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David J. CAREY

International Real Estate Partners, Head of KSA FM Consulting

David has had a varied, international career specialised in implementing and managing technology. He was originally an underwater engineering and combat warfare specialist in the UK’s Royal Navy. He has been involved with asset management and planned maintenance for over forty years, around the globe, operating and maintaining seaborne, land-based and aviation-centric platforms. He has also managed mixed-use, geographically dispersed facilities in major property portfolios of complex, corporate organisations undergoing real estate investment reviews, service outsourcing programmes and benchmarking analysis.

With a decade spent in South East Asia and, more recently, twelve years in the Middle East, his commercial forte is deploying technology to advantage in the built environment. Successful recent projects have involved implementing digitalisation, BIM and ERP systems, via business process re-engineering, working to ISO and BS standards; upgrading a government client’s FM efficiency and CRM capabilities; leading a winning FM bid for a KSA national, cultural, iconic campus; producing asset management reviews and FM strategies; and surveying 2.6 million m2 of commercial property. He has operated as a CEO, MD and board-level director for over twenty years, managing workforces of 3,500+.

Graduating top of his year at Heriot-Watt University, David has presented technical conference papers on energy management, BIM, sustainability and workplace solutions. He is a devotee to achieving a positive impact on the through-life costings of residential, commercial, airport, retail, healthcare, educational and specialist facilities; he is now three years into his PhD, researching a Digitalisation roadmap to be used in FM. He is a member of IWFM’s SIG addressing CDE, digitalisation & BIM.

Andrea Zaffaroni

Project Manager, HBA Dubai

17 years of experience of working in large scale complex integrated, high end leisure resorts projects and private villas. Excellent attention to detail and ability to successfully manage the many facets of the project. He has extensive experience on drawing production packages, project timings, budget, records and drawing protocols. Reviewing drawing packages with designers, FF&E designers and Cad operators. Working alongside Detailer and assisting with design and construction detailing. He is keen in understanding structural, MEP engineering principles as well as architecture & building fit‐out. Andrea is also involved in conceptual design, design development, documentation, coordination and ensuring high standards and protocols are applied. He has an excellent coordination with the Client, Consultant, Contractor and Supplier. He holds a Master’s degree in Architecture at “Milan Polytechnic” in Milan, Italy in 1999.

Alessandro Tedesco

Global Chief Operating Officer FEBC

Alessandro Tedesco is an Italian-born hospitality, manufacturing, and operations expert with over two decades of experience. A stalwart in the procurement and supply chain industry, Tedesco is the

Global Chief Operating Officer of febc Group, responsible for implementing daily operations, strategies and policies across the company’s 12 global offices.

Tedesco joined febc Group in 2012 where shortly after, he became the company’s Regional Director for the Middle East and Africa markets. In 2014, he was promoted to Global Chief Operating Officer and has since driven a global restructuring of febc Group, taking it from a project management company anchored in procurement, to an internationally acclaimed multimodal hospitality solutions enterprise.

At febc Group, Tedesco has designed and executed digital transformation through the automation of its proprietary procurement solution, to ensure transparency, efficiency, and quality control management throughout entire project life cycles. He spearheaded febc Group to achieve six global ISO Certifications, alongside overseeing internal efficiencies, including employee productivity and growth. Tedesco is pivotal in driving the company’s vision, operational strategy and recruitment policies, to build a highly inclusive company culture.

Tedesco’s experience in retail, hospitality and commercial sectors has enabled him to lucratively implement numerous productive and innovative measures at febc Group. His passion and dedication have placed the company on a clear course to deliver revolutionary solutions for the hospitality industry, identifying gaps within the market to take febc Group and its clients to the next phase.

Prior to joining febc Group, Tedesco was responsible for setting up the Middle East operations for Italian companies looking to enter and expand in the FF&E and contract supply segments.

Najee N. Syriani

Corporate Vice President – Projects
Rotana Hotel Management Corporation

Holder of a master’s degree in architecture (2002) & an Executive MBA (2015) from renowned Business School INSEAD, Najee Syriani is the Corporate Vice President Projects at Rotana Hotels. In his current assignment, Najee is heading a team of architects, interior designers and engineers responsible for developing the aggressive expansion plans of the company within the coming years, in the GCC countries, MENA region, Eastern Europe and Asia.

Najee is also the cofounder of WitWork the “Work From Anywhere” platform, a flexible on demand workspace solution enabling digital nomads to work outside the “box” by unlocking hotel facilities across town and turning those into coworking and meeting spaces.

Piyush Prajapati

Architect
AECOM

Piyush Prajapati is a young award-winning architect and a computational urban designer working and practicing in Dubai.

He holds expertise in Artificial intelligence and its role in design and architecture. He focuses on unifying digital tools such as machine learning, Big data, digital humanities into the architectural world thereby harnessing the best design outputs.

His design research is currently running in an Exhibition at Pompidou Centre, Paris, under the theme of Simulated Intelligence: Neurons. He has been shortlisted in Architecture Leaders Award, 2021 and nominated by the Middle East Architect (MEA) community as young architect of the year 2021,

Born in India, he graduated from Government College of Architecture, Lucknow, India (2014). He is awarded the Best Architectural Project in India by the Council of Architecture in 2015. He, later on, went to pursue Masters in Machine Learning Urbanism from Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL, London, where he holds the Computational Award for his research and is a Medallist (2019). He holds felicitations by the President of India and many other international podiums. He is also an Advisory Member of IJMAR (International Journal for Multidisciplinary Research).

Sam Achampong

General Manager
Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS) Middle East & North Africa (MENA)

Sam is a senior executive with extensive experience in Procurement and Supply Chain management across the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region. He has held Senior Procurement and Strategic Sourcing roles for organisations such as Land Securities in the UK, Abu Dhabi Municipality in the Middle East and MTN across Africa.

An active member of the procurement fraternity, Sam is currently General Manager of the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS) for the MENA Region.

He holds a Master’s Degree in International Procurement from the University of Glamorgan , MSc in Facilities Management from the University of Westminster and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply.

He is a regular speaker at industry events and an advocate for professional standards in procurement and supply management.

Bassel Omara

Design Architect & BIM Manager
Dorsch Holding GmbH

Bassel Omara is a multi-award-winning Egyptian architect, designer, and artist with a humanitarian vision who has won numerous accolades and honours both domestically and internationally. He is synonymous with many of the region’s most successful architectural projects, leading to him being ranked 7th as Creative 30 Powerlist 2021 by Design Middle East.

Faisal Durrani

Partner – Head of Middle East Research, Knight Frank

Faisal is Head of Middle East Research at Knight Frank and he has over 15 years’ real estate experience. His most recent role was Head of London Commercial Research for Knight Frank, where he and his team provided consultancy and strategic advisory services to a range of global clientele, including investors, landlords, developers, HNWI, banks and institutions.
Faisal’s knowledge and experience spans all real estate sectors and includes key markets across the Middle East and West Africa. Faisal is a well-known commentator in the media and speaks regularly at industry events, including at conferences across the region as well as the UK, Europe and Nigeria.
His work in the Middle East this year has focused on the impact of Vision 2030 on Saudi Arabia’s real estate landscape as well the rebounding of Dubai’s luxury homes, office and industrial markets.

Pierre Menges

Executive Director Procurement- Chief Procurement Officer from NEOM.

Born in Germany and a European Citizen, Pierre Menges is a seasoned Procurement Executive with 20+ Years of experience. He graduated from Constance University of Applied Sciences in Germany and holds a Master’s in International Business Administration. After his studies, he directly joined Procter & Gamble (P&G) to start his Procurement Career in FMCG. During his 18 Years with P&G, Pierre held several Procurement Leadership roles across Regions and Procurement/Supply Chain disciplines before joining NEOM as Chief Procurement Officer 1.5 Years ago. Building and operating a Procurement Organization that can successfully deliver the world’s biggest giga project is Pierre’s current primary focus.

Mark Hamilton

Head of Digital Solutions, JLL MENA

Mark Hamilton is a Digital Transformation specialist in the Real Estate Industry currently leading JLL’s Digital Solutions Team in Middle East and Africa. With over 10 years experience, he is committed to deriving maximum value through out the real estate life cycle via the utilization of new technologies, data management and workflows.

Wajdi Mereb

BIM & Digital Engineering Expert

A degree-qualified Architect (M.Sc.) with professional experience in Digital Engineering & Assets Management, who obtained the Innovator of the year award in the AEC Excellence Awards 2020 – Las Vegas & the Individual Achievement Award of the Institute of Asset Management (IAM) Global Awards 2019 – London.

Currently, he is leading digital transformation at one of the most reputable governmental entities to become a fully integrated data-driven asset owner. Also, he is a member at Construction Digital Transformation Team in Dubai & UAE Building Smart chapter.

He initiated suites of smart intelligent objectives that have been translated into a portfolio of projects, where he managed BIM adoption in multi-billion’s strategic projects “i.e. Metro Route 2020 – $3 billion value” that contributed directly in UAE winning EXPO 2021 file.

Wajdi holds BSc. in Architectural Engineering from Birzeit University, Palestine & MSc. in Management from Sheffield University, UK. His career started as an Architect, then he served in many CCIC multi-billion’s projects “Muscat Airport, Oman & Abu Dhabi airport, UAE”.

Salvatore Leggiero

Chairman, Leggiero Real Estate

Leggiero is a first-generation entrepreneur. His creativity and mentality as startupper have allowed him over the past 20 years to successfully establish and sell more companies in different industries, thus creating the financial basis for investing in real estate.

His obsession are the historic buildings, which are often empty and that he tries to buy to give them a new light and a new function, adapting them to modern living. Salvatore believes that Italy, already famous for being the country where there are the most beautiful things in the world, is also the country where there are the most beautiful buildings on the planet.

So, renewed and transformed into offices, shops or hotels, these properties will be income generators for their owners and for the surrounding community, for many years.

Salvatore Leggiero was born in Naples, grew up in Florence and lives between Milan and London.

Paola Ricciardi

Managing Director and Chairman of the Board, Duff & Phelps Real Estate Advisory Group (REAG)

In addition to supervising the main service lines (Advisory, R4loans, Professional Services, Transaction Advisory and Debt Advisory Services), she also coordinates business operations in Italy.

Previously, as European Coordinating Manager, she was responsible for supervising pan-European projects and cross-border projects with USA.

Paola is a lecturer (Master in Real Estate Property Management) at the University of Milan and Turin.

She is also a Member of the Italian Professional Association of Architects since 2000 and Member of Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (MRICS) since 2005. She has been a Member of RICS Italian Board from 2006 up to 2013 and is now Member of the RICS International Virtual Valuation Network. In 2006 she helped to found AREL (Real Estate Ladies Italian Association).

Ezio Poinelli

Senior Director Southern Europe, HVS Global

Ezio has more than 20 years experience in Hospitality, Real Estate, and Leisure Real Estate markets in Europe, Caribbean, Latin America, and South Africa. Before joining HVS, Ezio was Head of Southern Europe at Northcourse Advisory Services (Madrid), the hospitality and real estate consulting arm of Wyndham Worldwide, one of the largest hospitality companies in the world. He was also Head of Expansion & International Development at Compañia de Las Islas Occidentales (Canary Islands) and Director – Head of Real Estate and Hospitality at Ernst & Young Financial Business Advisors (Milan).

He started his career with Investment & Tourism Consulting Associated with exposure to European and Latin America markets and REVA – Real Estate Value Advisors – a boutique firm focused on real estate and financial advisory. He is a native of Italy, graduate in Economics and Business Administration, Master in Tourism Economics at Bocconi University. He is fluent in Italian, Spanish, and English

Oleg Cosneanu

Head of Interior Design Department, Omrania & Associates

Oleg Cosneanu is Design Director | Head of Interior Design with over 25 years ’experience in design and design management of High-End Luxurious hospitality, corporate, commercial, High End residential, retail, F&B outlets, entertaining and mixed-use projects.

Oleg holds a Master Degree in Interior Design. Currently managing OMRANIA & ASSOCIATES Interior Design Department.

He is highly focused on the latest design trends, sustainable design, clients and operators requirements. Results-focused, he has solid background in design management and all design stages. Creator and developer of interior design concepts.

A confident, competent and imaginative interior designer with extensive experience of working. Having an excellent commercial approach to solving problems and a proven ability to generate fresh and innovative design solutions. An ambitious, creative and dedicated design professional eager to gain experience in a creative environment.

Claudio Vittori Antisari

Founder, Strategie Digitali s.r.l

Claudio is an Architect specialized in BIM and Computational Design. He is the founder of Strategie Digitali srl a Computational BIM and Project Management consulting firm based in Milan, Italy. During his last 10 years of experience, he has had the opportunity to work in different BIM roles in different world areas: from BIM researcher, BIM consultant, BIM manager and BIM Entrepreneur. This exposure has given him a deep understanding of the BIM process for architectural offices. Nowadays he spends most of his time helping companies improving efficiency and effectiveness in building design. He participates actively in the BIM national and international debate, taking part in BIM-related events and conferences, participating in university research groups, and giving his consultancy to governance projects.

Dr. Peter van de Bunt

Co-Founder & Chairman of TIN Hotels International

In joint venture partnership with luxury operator General Hotel Management (GHM), Dr. van de Bunt co-founded the new lifestyle brand ‘TIN Hotels’, which is born out of a strong desire to reach out to the growing middle class segment and providing guests with an unrivalled and authentic lifestyle experience at a more favorable price point. A place for everybody with as passion for quality, design, culture, and the unconventional.

Before launching Tin Hotels, Peter van de Bunt founded Dubai-based hotel investment advisory firm Van de Bunt Partners in 2006 when he was appointed by a leading regional real estate investment company to develop a hotel portfolio in the MENA region. Dr. van de Bunt holds a doctorate degree in real estate economics and has 20 years global experience in real estate development, consulting and hotel investment. He has given advice on hotel projects and transactions in excess of USD 3.1 billion.

Tarek Hegazy

Principal & Creative Director, Living Design 

A long and illustrious career with over 30 years of experience, and numerous prestigious projects in his portfolio, resulting in more than 275 plus projects, the majority being 5 stars hotels, Tarek Hegazy joined Living Design in 1999 and has since then gradually risen to become the Principal and Creative Director of the company since 2006.

His company, Living Design, a Swedish based International Interior Design firm established in 1984 is considered by its peers to be one of the leading interior design and turn key suppliers in Europe and Scandinavia with more than 280 hotel projects successfully completed to-date. Living Design has earned over 120 awards for their hotels and is considered a top ranked interior design firm within the hospitality, high end residential and commercial projects.

During his time at the helm of Living Design, the company has grown to be a leading design player within its field. This all encompassing role has given him the impetus to develop a much stronger work and cooperation ethic with all key players involved within this industry. From clients, banks, investors and operators, he continuously assists them in their comfort and ease of use with the facilities he creates, and of course, with his own team of professionals. Living Design has achieved a large number of projects in all 4 continents, and for some of the most prestigious hotel brands across Europe, Russia, the Middle East and the US.

Prior to Living Design, he served as a Senior Designer with the Ruler’s Office in Dubai contributing to some of the early major Hotel development in Dubai such as Dusit Hotel, the Emirates Towers, Burj Al Arab. Mr. Hegazy has also served at various major companies in his carrier all of them from the top 100 in the Design.

Living Design is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden with another office in Geneva, Switzerland taking care of private clients for the high end residential market.

Mr. Hegazy is a member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), as well as a member of the Swedish Architect association, and the Egyptian syndicate of Engineers and the reputable IIDA

Mr. Hegazy has lectured and continue to lecture about design and Interior Design to prestigious bodies including the American Institute of Architects, the Chinese Institute of Architects and several governmental bodies across the globe in addition to design conferences and is considered as one of the top executives in the Hospitality business. He has won numerous awards in Design and his work has been featured regularly in worldwide publications

Leonardo Stassi

Head of Hotel Real Estate at Bayview Italy (BVI)

BVI is an asset management and special servicing company focused on secured NPLs and UTPs. It currently manages over Euro 3.6 billion GBV in 7 different portfolios on behalf of Bayview Global Opportunities Fund. Bayview Italia is owned by Bayview Asset Management (BAM), an investment management firm focused on investments in mortgage credit. As part of the real estate team, Leonardo is responsible for the hotel investment activities.

Leonardo has joined BVI from Marriott International where he oversaw the company’s development activities in Italy and the Balkans. He has previously worked for Pierre & Vacances, the Orco Property Group, Starwood Hotels & Resorts and the Meininger hotel group. He also worked for Hilton, first in feasibility, based in the U.K. and covering Southern, Central and Eastern Europe, and then in development, based in Rome covering Italy. Leonardo has also worked in different operational positions including F&B and rooms as well as in asset management. He has lived in five different countries and speaks Italian, English, and French. He graduated from University of Perugia in 2004 and ESSEC Business School in Paris in 2008 where he specialized in hotel real estate and asset management. He is a member of RICS Italy.

Davide Padoa

CEO, Design International

After completing his architectural studies in Milan and Los Angeles, Davide started his career in Indonesia where, at just 25, he gained international recognition for the design of PSP bank headquarters – one of the tallest skyscrapers in Jakarta. In 1998 he moved to London and joined Design International. Embracing the company’s ethos to tailor unique, commercially viable projects, Davide has pushed the design boundaries in every project undertaken. Rising rapidly within the company, he became a Partner in 2002, and Chief Executive Office in 2006.

Committed to constantly setting new benchmark designs that are both financially sustainable and aesthetically strong, Davide has been Project Principal on many ground-breaking developments, including Odysseum in Montpellier (2009), Morocco Mall in Casablanca (2011), Nave de Vero in Marghera (2014), Il Centro in Arese (2016). These, and many other Design International projects have been recipients of some of the most coveted industry awards, including ICSC, Mapic, Mipim, RLI, a Guinness World Records™ and over 30 other international property awards across four continents.

Davide retains a hands-on approach, working closely with colleagues and guiding teams to deliver projects which tell their own unique story. Under his leadership, Design International has grown into a globally-recognised practice.

Design International is a London based architecture practice with over 50 years of award-winning history and offices in London, Milan, Dubai and Shanghai. With over 36 million sqm of built world class architecture in the portfolio, the practice has worked in almost every corner of the globe and on projects of every size.

Design International is a multi-disciplinary practice with seven integrated divisions: Architecture, Masterplanning, Interior Design, Lighting Design, Landscape Design, and Branding

The practice combines contemporary creative thinking with a bespoke local sensibility, striking a balance between strong designs and creating buildings that are sensitive to their surroundings, which creates a sense of belonging for the customers. Design International works across the whole spectrum of architecture with a particular focus on retail, mixed-use and hospitality developments. Its integrated and multi-disciplinary skills allow for a holistic approach to architecture that results in developments where the artistic, commercial and social aspects are in complete harmony.

Yiu Tung (Billy) Cheung

Founder and Chairman, Master Assets Investments Ltd.

Master Assets Investments was founded by Mr. Cheung Yiu Tung (Billy) whom created this company to construct world class developments in Eastern Africa. These countries include Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda because they have been experiencing unprecedented economic growth in the last decade fueled by political and macro-economic stability, structural reforms and market liberalization and natural resources.

Some of the projects in Kampala, Uganda, Master Assets are proud of, includes Marriot Residences Inn and Richmond Hill Luxury apartment, Smart Hotel and The New Taxi Park to name but a few…

The recent developments in Kigali, Rwanda, includes Century Park Hotel and Residences, New Century Luxury apartments and the Kigali Marriot Hotel. It is clear that this company is founded on the basis to create value for investors by constructing world class developments in Eastern Africa.

Filippo Cavandoli

CEO, Nomad Apart Hotels

Born in the UK and raised in Italy, Africa and the United States, Filippo holds a degree in International Relations. He started his career in the relocation business and has over 9 years’ experience in Property Acquisitions and Development, 7 of which he worked for Staycity as their Development Director and helped them become one of the leading Apart Hotel operators in Europe. He then moved to Germany and worked for Brera Serviced Apartments as their Development Director. In 2017 he teamed up with his brother Carlo and launched Nomad Aparthotels.

Fabio Masolo

President, Giorgio Collection Srl

Fabio Masolo, thanks to his futuristic vision, placed himself with his design at least 5 years ahead of the market and established dozens of Monobrand luxury stores.

Fabio Masolo’s vision is a set of products that make up the Italian lifestyle appreciated worldwide. Giorgio Collection’s products include as well statues, carpets, paintings, lamps, ceramics and chandeliers designed and made with the most sophisticated artisanal techniques.

Thanks to his intuition and being established on worldwide markets, he does not hesitate to search for new realities anywhere in the world. Recentely he has achieved considerable prestige also in the Contract sector where he developed new hospitality and residential systems. The company has been structured to design and supply “turn-key packages” that also include kitchens and home automation, making the company’s offer desirable for every builders and architects. He has made custom products on behalf of his customers which have become “icons of beauty”. For this reason he got an award in 2018, delivered to his son Emanuele Masolo (fourth generation), as the best furniture company in the luxury and contract sector.

Korosh Farazad

CEO, Farazad Investments Ltd.

Mr. Korosh Farazad, asserts market integrity and an unconventional approach to Structured Financing. He originally founded Farazad Investments, which operated globally, with a, Europe, Middle East, Asia Pacific and Australia with an ever expanding portfolio and new innovative funding ventures in the pipeline. He founded Farazad Advisory in 2015 which is headquartered in the UK.

His unique approach has been at the forefront to the firm’s success and paved the way for international recognition from regulatory bodies, who actively seek out his expertise. Regulatory Compliance is a necessity that is a critical component to be adopted by all reputable firms. KYC checks and Anti Money laundering practices are all common terminology in today’s business language. This has had a positive impact on business transactions, as it enables lenders to identify the end receiver and avoiding past bad practices. Farazad Investments (FI), fully supports regulated practices and complies with all the regulated bodies, ensuring all transactions are fully compliant.

His unrivalled knowledge of International Banking catapulted the core of the business and Farazad Investments (FI) was founded. FI’s key activity was to facilitate medium to large scale structured finance plans for major corporations. His ethical approach and sound reputation attracted direct business relations with heads of states and senior officials within Governments.

It is Mr. Farazad’s transparent approach to financing and creative thinking, which introduced an award winning in-house financing formula, which has been praised by international Institutions wanting to adopt the formula and enhance traditional funding methodology.

FI’s capability in the lending market strengthened with access not only to Regulated Funding Houses but also the Private Family Offices that often demonstrated more willingness to compete in the market. FI’s survival during these challenging times, counted on Mr. Farazad’s ability to diversify and establish a secure platform, by adapting the traditional mechanics of conventional financing, in a volatile market.

FI has successfully assisted in advising and structuring projects for funding valued over USD $3.2bn to date.

Leonardo Cavalli

Founder & Managing Partner, One Work

Leonardo Cavalli was born in Como, Italy, in 1962 and obtained a Master’s Degree in Architecture from the Università Di Politecnico Milan in 1986. He is a member of the Italian Institute of Architects since 1988.

From 1990 to 1994, he worked as a senior architect for Cino Zucchi Architetti (CZA) and in 1994 became a partner of Systematica srl, an urban planning consultancy. In 2000, he became managing partner of Systematica Works, a branch specializing in architecture and masterplanning.

In 2007, Cavalli founded One Works with Giulio De Carli, an independent design and consultancy firm integrating Architecture, Infrastructure and Urban Engineering. He is currently chairman and managing partner of One Works; his main field of activity concentrates in infrastructure and retail related architecture, working on projects throughout Italy, Europe and the Middle East.

One works, founded in 2007, with over 20 years’ experience, is a global architecture and engineering company that operates with an integrated approach of consulting and design, in the areas of transport infrastructure, Masterplanning, Commercial Real Estate and Public and Private Buildings, to shape the most complex projects.

One Works operates from six strategic locations across the globe, with its headquarters in Milan and offices in London, Rome, Venice, Dubai and Singapore. From these locations, a team of over 150 architects, designers and engineers provide a flexible and stable approach to the design and delivery of projects worldwide.

Among its most important projects currently underway, there are: eleven new metropolitan stations between Doha and Riyadh, including the Major Stations, the Transport Education Center, that will be built in Doha, the important extension project of Venice’s airport Marco Polo, the great San Marino’s outlet “The Market”.

Filippo Sona

Managing Director-Global Hospitality, Drees & Sommer

Filippo Sona is one of the most recognized names in the global hospitality consultancy community having carried out work in more than 28 countries for the past 25 years. From UK to Europe, Middle East, Africa and USA he has carried out more than 735 hospitality projects ranging from market & financial feasibilities, valuations, operator selection, project management and strategic asset management. Filippo understanding of management agreements has been an invaluable skill to global law firms as an expert witness and advisor in commercial negotiations. Filippo is a regular speaker at international hotel investment conferences and writers for many international hospitality publications. Filippo is an associate member of RICS and holds an MBA from Oxford Brooks University and an Honours Degree in Hospitality Management from the University of West London.

Musbah A.M. Abujarad

Executive Director of Supply Chain and Procurement, PROVIS

Musbah serves as an executive director of supply chain and procurement since January 2021.

Prior to Provis, Musbah worked as a Senior Vice President of Corporate and Assets Management Procurement at Aldar Properties from December 2018.

Prior to Aldar, Musbah worked at ADNOC for seven years serving different roles, including leading the commercial team in the first international/ local company merge, ADNOC Drilling, leading the Drilling Services Contracts team at ADNOC Offshore, as well as leading the first integrated drilling contract in Abu Dhabi.

Musbah started his career in oil and gas as a wireline field engineer and gained experience working in different countries around the world, for the leading service contractor Schlumberger.

Musbah carries a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the American University of Sharjah, and a Master’s Degree in Quality Management from the University of Wollongong in Dubai.

Federico Minucci

Middle East Director Consulting, Hospitality, Tourism & Leisure at EGIS

Federico Minucci began his career in 1995 setting up Design and Project Management office in Italy with focus on new building, residential, hospitality and mix use projects.

Having been involved in several hospitality consulting projects Federico Minucci open a consulting firm specializes in Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure where he successfully supported developers with

hotel and resorts projects in Europe and lead project teams on behalf of investors, private and institutional from USA to England, Scotland, Ireland, France, Spain and Italy;

Federico moved then in Thailand with focus for expansion projects for companies focused in Hospitality in the SEA region mainly in China, Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam and Indonesia;

Based in the Middle East since 2015 continues to implement business development & strategies for Drees & Sommer Middle East, leading the BD for the Global Real Estate Consulting and Hospitality

Development;

In particular have been set up the International Real Estate Consulting and Hospitality team for which Federico lead the development path leveraging a recognized position in the market for projects in

Middle East, AP and Africa;

Federico joined Egis in 2021 with the task to develop the Real Estate Consulting and Hospitality sectors in all the Middle East Region

Mohammed Adib

Chief Design Officer, Dewan Architects + Engineers

Mohammed Adib, a graduate of the AA School of Architecture and post grad studies in interior architecture from Barcelona, Mohammed Adib has worked in the UK, Spain, Jordan, North Africa, and Asia over the last 30 years and based between Barcelona and the Middle East for the past 17 years.

Born in Iraq, educated in the UK and working across the globe, during his studies he collaborated with many offices in the UK and Europe, after university Mohammed embarked on the “Grand Tour” working for 18 months around the world leaving eastwards and returning from the west, training in architectural offices across Europe, Middle East, Asia and the Americas. Upon his return, he set up Intercon in London as a niche design company specialising in large scale commercial interior design in 1993, under his design and management guidance, Intercon has completed over 180 projects in 15 countries and has gradually expanded its services to include architecture, product design, signage and wayfinding.

In 2017 Mohammed, joined Dewan as partner and Chief Design officer, whose main responsibilities are the protection and development of the design language as well as establishing new markets, he has directed projects in the Middle East, S E Asia, Europe and Africa.

Raya Ani

Founder & Design Director, RAW NYC Architects

RAYA ANI: Named one of the most influential architects in the Middle East. Raya Ani is a multidisciplinary architect and urban designer with more than 25 years of international experience, having worked in Baghdad, Boston, Dubai, Germany, and New York City. She was the 2017 President of the American Institute of Architects-Middle East Chapter. 

Her interests in melding innovation, sustainability, and technology, and her drive to empower and lead by example has resulted in her becoming the founder and design director of RAW-NYC Architects, an award-winning interdisciplinary studio based in New York City and Dubai. Raya was bestowed upon the title of Fellow American Institute of Architects for her excellence in design and outstanding contributions in the field of architecture. 

Raya’s boundless energy to inspire and empower through her creative and strategic visions is seen in the Iraqi Pavilion at Expo 2020. Raya created the opportunity for Iraq and Iraqis to be visible at a world expo by creating the opportunity for Iraq. She lobbied for Iraq’s participation at Expo 2020, designed and supervised the construction of the Iraq Pavilion for three years. 

With Raya, there is no coincidence! Her unparalleled creativity, thought-provoking strategies coupled with her broad architectural experience worldwide makes her truly effective at inspiring, motivating, creating and making things happen. 

Amir Lababedi

MD-ME, Hilton

Amir is Managing Director Middle East & North Africa where he is responsible for driving growth throughout the region for Hilton’s suite of industry-leading brands.

Amir has acquired almost 20 years of experience in hotel investment advisory, development, and operations throughout EMEA in both public and private sector roles. 

He is a keen sportsman with a passion for combat and motor sports. He’s also known to pick up a tennis racquet and a pair of skis from time to time

Timothy Geisler

Director – Design, Qiddiy

Timothy specializes in creating wonderful new places in the context of climate and culture.  From his roots in Colorado, USA, he went on to study Architecture and Humanities at Washington University in St. Louis and Yale University, and foreign languages at the Goethe Institut and Middlebury College, before launching his career in the international arena in the mid-1990’s.  He has led the creative and technical design of high-profile development projects in diverse and challenging markets for public and private enterprises such as Disney Parks & Resorts, Wuhan and Suining in China, the Denver Stadium District, and Forest City.  He joined Qiddiya in 2019 to set up the placemaking principles that will give developers the tools to bring to life a unique, inspiring, livable new city, and Saudi Arabia’s first world-class capital of entertainment, sports, and arts & culture

Turab Saleem Drew

Partner – Hospitality, Tourism & Leisure MENA, Knight Frank

An accomplished and meticulous professional with 22 years of proven success record in various aspects of the hospitality industry including management, development and operations. A strategic thinker with excellent communication skills and a strong work ethic with the ability to inspire others through positive attitude, clear direction and resourcefulness. His consulting experience includes over 68 projects with a value of approximately USD 4.2 Billion.

He has worked in various continents including Europe, North America, USA and the Middle East holding senior Hotel and F&B management positions and worked for a number of years with well established Hotels. He has been involved in analysing some of the successful Hospitality operations in Paris, Miami, New York, London, Hong Kong, Jakarta and Bangkok particularly with Intercontinental and Shangri La group of hotels.

Ian Williamson

Group Chief Project Delivery Officer – The Red Sea Development Company

Ian Williamson is the Group Chief Project Delivery Officer for The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC), a closed joint stock company wholly owned by the Public Investment Fund (PIF), Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund. Ian leads the delivery of the planning, design and construction of The Red Sea and AMAALA projects – two of the world’s most ambitious luxury tourism. As an executive and Board director for over 20 years, Ian has undertaken both strategic and operational roles across several industries and led the delivery of multi-billion-dollar capital expenditure programs and projects internationally. Prior to joining TRSDC, Ian served as Managing Director, Program Management, at Arcadis across the Middle East where he led the growth of program management and buildings design of the company across the Middle East. Prior to joining Arcadis, Ian served as led AECOM’s Construction Services in the UAE where he led major projects such as the Midfield Terminal, Advanced Military Maintenance Repair Overhaul Center (AMMROC), Yas Mall and Cleveland Clinic. Ian has also previously worked for Sainsbury’s, Glaxo, Wellcome Foundation, BDP and Courtaulds. Ian holds a Bachelor of Science (Hons) degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering with Mathematics from the University of Reading and a Master of Business Administration degree from the Bayes (formely CASS) Business School in the United Kingdom.

Amr Salah

Executive Director – Infrastructure and Utilities, The Royal Commission for AlUla 

Elsaeed leads the team of Project development for Knowledge Economic City Company who are developing a mega Mixed-Use Development across 6.8 M SQM in Al Madinah Al Munawara City with an aggregate investment of SAR 94 billion. During his tenure at KEC Eng. Elsaeed held the position of the CEO (Acting) for the company for 2 years during which the company strategy was reviewed, and major anchor projects were specified, approved, and initiated. Elsaeed managed the development of Mega Retail/Hospitality/Entertainment Hub, TOD development, Mega Hospitality development for Hajj/Umrah/Visitors to Madinah, Villas Residential Compound, mid/high-rise Residential Apartments, Strip-Mall, Business Park, International School, sub-developers’ plots and all related infrastructure utilities. Throughout his 33 years career span, Elsaeed experience covered all aspects and due diligence of Real Estate development, successful record of forming, and leading teams in developing and managing World Class Real Estate Developments in KSA. Elsaeed has diversified experience in multiple Engineering disciplines and working for different sectors (Master Developers, Project Management, International Consultants, and Governmental entities). Before joining the Knowledge Economic City Company, Elsaeed served in senior management roles at CIMS Management Consulting Company, Limitless LLC UAE, Akwaan Properties, Dar Al-Hadassah Consultants, Riyadh Water Authority & Urban Studies and Design Center. Elsaeed holds B.Sc. in Civil Engineering, Mansoura University, Egypt, 1989 and number of professional courses & accreditation.

Muhammad Al Amir

CEO of Hospitality, AIMS Holding

Muhammad Al Amir is the CEO of Hospitality at AIMS Holding, one of the prominent business conglomerates in Saudi Arabia with a wide range Of Investment portfolio in banking, real estate, services, and industries locally and internationally. He started his career in 1991 where he joined Al Yamamah project I ZFA for the Royal Saudi Air Forces. In 1992 he moved to The Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco) as Capital Project Planner for the Western Region, then in 1998 Muhammad joined the Saudi Economic and Development Company (SEDCO) where he was the Vice president for Tourism and Hotels and later the VP for Direct Investments. In 2003, he joined Tamlik Real Estate Development and Investment company, as the Director of Development and General secretary Of The Board Of Directors. In 2005 Muhammad Founded many business ventures where he assumed different executive and board roles. In 2018, Muhammad was appointed as the CEO Of Hospitality in AIMS Holding.

Muhammad is currently the vice chairman of the board of the Saudi Association for Tourist Accommodation Facilities. a member of Real Estate and Hotels Committees of Jeddah Chamber Of Commerce and Industries, and previously the Vice President Of the national real estate committee at the Council of Saudi Chambers, Muhammad is actively involved in many conferences and ongoing professional development as a speaker and steering committees member. He also plays different voluntary roles in promoting entrepreneurship, small businesses start-ups and helping youth to enter different business arenas.

Muhammad is a holder Of Master Of Science in Project Management and a Bachelor Of Architecture with Honors from KFUPM, Dhahran, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; Certification in Strategic Hospitality Management from Cornell University. Ithaca. New York. USA; and an Alumni of the Entrepreneurs Development Executive Training, University of California at San Diego. California, USA. He completed the Directors Development Program by the Institute Of Corporate Governance (Hawkamah).

Zak A Ayache

 Executive Director – Head of Design, AMAALA 

Zak is an executive design manager with years of professional experience leading large scale and high-end projects from the client as well as the consultants’ side. He has designed and delivered projects worldwide and was a partner at renowned multinational consultants, Foster + Partners in London and has worked in executive leading roles with  major real estate developers in Dubai and is currently Head of Design at Amaala ( PIF) in Saudi Arabia.

Pallavi Dean Karawan

Founder & Creative Director of ROAR

Pallavi plays at the intersection of design and entrepreneurship, she founded her design firm Roar in 2013. A trained architect and sustainability specialist, she has won multiple awards for work across a range of sectors including commercial, hospitality and residential.

Recent work includes The Accor House of Original in Dubai, Sensasia spa at Kempinski Dubai and Mckinsey HQ in Doha. She was born in India, raised in Dubai and spent years working in London; her designs reflect these eclectic influences.

A former professor of design, she strives to implement the latest theoretical and practical research into the firm’s designs. As a product designer, Pallavi collaborated with Artemide to launch ‘Interweave’ an interactive lighting system for Euro Luce in Milan 2019.

Her work has been profiled in some of the world’s leading international media including the Financial times, the BBC, Monocle , Wallpaper and the Architectural Digest. She was named Architectural Digest Middle East designer of the year in 2020 and Designer of the year globally by Interior Design Magazine in the 2021.

Mustafa Rasch

CEO, SL Rasch

Based in Stuttgart, Germany, Mustafa Rasch leads an international team comprised of more than 100 specialists in the field of lightweight and special structures. He succeeded his father Dr. Mahmoud Bodo Rasch and as CEO heads the architectural and engineering office SL-Rasch GmbH.

Mustafa Rasch received his degree in architecture at the “Hochschule für Technik” in Stuttgart. A one year study abroad at the Princes Foundation in London complements his education and he completed his studies with the German Diploma (FH) in 2011. In 2013 he attained Level-D certificate “Certified Project Management Associate (GPM)” from the IPMA, International Project Management Association.

Trained to use all kinds of state-of-the-arts technologies and based on his extensive one site building and construction experience, he managed the building site of the Abraj Al-Bait/Makkah Clock Tower. He was responsible for the construction supervision of the main structure including the largest clocks in the world. He coordinated the construction workflow, the operating processes throughout all technical areas, organizing a team of more than 200 workers and technicians.

After the successful handing over of the project, he was elevated to the position of CEO for the company and is now a third generation architect bearing the Rasch last name

Juan Martin

Director – ROSHN. 

Juan is an Architect, Masterplanner and Urban Designer with 15 years of experience both in Europe, South America  and the Middle East. He is currently acting as a Director of Masterplanning and Design in Roshn Real Estate, a PIF owned company that is one of the Vision 2030 Giga Projects. He has worked in firms like Fosters and Partners, Menis architects, CallisonRTKL, Fender Katsalidis and Google. His experience ranges from High-rise mixed use, Offices, residential, masterplans and urban design projects. He has been involved in many groundbreaking schemes around the world from multiple locations like Spain, Brazil, United Kingdom, UAE and most recently KSA. Juan has a special interest in details and the granular working of things. He also has a clear target  to improve the quality of life for all through his designs.

Howard Karawan

CEO – Destination Management Company, PIF. Panel member on the topic 1: Delivering a Destination

Mr. Karawan brings a lifetime of leadership experience in the hospitality industry spanning over 40 years predominantly in the development and management of largescale integrated resort projects. Currently Mr. Karawan is Chief Executive Officer of a destinations development company, a PIF portfolio company based in Riyadh, KSA. The company is currently in the development stages of a yet to be publicly announced destination project in the Kingdom. He oversees all internal resources and a consortium of multiple world class designers in executing the vision and strategy for the project. Previously Mr. Karawan provided advisory and consultancy services to hospitality and real estate ventures specializing in the luxury and gaming sectors. His services include branding, marketing, operations, finance and development. He also is an Operating Partner at Fireside Investments, a private investment firm focusing on asset intensive operating businesses and businesses which are ancillary to real estate ownership. Mr. Karawan returned to Atlantis, Paradise Island as President and Managing Director from September 2016-2017. He led this iconic resort’s repositioning overhauling the entire brand and product offerings which had lost the market dominance it once enjoyed. By embracing a purpose led strategy he successfully reversed a negative trend of all business matrices and recruited a new leadership team. From 2007-2010 Mr. Karawan was the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Restructuring Officer for Fontainebleau Resorts LLC where he successfully oversaw the successful completion and 2008 opening and relaunch of the legendary Fontainebleau Miami Beach. He was responsible for all development, operational, marketing and financial aspects of the luxury resort. At the board’s request he oversaw the voluntary bankruptcy proceedings of the Fontainebleau Las Vegas during the financial crisis of 2008. Prior to Fontainebleau, Mr. Karawan spent 13 years with Kerzner International (formally Sun International) as President and Chief Marketing Officer. During his tenure at Kerzner, Mr. Karawan was part of the senior leadership team that raised over $2 billion of capital for the company and grew its enterprise value from $225 million to almost $4 billion. Among Mr. Karawan’s numerous achievements at Kerzner were overseeing the hugely successful formation, brand launch and expansion of Atlantis, Paradise Island, Bahamas; growing the property to over $1 billion in revenue and almost $200 million of EBITDA and positioning Atlantis as one of the most successful resorts and resort brands in the world. Additionally, Mr. Karawan spearheaded the creation and launch of Kerzner’s luxury brand, One&Only Resorts, which included seven international world class-resorts, including the highly successful One&Only Palmilla in Cabo, Mexico for which he personally led acquisition, opening, branding and operational activities. He oversaw the expansion of the Atlantis brand into Dubai. Mr. Karawan began his career at Hyatt Hotels and Resorts in 1984 working in many locations including Baltimore, Arlington, Alexandria, Bethesda, Orlando and Hawaii. His final years with Hyatt were spent overseeing the marketing and revenue generation of 28 hotels and resorts throughout California, Nevada and Arizona. Mr. Karawan is supportive of a number of non-profit organizations and is also active as a cyclist and outdoor enthusiast. Mr. Karawan holds an MBA from the State University of New York with a concentration in Marketing and Finance and an undergraduate degree in Hospitality Management from Florida International University.

Dimitris Manikis

President & MD EMEA
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts

 Dimitris Manikis was appointed President and Managing Director for EMEA in April 2018. In his current role as President of EMEA, he is responsible for the development of all of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts’ brands in the EMEA region as well as maximising the performance of all new and existing franchise and managed hotels. He focuses on driving the strategic objectives of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts including quality and technology solutions as well as new business, loyalty, sales and marketing. 

Dimitris Manikis has a long-standing career and deep knowledge of the hospitality industry. Prior to joining Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, he spent over 27 years with RCI, the worldwide leader in vacation exchange, across a number of senior roles, and most recently served as Vice President of Business Development for EMEA. Earlier in his career, he also held a number key positions in the region as Managing Director of RCI Greece  and RCI South Africa.

Dimitris is an Industry Advisory Board member for Hotelschool the Hague, a Senior Advisory Board member for the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance and a Board member for Christel House Europe.

A Greek national, Dimitris was born in Athens and holds a Bachelor degree in Tourism and Administration from the Technical University of Patras in Greece, and an MSc Postgraduate degree in Tourism Marketing from the University of Surrey. His passion for people and work ethic comes from his father, who built up a grocery retail business in Athens where Dimitris learned the value of elevated customer service, having a positive outlook and hard work as being the foundations of success in both business and life.

He is based in Wyndham Hotels & Resorts’ London office

Zaher A. Ayache

Executive Director and Head of Design

Zaher is the Executive Director and Head of Design at AMAALA and oversees the design activities across all projects in the company’s diverse portfolio of assets, ranging from world class hospitality destinations, wellness retreats, yachting and leisure hubs and arts and cultural assets to community living, luxurious estate villas, in addition to AMAALA’s airport and sports activities.

Zaher has 27 years of professional experience working in leading roles on the consultants as well as the clients’ sides. Prior to joining AMAALA, he has managed and delivered high end projects worldwide. He held the position of Partner at Foster + Partners, London office and has worked on several iconic projects across the globe with a focus on the Middle East region. Zaher also held the position of Head of Architecture at Meraas Holding, a leading real estate developer in Dubai and has worked on several masterplans and landmark projects across the emirate.

Zaher’s field of expertise lies in setting the project vision, selection and management of all consultants. This is in addition to his primary role of design control and guidance, project efficiency and optimization.

Zaher holds a Masters of Science degree in Building and Urban Design from the Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL, London and a Bachelor degree in Architecture, graduate of the American University of Beirut. He is a fluent speaker of Arabic, English and French.

Federico Minucci

Director – Middle East, Egis

Federico Minucci began his career in 1995 setting up Design and Project Management office in Italy with focus on new building, residential, hospitality and mix use projects.

Having been involved in several hospitality consulting projects Federico Minucci open a consulting firm specializes in Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure where he successfully supported developers with

hotel and resorts projects in Europe and lead project teams on behalf of investors, private and institutional from USA to England, Scotland, Ireland, France, Spain and Italy;

Federico moved then in Thailand with focus for expansion projects for companies focused in Hospitality in the SEA region mainly in China, Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam and Indonesia;

Based in the Middle East since 2015 continues to implement business development & strategies for Drees & Sommer Middle East, leading the BD for the Global Real Estate Consulting and Hospitality
Development;

In particular have been set up the International Real Estate Consulting and Hospitality team for which Federico lead the development path leveraging a recognized position in the market for projects in
Middle East, AP and Africa;

Federico joined Egis in 2021 with the task to develop the Real Estate Consulting and Hospitality sectors in all the Middle East Region

Christos Passas

Director – Zaha Hadid Architects

Christos joined Zaha Hadid Architects as a senior designer in February 1998. Now a director, he is responsible for leading a wide range of key projects and competitions within the practice.

Involved in many of the practice’s seminal projects such as the Rosenthal Centre for Contemporary Art in Cincinnati; the MAXXI: National Museum of 21st Century Art in Rome; and the Sheikh Zayed Bridge in Abu Dhabi, he led the design of the Phaeno Science Centre project in Wolfsburg, Germany, which was shortlisted for the Stirling prize in 2006.

Christos is currently project director for the recently completed Opus in Dubai, UAE, as well as Sverdlovsk Philharmonic Concert Hall in Yekaterinburg, Russia and the Sberbank Technopark in Moscow, Russia; a 262,000m2  new complex that forms part of the wider Skolkovo campus considered to be a new ‘Russian Silicon Valley’, and will accommodate up to 12,000 people across the IT and marketing departments.

As project director, Christos is also leading a number of ZHA’s major masterplan projects, including Admiral Serebryakov Embankment in Novorosky, Russia; Rublyovo-Arkhangelskoye Smart City, Russia; Kartal Pendik Masterplan in Istanbul, Turkey; and Eleftheria Square in Nicosia, Cyprus.

Dipesh Patel

Principal – BDP Pattern

Dipesh is an architect and urban designer and leads BDP Pattern, our sports and entertainment division. Formerly known as Pattern, Dipesh founded the experimental design-focused practice in 2009, before joining BDP during Pattern’s acquisition in 2021. 

He has over 30 years of experience in both the public and private sectors and has led projects in Europe, North and South America, Asia and the Middle East. Recent projects include the design of Everton FC Stadium, two stadia and masterplans for the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Doha, Qatar, and eight venues for the Pan-American and Para-Pan-American Games in Lima, Peru, which include several multi-sports halls and outdoor sports facilities.

Dipesh was previously a director of Arup Associates, where he led many more high profile projects including Kensington Oval, Barbados, Cricket World Cup, for which he won the prestigious BD Sports Architect of the Year for 2007/8. He is responsible for the design of the Coventry University School of Engineering and Computing. Dipesh was also the lead architect for the City of Manchester Stadium venue for the 2002 Commonwealth Games, and was awarded the 2002 GG2 Innovation Award for his work there. Most of his projects have a significant urban regeneration and civic emphasis.

Early in his career, Dipesh had the privilege to work for Sir Denys Lasdun and Cambridge Design. Dipesh is also an experienced studio tutor. He has lectured, presented papers and written articles on Stadium design around the world. He was a panel member of the Humber Region Design Review Panel and Client Design Advisor to North Lincolnshire’s BSF programme. He studied architecture at the University of Bath, England, and Urban Design at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA.

Jason Addison

CEO
SIGMAC, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

An accomplished and highly educated Senior Management Executive with more than 25 years of Real Estate experience providing positive leadership to large scale developments including residential, retail, commercial, educational, golf courses and healthcare related assets across several countries With polished communication skills and natural authority, this energetic and goal-driven leader utilizes strong interpersonal skills to establish solid, trusting relationships with strategic stakeholders, leading from the front to build, empower and motivate multi-cultural, cross-functional teams to achieve goals and exceed expectations An adept negotiator and innovative problem solver with strong financial acumen and the proven ability to lead development and delivery of comprehensive scopes of services for both business and design consulting assignments.

Christopher Drew

Director of Sustainability – Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill

Dr Christopher Drew is Director of sustainability at AS+GG. He brings an understanding of the relationships of the built environment with the natural environment and urban ecosystems through almost 25 years of experience, working as an ecologist, environmental scientist and sustainability manager.

Chris helps to establish the sustainable design vision and goals at both project and Company-wide levels, working closely with the urban planning and architecture teams as well as consultants to develop the sustainable design vision, goals, targets, implementation strategies and performance monitoring approach. Chris has promoted an emphasis on whole building lifecycle carbon emissions and has led multi-organizational research projects in reducing the embodied carbon of concrete, a subject area that Chris has presented on, to audiences globally.

With a mandate for identifying and developing solutions for current and future global issues that can be addressed at an urban or building scale, he has supported all of AS+GG’s most significant projects and has helped the firm to win numerous environmental design awards.

Chris received his PhD in Ecology from the University of Stirling in Scotland, United Kingdom and lived and worked in the United Arab Emirates before moving to the USA to join AS+GG in 2009.

ElSaeed Albailly

VP Development, Knowledge Economic City

Elsaeed leads the team of Project development for Knowledge Economic City Company who are developing a mega Mixed-Use Development across 6.8 M SQM in Al Madinah Al Munawara City with an aggregate investment of SAR 94 billion. During his tenure at KEC Eng. Elsaeed held the position of the CEO (Acting) for the company for 2 years during which the company strategy was reviewed, and major anchor projects were specified, approved, and initiated. Elsaeed managed the development of Mega Retail/Hospitality/Entertainment Hub, TOD development, Mega Hospitality development for Hajj/Umrah/Visitors to Madinah, Villas Residential Compound, mid/high-rise Residential Apartments, Strip-Mall, Business Park, International School, sub-developers’ plots and all related infrastructure utilities. Throughout his 33 years career span, Elsaeed experience covered all aspects and due diligence of Real Estate development, successful record of forming, and leading teams in developing and managing World Class Real Estate Developments in KSA. Elsaeed has diversified experience in multiple Engineering disciplines and working for different sectors (Master Developers, Project Management, International Consultants, and Governmental entities). Before joining the Knowledge Economic City Company, Elsaeed served in senior management roles at CIMS Management Consulting Company, Limitless LLC UAE, Akwaan Properties, Dar Al-Hadassah Consultants, Riyadh Water Authority & Urban Studies and Design Center. Elsaeed holds B.Sc. in Civil Engineering, Mansoura University, Egypt, 1989 and number of professional courses & accreditation.

Olivier Harnisch

Board of Directors – PIF Hospitality

Olivier Harnisch is an international Hotelier with over 35 years of experience and founder of Lunasole Hospitality, a consultancy company based in the UAE. Until 2021, he held the position of Head of Hospitality at the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia and was the founding CEO of the PIF Hotel Management Company in Riyadh. Previously, Mr. Harnisch was CEO at Emaar Hospitality in Dubai. He started in the hospitality industry in 1986 in Nice, France. His career includes 4 years as COO of the Radisson Hotel Group and 14 years at Hilton where he was Managing Director for Northern and Central Europe. Mr. Harnisch is a Non-Executive Director and Board Member of various companies in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. He holds an MSc in Organizational Behavior from the University of London, an MBA from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh and a Degree in Hospitality Management from the Berlin School of Hotel Administration. Having worked across the globe, Olivier Harnisch is fluent in six languages. He is also a passionate airplane pilot.

Filippo Sona

Co-Founder, Wood Couture Industrial Group

Filippo is the Co-Founder of Wood Couture Industrial Group, a global leading manufacturer of bespoke furniture for the hospitality Industry, an innovative organization with a track record exceeding 43,000 units, including some of the most acclaimed hotel brands worldwide such as Raffles, Waldorf Astoria, Ritz Carlton and Four Seasons. As an individual, Filippo is one of the most recognized names in the global hospitality real estate community, having carried out work
in more than 28 countries for the past 30 years. He is a regular speaker at international hotel
real estate conferences and a Board Member of one of the Companies of the Saudi Public
Investment Fund (PIF).

Ian Simmonds

Heads the Cost, Commercial and Procurement
The Red Sea Development Company

Ian Simmonds heads the Cost, Commercial and Procurement team for The Red Sea Development Company who are developing 3,000 keys across 16 hotels with all there associated infrastructure and supporting facilities. Ian’s large team is responsible for all procurement and the full commercial and contract management for the hundreds of awarded contracts.

Ian has over 25 years’ experience and has been in the Middle East for nearly 15 years previously leading AECOM’s assets cost management team in the UAE and prior to that worked for 10 years in the UK for a major contractor.

Ihab Ramlawi

Managing Director & Co-Founder – DuPod

Ihab Ramlawi is the Co-Founder and Managing Director of DuPod, a new modular construction initiative by the AMANA Group. His core belief, “always embrace change”, embodies AMANA’s culture of innovation and its commitment to investing in the future of construction.

Ihab previously served as the Vice President of Business Development for nearly two years before taking over the reins of DuPod Industries LLC. He has been responsible for assessing and developing relevant markets, identifying new business opportunities, and implementing corporate business development strategies to support growth. Ihab leverages 25 years of experience and a sizable network of stakeholders and decision-makers in the region to take strategic decisions, make the business grow, and deliver on commitments without compromising on quality or timelines.

Ihab holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the Jordan University of Science and Technology as well as an MBA in strategy and finance from the London Business School.

Sami M.S. Elmadalla

Chief Development Officer, First Invest Group LLC

Real Estate and Property Development expert successfully managed several projects for over 15 million square feet of BUA.
Managed Masterplan and Hospitality projects from Concepts to Design Development and beyond, delivered prefabricated pods to major hotels, hospitals and high-rise towers in the UAE working as CEO for one of the major prefabricated pods companies in the world, with a production floor of more than 10,000 square meters and a production capacity of 25,000 pods per year.
Effective and accountable in high-profile executive roles, ability to overcome complex business challenges and made high-stakes decisions using experience-backed judgment, strong work ethic.
Corporate Strategy & Development Specialist, characterized as a strategist and tactician. Consistent record of delivering extraordinary results in growth, revenue, operational performance, and profitability.
Consistently deliver mission-critical results-driven by a visceral “hard-wired” need to strategize, and to innovate.
Strong orientations in operations and finance. Participate in high-level operational initiatives, including infrastructure design, process reengineering, turnaround management, and reorganization.
Respect and leverage human capital, motivate, mentor and lead talented professionals.
Direct cross-functional teams using interactive and motivational leadership that spurs people to willingly give 110% effort and loyalty.

Cornelia Kieferle-Nicklas

Managing Partner, Kieferle & Partner

Born into a family of Architects – for Cornelia, Architecture and Design forms part of her DNA. Her father the late Georg Kieferle established Kieferle & Partner together with his student friend Karl Otto Roedl in 1958, growing the practice soon to one of the leading Architectural firms in Germany. The two back then young and passionate architects ventured out to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the early 70s being led by a desire to explore and develop the yet not developed. Cornelia followed her father’s path and short after her studies joined him in Riyadh, where she started to grow the company’s footprint working on large scale projects such as the Jamjoom Centre in Jeddah and on Township planning for the Ministry; reaching from Riyadh up to today’s NEOM site in Tabuk. In 2007 Cornelia established the Dubai Branch developing since; various Hospitality, Residential, Commercial and Educational Projects across the region, having been honored to work with most of the renowned Operators, Developers and Families alike. 2021 marks the opening of one of K&P’s signature landmark projects the iconic “Jewel of the Creek” with a BUA of over 1,000,000 sq. m. – the leisure-oriented development is comprising of a Luxury Hotel, Hotel Apartments, 16 Residential Towers, as well as various Commercial, Retail and F&B outlets becoming a vivid destination on Dubai’s creek. Curiosity and the thrive to be ahead of the current Zeitgeist, has up to present days become a main credo of Cornelia – who draws her leitmotif to; execute Visions, that are inspired by People and driven by Design.

Paolo Zilli

Senior Associate, Zaha Hadid Architects

Paolo joined us to work on the Salerno Ferry Terminal project in 2002 and subsequently was involved in a number of our projects including the High Speed Train Station in Naples and the MAXXI, Museum of XXI Century Arts. He was made an Associate in 2012 and Senior Associate in 2015.

During his time at ZHA, Paolo has participated in several projects, including the D’Leedon residential towers in Singapore; and Esfera Monterrey, a mixed-use development in Monterrey, Mexico. He is currently the Project Architect for the City Life project in Milan, a mixed-use development including an office tower, a retail gallery and a residential complex. He is also one of the project’s Revit leaders, using the program on the Milan project since 2007 to enhance building accuracy and quality control during the design and construction process. In addition to leading projects, Paolo draws on his rich experience applying software to the design and modelling of buildings, frequently acting as an expert adviser on BIM, design integration and coordination in project delivery.