Starting in 2002, Hesham has accumulated an extensive knowledge base and experience working on project financed utilities locally, regionally, and internationally. He has worked in wide ranging capacities including offtaker, developer, operator and currently as the head of the investment arm of Al Bawani Group, Al Bawani Capital, a rapidly growing development company.

Salim El Ferkh brings more than 20 years of experience in the Architecture, Engineering, Construction and Owners (AECO) sector. He has been with Autodesk for the last 10 years, where he has been spearheading and leading a team that drives digital transformation for major AECO organizations in the Middle East. Over the past 2 decades of accelerated regional construction, Salim has had the privilege of contracting in most of the region's iconic Government, Education, Real Estate, Oil & Gas and Hospitality construction projects across the Middle East.

Salim started his professional career as a control engineer with one of the leading construction firms in the Middle East. He then moved to the customer success teams of leading software vendors offering innovative solutions in the AECO sector.

Salim hold a Bachelor’s degree of Mechanical Engineering from the American University of Beirut.

DR. Wissam Al-Daoud is NEOM Deputy Programme Director and Project Director for Regional Infrastructure programme.

Wissam has 25 years of experience in the engineering and construction industry. He worked across different parts of the world and in industries including civil infrastructure and transportation.

Wissam joined Bechtel in 2004 as a Field Engineer on Iraq Infrastructure Reconstruction Programme. Since then, he held positions of increasing responsibilities including Project Manager for Reading Station Redevelopment Programme in the UK, Engineering Director for WAAD Al-Shamal project and Field Engineering Manager on Riyadh Metro Project in Saudi Arabia.

Wissam holds PhD and MSc degrees in structural engineering, Chartered Civil Engineer, and a Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers in the UK.

Lucy Antrobus is a partner in Caldwell’s Industrial Practice and based in the firm’s London office. She focuses on senior and board-level appointments in the Infrastructure, Construction, Transportation, Utilities, Energy and Nuclear sectors.

Lucy has deep knowledge and solid expertise across the various sectors, gained through 19 years of experience recruiting in this space. She has developed an extensive global network by delivering results and high levels of service at Senior / Executive, Board and C-suite levels for companies with significant projects / operations in the UK, Europe, UAE / Middle East, Australia, Asia, Africa and North America, having conducted searches in over 30 countries. She is also a specialist in major and mega / giga projects and the Civil & Infrastructure markets. Throughout her career Lucy has partnered with Contractors, EPC’s, PMC’s, Engineering Firms, owners / operators, Private Equity and Infrastructure / Pension Funds.

Lucy has been told by her clients that what differentiates her is her deep technical knowledge of the sectors that she operates in, from both an engineering perspective to contractual models, risk profiles and financing around the projects / programmes, coupled with her truly global network and knowledge.

Lucy joined Caldwell from a Boutique Search Firm, where she developed and led the infrastructure, construction, transportation, and energy sectors of the firm’s Industrial Practice. She previously held roles of increasing responsibility at several other boutique search firms.

Lucy holds a BA in sociology and criminology from the University of Essex.

David Watkins joined DevCo in September 2022, the development and construction arm of Diriyah Company, as Chief Delivery Officer. In this role, Mr. Watkins will lead the organization’s delivery activities for the 14 square kilometer mixed-use development, anchored on the birthplace of the Kingdom, the UNESCO World Heritage site of At-Turaif.

David has over 30 years’ experience in Construction, Engineering, Project Management and Development across a variety of organizations and locations.

Prior to joining Diriyah Company, David worked with Amaala as Chief Development Officer for 3 years in a similar role and well versed with the requirements of delivering a giga project within the Kingdom. David also held CDO role at Vina Capital, Infrastructure VP at McKinsey & Company for Asia Pacific and GCC among a several public agencies in Australia.

Jihad has been working with AMANA for over 22 years and set in motion a culture defined by innovation and agility. His focus has been to attract and retain the best clients, employees and business partners. This culture is reflected in delivering certainty and success through alignment with our partners. Jihad is also a board member of Group AMANA Limited and holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering from the University of Alabama.

Alaa has been leading the Business Development of Group AMANA’s Manufacture division by DuBox & DuPod for 8 years since it’s launch in United Arab Emirates and currently the expansion in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Mr. Basamh holds a Bachelor Honorary degree in Civil & Structural Engineering – University of Bradford (2010) and a Master of Science degree in Construction Project Management – Loughborough University (2011), UK.

Bringing to the group vast knowledge and experience in Modern Methods of Construction (MMC), Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DFMA) & Lean Construction. His contribution to the growth of DuBox & DuPod in the region has been vastly recognized in executing prestigious projects in the UAE & KSA that led to the group winning multiple awards in off-site Construction and Construction Innovation.

Amanda is Partner at HKA where she is the CEO for the EMEA Region and is a member of the global ExCom. With over 35 years in the Built Environment sector, she is a senior business leader and is listed in Who’s Who as a senior property professional in real estate, infrastructure and construction.

She is a chartered quantity surveyor and chartered civil engineer, certified management consultant and a specialist programme management and business transformation specialist. Amanda has managed and turned around some the most high risk, high profile and complex programmes for government and the private sector.

Amanda is Chair of RICS Construction and Infrastructure Market Forum. In 2016, she was the Global President of RICS, becoming the longest serving President in 123 years.She is also a Senior Special Advisor to the Construction Leadership Council in the UK, and is a member of the Mayor of London’s Infrastructure Advisory Panel. She is also the Chair of a University (UCEM) where she the Chair of the Board of Trustees.

Previously Amanda was an Executive Director at CBRE where she was on the Board and Chaired the Strategy Board. She was a Partner at EY LLP (Head of Infrastructure Advisory) and was a Partner at PwC LLP. She was also a Non-Executive Director of Countryside Partnerships LLP.

Amanda is a Fellow of RICS, ICE, APM, CMI, Institute of Consulting and the RSA. She is a Certified Management Consultant and Companion of the Institute of Management. Amanda received an Honorary Doctorate of Science from the University of Westminster in November 2019 for her outstanding contribution to building safety and diversity and inclusion in the Built Environment, and also an Honorary Doctor of Professional Practice from The University of Wolverhampton.

Amanda is a published author and speaker on areas such as strategy, digital, cities, placemaking, real estate and the war of talent. She is a strong voice on diversity and inclusion in the sector and has co-authored and published two books on the subject. She was named: The Cranfield Female FTSE Board Report 2021 - 100 Women to Watch (2021); 50 Leading Lights for Kindness & Leadership (2019), BIS Now Top 51 Influential Women in Real Estate (2018), City AM Power 100 Women list (2016) and a Mover and Shaker of 2015 in ICAEW's Global Finance 50.

Haroon is a chartered quantity surveyor with more than 16 years of experience in the construction industry. He is dual qualified as a Chartered Quantity Surveyor (FRICS) and as a barrister, he is therefore well placed to provide advice and opinion in relation to the most complex of construction disputes. He has been appointed as a quantum expert and provided expert testimony in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Haroon has experience in all forms of dispute resolution and excellent knowledge of the JCT, NEC, FIDIC and MPW contracts in Kuwait; the Saudi Public Works Contract; and the Saudi Aramco standard form contracts, as well as various ad hoc contracts. Haroon specialises in the quantification of construction cost claims and he supports clients across various market sectors, from power, oil and gas to major buildings and infrastructure projects.

Haroon holds a masters in both law and quantity surveying. He is a fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, and a member of the Honourable Society of the Middle Temple. Haroon was awarded Hill International’s 2014 Worldwide Consultant of the year award for his achievements and has been named one of the top 100 most influential construction leaders in the Middle East by Construction Week.

Haroon is Vice Chairman of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors working Advisory Board in Saudi Arabia which complements his 12 years’ experience working in the Middle East region.

Haroon has been named in Who’s Who Legal (WWL) Construction Expert Witnesses list, for the years 2020, 2021 and 2022. WWL says…

Haroon is an “excellent expert” with “vast experience in KSA and the Middle East Region.” He “provides the highest quality deliverables at all times” (2022)
Haroon is highlighted for his “strong international experience and expertise in disputes involving quantum and delay issues.” (2021)
Haroon “possesses remarkable case and project management skills” and brings “strategic, legal, technical, financial and commercial” skills to his work. (2020)

Husam Gawish is HKA’s Partner & Head of Operations for Saudi Arabia. Husam is responsible for driving HKA’s strategic growth plan in the Kingdom and takes the lead in securing new appointments as well as ensuring that the technical, strategic, and quality standards and targets of all deliverables are consistently met. Husam is a Chartered Engineer and a member of the Institution of Civil Engineers in the UK.

Husam has 25 years of diverse engineering, claims, project management and business development & marketing experience gained through working on a wide range of global projects across several industry sectors, including infrastructure, power generation, buildings and oil and gas. Husam has a strong technical background and extensive commercial and contractual experience.

As the Managing Director of KEO-Infrastructure, Sameer is responsible for the division’s operations, including training and career development, business growth, and commercial management. As a divisional head, he reports to the President and CEO and is a member of KEO’s Executive Leadership Management Board.

Sameer has 25 years of global project experience and significant executive leadership and operational expertise having previously held senior executive positions in international consulting firms and contracting companies across the US, North Africa, and the Middle East.His key skills are in Project Management, Technical Expertise in Infrastructure Projects, Operations Management, Business Development, and Client Relationship Management. Sameer has an acute understanding of planning and delivering mega infrastructure projects.

Sameer is a degree-qualified Civil Engineer. He holds current memberships in the American Society of Civil Engineers since 2001, the Texas Board of Professional Engineers since 2005, and the UAE Society of Engineers.

Sameer is a future-thinking infrastructure leader, broadening his views away from purely physical assets to include Smart, Digital and Sustainable assets. He is reshaping how we think about infrastructure, focusing on how infrastructure can contribute to ecological and societal health and prosperity in future cities. Sameer is an active member within the engineering community in the region and had authored numerous articles for well reputed media providers.

He is a sought-after speaker who has delivered presentations on various topics in conferences across the region, engaging audiences with his expertise and insights.

Patrick Rouse leads LITE as its CEO and offers a wealth of knowledge with more than 21 years’ experience. He has worked for clients, consultants and contractors alike combining an extremely broad range of knowledge and experience into an exceptionally comprehensive profile.

With a Masters in Real Estate Investment and Finance and a BEng in Civil Engineering, his international experience includes working in Ireland, Australia, Egypt and most recently the UAE where he has now been based for 15 years.

Having worked across all asset classes, Patrick has delivered complex and large scale mixed use projects throughout his career. His most recent role, as at Emaar Properties, entailed full responsibility for the Downtown Dubai and Zabeel masterplans, managing the design and delivery of over 10,000 residential and hospitality units totalling AED 15 billion.

In addition to his time with Emaar, Patrick has held various roles at a range of companies including Dubai Holding, Al Futtaim Group Real Estate, John Sisk & Son Construction LLC and WSP Middle East and he has worked on various projects including The Address Sky View, Il Primo, Dubai Festival City Mall, Cairo Festival City Mall & Oasis Hospital.

A well-known and respected thought leader in MENA affairs, Edward James has been with MEED for more than 19 years, working as a researcher, consultant and content director. Until September 2008 he was MEED’s Gulf Bureau Chief, after which he moved over to head up the consulting arm of the business. From 2015-2021 he was responsible for content and research at MEED Projects, the region’s leading projects tracking service. Today he heads up all content and research produced by the MEED group. His specific areas of expertise are construction, hydrocarbons, power and water, and the petrochemical market, and is considered one of the world’s foremost experts on the MENA projects market. He is a regular guest commentator on Middle East issues for news channels such as the BBC, CNN and ABC News and is a regular speaker at events in the region. He has an honours degree in Arabic and Middle East Politics.

Colin Foreman is Editor and a Specialist Construction Journalist for news and analysis on MEED.com and the MEED magazine. He has been reporting on the region since 2003, specialising in the construction sector and its impact on the broader economy. He has reported exclusively on a wide range of projects across the region including schemes such as Dubai Metro, the Burj Khalifa, Jeddah Airport, Doha Metro, Hamad International Airport, and Yas Island. Before joining MEED, Colin reported on the construction sector in the Middle East and Hong Kong. He has a bachelor’s degree from Newcastle University and a master’s degree from the University of Reading.

Nourhan ElSadawy is the HR Director for Mott MacDonald’s Middle East business. A highly accomplished HR professional with a wealth of experience in leading and managing People functions, she plays a crucial role in driving the strategic People initiatives for the company's operations across the Middle East.

Nourhan holds a Master’s degree in Human Resource Management and Development, and is an Associate member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), demonstrating her commitment to continuous professional development and staying up-to-date with the latest HR practices. Her strong educational background, combined with her practical experience, allows her to apply a well-rounded approach to managing People projects.

Nourhan has successfully led and managed numerous People initiatives, contributing to the overall success of Mott MacDonald. She is a valued member of Mott MacDonald’s Middle East Unit Board, where she collaborates closely with business leaders to develop and implement effective People programs, procedures, and processes that align with the strategic goals of the company.

Nourhan is committed to identifying, nurturing, and developing talent within the local region. Her passion for talent management is evident in her strategic approach to People initiatives, ensuring the company attracts, retains, and empowers top-notch professionals.

Khaled Alohali is the Executive Chairman at MZ Engineering Consultancy Company, and he works with private sector companies and public sector organisations to provide Business & Industrial Engineering Consultancy Services, Advisory and Solutions.

Previously to this, he held senior positions at Saudi Arabian Mining Company – Ma’aden Holding from 2014 – March 2022, as Senior Vice President – Corporate Strategic Affairs, Vice President – Corporate Affairs and Vice President – Corporate Strategy, Planning and Development.

He has also worked in C-Level suite positions at Charles River Associates International – C.R.A.I, the National Industrial Clusters Development Program – NICDP, National Air Services – NAS Holdings, and the Saudi Arabian Economic Offset Program – EOP.

Since starting his working life, with a BS in Mechanical Engineering - Honors from the University of Petroleum and Minerals, Saudi Arabia (now KFUPM), he has been determined to make a distinctive added-value to every task he executes. At the same time, he is a productive and collaborative member of the society through work and in life.

Through the past 28 years, he has been involved with extraordinary leadership, advisory and analytical tasks including; leading two start-up companies, several organisational structuring, strategies planning and implementation (national and corporate), investments evaluation, dealing with multinational companies, local firms and government agencies, promoting Saudi Arabia with global investors, calculating the impact of the Kingdom’s hydrocarbon and non-hydrocarbon incentives, planning for industrial infrastructure development, assessing economic impact of future mega industrial projects, measuring national economic progress using metrics other than GDP, and articulating several cases-for-change aimed at adjusting some public policies or proposing new ones.

Dr. Samir Thabet is the Corporate Sustainability Manager at Nesma & Partners. In his current role, Dr. Samir oversees the organization's Sustainability Strategy, ESG, and carbon footprint reduction strategy.

After graduating as a mechanical engineer in 1994, He ventured into the construction industry. Throughout his career for more than 27 years, he has worked in diverse fields, from equipment manufacturing to electromechanical services design and managing construction megaprojects. He has worn various hats, including those of a contractor, consultant, and project manager, gaining valuable experience in each role. He takes pride in being part of project teams that have delivered numerous iconic buildings in the region, including hospitals, high-rise commercial and residential buildings, and oil and gas projects.

Recognizing that learning is an ongoing process, he committed to continuously enhancing his skills. In 2010, he completed his MSc in Business Administration to improve his leadership attributes. In 2021, he obtained a Ph.D. in Sustainable Development and Diplomacy to address the emerging global challenges shaped by climate change.

This year Samir received various international awards for his effort toward developing sustainability in the construction industry. He was named one of the Middle East's Most Influential ESG Leaders; He was named to the Hall of Fame by Passion Vista magazine; He was featured as the Who’s Who of the industry by the Unified Brainz Group; He was named as the Top 5 Most Admired Business Leaders of the Year 2023 by the CIO Today magazine.

Sherief is currently working for the Global Industry Strategy & Innovation team at Oracle, and part of Oracle’s Industries Innovation lab.

Sherief is an industry’s digital transformation speaker, as well as sitting on the judging panel of the region’s prestigious innovation start-ups accelerator programmes.

Sherief comes from a construction project management background with 17 years of experience in Enterprise Project Portfolio Management automation. Prior to joining Oracle, he used to develop business and project manage implementations for enterprise-wide project management solutions for large organisations in the Middle East.

Having graduated as a structural civil engineer, Lama's early career experience was focused on the technical aspects of structural design, calculation reports, 3D modeling and seismic design. She later decided to diversify her skillset, switching specialism to project budgets & collaboration between Estimation and Tendering. Today, she works as a solutions engineer at Procore Technologies and is focused on educating the industry on the benefits of platform technology and how to achieve greater success with data-based decisions.

Eng. Ahmad G. Darwish is the Group Chief Administrative Officer of Red Sea Global (RSG), the developer behind The Red Sea and AMAALA, two ambitious tourism projects set along the northwestern coast of Saudi Arabia. These destinations will play key roles in the realization of Vision 2030, the Kingdom’s blueprint for economic diversification and sustainable development.

With over 20 years of project management, business development, and strategic planning experience, Ahmad has been instrumental in developing RSG’s business strategy. He is responsible for its day-to-day operations, human resources management, finance and administration functions as well as overseeing development and implementation of company policies and regulations to ensure compliance with local laws and regulations. In addition, he ensures that all departments and employees are in accord with the company's vision and objectives.

Prior to joining RSG, Ahmad spent 20 years working for Saudi Aramco where he managed multiple projects for King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), including the KAUST Research Park Infrastructure Project and the Saudi Aramco Research Center.

He is a certified member of the Project Management Institute and the Saudi Council of Engineers and holds a BSc in Electric Engineering from the University of Portland, US, and an MSc in Electronic and Electrical Engineering from the University of Glasgow, UK.

Martin Boson is the General Manager of Parsons’ Saudi Arabian operations, known in the Kingdom as Saudi Arabian Parsons Limited (SAPL), which operates as a unit of the US-based Parsons Corporation.

Martin, an attorney by training, has been with Parsons for 20 years and has worked in various operational roles in the US and the GCC. He began his career with Parsons as a contracts manager for rail transit and tunnel projects in Washington, DC, and more recently served as Senior Vice President and Director of Operations for the MEA operating unit overseeing the region’s operations team.

Parsons has been operating in Saudi Arabia for more than 65 years and currently employs over 2,300 people in the country.

Martin holds a LLM Degree from Georgetown University Law Center, Washington DC (USA) and a JD (equivalent) from Lund University (Sweden).

Arsen is a seasoned professional in the field of data and information management, leading these functions at SEVEN. In his current role, he is responsible for overseeing the strategy and execution of digital delivery processes for more than 22 themed entertainment destinations, 50 cinemas, and other retail projects. With over 18 years of experience, Arsen brings a wealth of knowledge in BIM, digital delivery, and related processes for built assets. His background includes a mix of engineering, consulting, general contracting, and owner-operator organizations, providing him with a diverse skill set and unique perspective.

Xavier Aguiló i Aran becomes an Engineer in 1999, when he starts his collaboration with the company (now SOCOTEC) as a structural consultant, becoming a partner in 2001. From September 2007 to July 2018, he is the Director of the branch in Madrid. He is currently the International Managing Director, based in London.

Tutor for Technical Studies at the Architectural Association in London, Central Saint Martins, and the Royal College of Art. He is a lecturer of the Master in Circularity and a postgraduate course in sustainability at Zigurat.

Especially interested in sustainable architecture and singular structures, having worked on many striking buildings over the last 20 years. He is fully engaged with integration between technology and architecture, having participated in projects with bioclimatic, sustainable and circular strategies.

Atif Rehman is devoted to leveraging technology to improve construction processes, optimize operations and deliver value for his clients. He believes in the power of collaboration and working together to create innovative solutions that solve real problems. He has worked with multiple government and private entities to assist them to be more efficient, productive and sustainable through digital engineering.

With wealth of experience in the AECO industry and he has been involved in project management and business development initiatives. His goal is to help bridge the gap between traditional construction techniques and new technologies. In his career he has managed to drive efficiency through setting standards and digital engineering on multiple projects across middle east including Dubai International Airport, Muscat International Airport, Aramco Ras Tanura Refinery, Aramco Al Yanbu Refinery and Sabic Al Jubail Refinery.

In his current position as Regional Manager Middle east at Thinkproject, he is responsible for developing business strategies, evaluating their feasibility and positioning the company in the region. Ensuring maximum exposure to new business prospects within the Middle East, with a special focus on the UAE and KSA.

He has a Bachelor of Engineering in Civil engineering from the University of Surrey, UK.

Cristina is passionate about technology, its role as enabler for sustainability, and the opportunities it offers to transform the way the whole energy sector and its value chain is performing. Her focus is to provide the right set of solutions for companies which are working hard towards a global transition to renewable energy and achieving aggressive carbon reduction goals. She works closely with businesses in the MENA region advising them on how to use the power of data and digital solutions to solve the most challenging problem our world is facing today, turning digitalization into a true driver, enabler, and catalyst for a net zero future.

Cristina has two decades experience in the AECO (Architecture, Engineering, Construction, Operate) sector across several countries and continents, implementing digital solutions and technology platforms for sustainable construction and operation, with a special interest in renewable energy infrastructure and electric grids. She works with customers to demonstrate how the use of data and digital solutions helps accelerate the delivery of renewable energy in the grid. At the same time, how digital tools can help optimize the operation and maintenance of built assets, with an increased performance and extended lifetime.

She has witnessed first-hand how companies have begun to pilot and scale industry specific use cases harnessing technology to move on the road to sustainability and energy transition of the industry, and she looks forward to driving forward the conversation around decarbonization and net zero.

With a background in Power Engineering, she holds a Diploma on Energy Efficiency from Unesco Department of Bucharest Polytechnic University, a MSc in Energy and Environmental Sciences from Cranfield University, UK and an MBA from IE Business School, Spain.