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.
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.
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.
Hani Rizkallah is the President of Infrastructure for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in this role, he spearheads the country’s business development and activities, including construction and project management services across several mega projects like the NEOM projects (Spine & Connector, Regional Infrastructure, and Trojena), the Riyadh Metro Project, New Murabba, and Jubail.
Hani joined Bechtel over 25 years ago as a graduate hire. He has since taken on progressive leadership on civil engineering projects for railways, highways, and infrastructure. Prior to his current role, he was the Program Director at NEOM for three years which began after a successful period as the executive assistant to Bechtel’s Chairman/CEO and Chief Operating Officer (COO).
Hani held several positions in business development and functions managing multidisciplinary teams. Between 2014 and 2019 Hani was the Delivery Director for Underground Stations on Bechtel’s Riyadh Metro Project in Saudi Arabia. He oversaw the engineering, procurement, and construction of the Deep Underground Stations, as well as the quality and safe delivery on budget and schedule.
Hani has extensive knowledge in forming and maintaining stakeholder relationships with various customers. He worked in the UK from 2004 to 2014 on a number of iconic rail jobs. He was Project Manager on Bechtel’s Vauxhall Station Upgrade project, and the Project Manager on Liverpool Street Station for Bechtel’s Crossrail Project Delivery Partner (PDP) project.
Hani’s experience in the construction industry also involves four years on London’s Tube Lines upgrade program delivering more than thirty station upgrades over the entire Jubilee, Northern, and Piccadilly Lines network, managing overall costs and schedules for a portfolio of concurrent modernization projects. Hani also supported the Civil Building Unit that specialized in building hotels and building infrastructures around the Middle East.
Hani holds a Bachelor of Science in Construction Engineering and a master’s in business administration from the American University in Cairo (AUC). Bechtel elected Hani as Principal Vice President in 2019 and Senior Vice President/Partner in 2023. He is fluent in Arabic and English and is married with two children.
- Strategic senior leader with proven infrastructure, engineering, rail, and construction experience.
- Spearheading the delivery of projects aligned with Saudi Arabia’s ambitious Vision 2030.
- Holds a Bachelor of Science in Construction Engineering and a master’s in business administration from the American University in Cairo (AUC).
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.
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.
Kabbani joined ROSHN, the Kingdom’s premier integrated community developer, as Group Chief Development Officer in 2022, helping to shape at unprecedented speed the Group’s developments across the nation as it is the most trusted leading mixed-use developer. Kabbani is a driving force behind the implementation of ROSHN’s vision for a new way of life in Saudi Arabia, integrating world-class homes and amenities with open and green spaces, all the while emphasizing walkability, sociability, and sustainability.
Oussama Kabbani is a seasoned leader with 33 years of development management experience in large-scale master planning and mixeduse/residential development projects across the GCC and beyond. Throughout his career, he has led and shaped significant urban design, master planning, and downtown development projects from inception to completion.
Over the course of his career, Kabbani has played a role in shaping cities, including Beirut, Boston, Amman, Muscat, Dubai, Jeddah, and Riyadh, as well as projects in Kazakhstan and Malaysia.
After completing a Bachelor’s in Architecture at the Beirut Arab University, Kabbani went on to complete his master’s degree in architecture in urban design (MAUD), and then Kabbani complemented it with an Extended Professional Course in Real Estate Finance at Harvard University.
With nearly 10 years’ experience in the world of tech, Madeleine Skillen currently works as Procore’s dedicated MENA Campaign Manager. She is responsible for developing an expert understanding of the Middle East’s construction industry including market trends, pain points and the benefits of platform technology, as well as strengthening Procore’s brand and presence across the region. Madeleine was drawn to construction after realising the impact that technology and data can have on transforming the lives of those working in the industry – social, environmental, and economic included.
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.
