Francis Alfred is the Managing Director of Sobha Realty, an international luxury real estate developer that specializes in premium residential apartments, townhouses, and villas. A forward-looking leader with vast experience in the field, Francis has played diverse roles and led the company’s business operations across India and the UAE for two decades before he was appointed Managing Director of Sobha’s Middle East operations in 2016. Spearheading some of Sobha Realty’s most outstanding achievements, he is responsible for overseeing the company’s strategic global expansion and diversification while managing, monitoring, and master planning the design and delivery of several real estate projects. His hands-on leadership style has been instrumental in ensuring the timely delivery of projects that meet the highest standards of quality and excellence. Under his watch, Sobha has witnessed achievements and milestones that have catapulted the company into the ranks of leading real estate developers in the UAE today. An expert in the contemporary and innovative construction style, Franics pay keen attention on digitalization to propel Sobha and the real estate industry forward. Gravitating towards Contech and Proptech, Francis supports the rollout of next-generation technologies such as robotics, artificial intelligence, and data analytics. He also advocates for lean manufacturing and business processes, as well as led the implementation of Sobha’s backward integration model in the region. This has resulted in the vertical integrations of the company’s manufacturing and services. An enthusiastic reader, Francis is self-reflective and informed and loves intellectual discussions. He encourages collaboration and critical thinking among team members to achieve shared goals. Francis, a civil engineer, also holds a technology degree from India’s Annamalai University.
