000’s. We were able to influence and introduce design aspects to cater for large Muslim populations such as separate preparation areas in kitchen design for Halal lunch catering, fully screened culturally sensitive toilets, separate ablution facilities and ability for large spaces to be opened up for Friday lunchtime prayers. Design changes have a huge value-added contribution to the built environment and creates inclusivity for the Muslim community.

With everything you do, ask yourself: “What can we do to our buildings, assets, services or hours of operation to make us more inclusive to the community we operate in?”

What advice do you have for early career Muslim professionals entering the industry?

My advice would be that surveying profession is well respected, well paid and a very rewarding career. It’s a good alternative to traditional medical, teaching, law and family business professions. There are several routes into surveying, from traditional university courses and joining a graduate scheme, to learning on the job and doing an apprenticeship in surveying. You can also change careers like I did and go into surveying from a related discipline such as law or finance, by doing a conversion course or master’s in surveying. 

Soak up as much knowledge as possible and never stop learning.