Archives: Speakers

Adrian Cole is an Independent Arbitrator, Mediator and Dispute Board member. He is a construction dispute specialist with expertise in energy, real estate and infrastructure development and formerly led King & Spalding’s highly rated Middle East Dispute Resolution Practice.

Mr Cole is listed by Who’s Who Legal as one of the top 25 construction dispute resolution lawyers in the World and ranked tier one by Chambers Global and Legal 500. Part of the “Global Elite” in thought leadership, “He’s the kind of guy you want with you rather than against you.” and is ranked for “his knowledge in arbitration” (Chambers Global). He “stands out as a strong expert in construction-related dispute resolution” (Legal 500).

As arbitrator, Mr Cole has decided over 90 significant and complex construction cases sitting with some of the world’s leading construction arbitrators and is listed by Chambers Global as one of the most in demand arbitrators.

Mr Cole is a member of the Commission on Arbitration and ADR at the ICC and is a task force leader on a project to widen awareness and use of ADR.

Mr Cole has recently been appointed as a Judge in the Court of Cassation, in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

Abdallah is a qualified project management professional with over 8 years of in-depth industry experience on iconic developments, including the Bee’ah Headquarters designed by Zaha Hadid. He is responsible for a diverse and flexible set of roles, including management, planning, productivity, supervision, and the commercial aspects of projects. He is currently working as a Project Manager with Alpago Properties, a high-end luxury developer known for creating exceptional villas on Palm Jumeirah.

Yaser AL Nuaimi is Head of PPP Transactions at Abu Dhabi Investment office (ADIO). He leads the transactions of the various infrastructure partnership projects of all Abu Dhabi government entities through the established frame work of PPP law mandated to Abu Dhabi investment office. Prior to joining ADIO. Yaser held various roles at strategic entities including Abu Dhabi Housing Center, Abu Dhabi General Services company (Musanada) and Vice Chairman office of the Executive Council. Yaser graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil & Environmental Engineering, also he holds Master Degree in Engineering Management (MEM).

Wajdi Mereb is a degree-qualified Architect (M.Sc.) with 16 years of professional experience in Digital Twin, BIM, Digital Engineering & Assets Management, and was awarded the Innovator of the Year Award – AEC Excellence Awards 2020 – Las Vegas & obtained the Individual Achievement Award of the Institute of Asset Management (IAM) Global Awards 2019 – London.

Currently Wajdi is managing the Digital Twin Initiative & BIM Implementation throughout the lifecycle of multi-billion’s projects at one of the most reputable governmental entities that has a clear Digital Transformation Strategy targeting to become a fully integrated data-driven asset owner. Also, Wajdi is a Digital Twin Hub Community Champion and a member of the Construction Digital Transformation Team in Dubai & UAE Building Smart chapter.

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

Wajdi additionally holds a BSc. in Architectural Engineering from Birzeit University, Palestine & MSc. in Management from Sheffield University, UK. His career started as an Architect, then he joined BIM team in Consolidated Contractors International Company (CCIC)- Athens, where he served in multi-billion’s mega projects “e.g., Abu Dhabi New Airport, UAE- $3 billion value and Muscat Airport, Oman- $2 billion value”.

Scott Henshaw, a construction expert with over 25 years international experience, has been leading design and engineering for The Red Sea Development Company since 2018.   Prior to joining TRSDC, Scott worked with the Public Investment Fund (PIF) of Saudi Arabia, who wholly own TRSDC. During his time with them he directed architectural master planning for The Red Sea Project.   Scott moved to the GCC in 2013, to head up the development of two of Dubai’s most prestigious golf communities, Akoya and Damac Hills between 2013 and 2014. He then led the project management office for the Uptown Dubai District. He began his prestigious career in 1995, as the Operation Manager at Environs Egypt.   Scott, a Landscape Architect, licensed by the state of Florida, USA, has a Master of Science in Construction Management and Project Management and Bachelor of Environmental Design in Landscape Architecture. He is also a Certified Project Management Professional (PMP).

As CEO of AESG, Saeed founded and built AESG into one of the Middle East and Europe’s largest and most respected specialist consultancy, engineering and advisory firms with a core focus on sustainable urban development.

He holds a First-Class Master’s degree with honours in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Bath and is a LEED Accredited Professional and Estidama Pearl Qualified Professional as well as a Certified Energy Manager.

Under Saeed’s direction, AESG has developed a strong reputation for delivering the highest quality consultancy in sustainability, energy management, fire and life safety, facade engineering, environmental consultancy, waste management, acoustic consultancy, commissioning, government advisory, project development and building consultancy services.

In his role at AESG, Saeed has been involved in managing and directing some of the world’s most prestigious real estate and development projects through planning, design, and execution. Saeed has also led a number of pioneering strategy and policy assignments throughout the MENA region that focus on energy security, sustainable development and climate change. With his global expertise, Saeed sits on a number of governments, real estate and academic advisory boards and regularly consults regional governments on progressive strategies and policies. Saeed is recognised as a thought leader in sustainable development, engineering and construction and has published numerous papers and presented at hundreds of local, regional and international conferences. As well as presenting at industry conferences, Saeed has also presented policy papers at key international forums including the United Nations Regional Policy Dialogues and COP Climate Change talks.

As well as his professional role as CEO of AESG, Saeed also served as Chairman of the Emirates Green Building Council between 2013-2020 as well as Vice Chair of the World Green Building Council MENA Network from 2011 to 2014. Saeed has been a Board Member of the World Green Building Council between 2015 – 2021 and served as part of the Board’s Executive Committee, providing leadership to the global sustainable building movement. In these roles, Saeed has been influential in the advancement of a sustainable buildings and cities globally and in the MENA region.

In 2010, Saeed was awarded the title of International Young Consultant of the Year by British Expertise in the UK. In 2012, Saeed was named in Gulf Business’s top 30 achievers in the MENA region under the age of 30. And in 2018, he was recognized as the ‘Sustainability Leader of the Year’ at the Abu Dhabi Sustainable Business Leadership Awards and the ‘Executive of the Year’ at the Big Project Middle East Awards and in 2021 he was recognized as the ‘Construction Executive of the Year’ at the Construction Week Awards.

Said Mneimne is the Senior Vice President for Hill’s Technical Core Team. Having worked for more than 30 years in the architecture, engineering, and construction industry, Said has held many diverse roles and responsibilities throughout his career. Said has expertise in property development, land use planning, infrastructure engineering, architecture and interior design, construction, project management, construction management, facility management, asset management, contract administration, operations management, P&L management, budget planning, change management, strategic alliances & partnerships, public-private partnerships, acquisitions & integrations, organic business growth, strategic planning, staff development, performance & quality standards, customer satisfaction, and allegiance leadership performance.   During his career, Said has worked in locations around the world, including the United States, Canada, Switzerland, Australia, UAE, Qatar, and India.   Said holds a Bachelor of Science in Industrial & Systems Engineering as well as a Master of Arts in International Studies – Administrative from Ohio University, Athens.

Rob joined Asite in June 2021 as Chief Growth Officer, driving an aggressive sales and growth campaign with a major focus on UK, Europe, MEA & APAC regions as well as leading strategic corporate development activities globally. Rob has sat on the senior leadership and executive teams of several multinational businesses and had non-executive director roles covering a diverse range of sectors. He has led major growth initiatives and helped businesses transform under PLC, private, and PE ownership environments. Previously he led RICS’ activities in the Americas, Europe, Middle East and Africa (AEMEA) region and has an intimate grasp of the end-to-end challenges that the built environment sector faces and is therefore passionate about how Asite can help be the solution to many of these challenges. He lives in Dubai, UAE, is a graduate of Oxford University and loves drawing parallels between sporting team performance and business team performance.

Rizwan Shaikh is an enthusiastic & proactive “Digital Project Delivery Manager” with 9+ years of experience in digital delivery (BIM) management, implementation and digital transformation across various AEC sectors.   He is digitally savvy with a passion to develop and implement digital transformation and automation. He enjoys building lasting client relationships and providing digital support to the management and design teams.   Working with PMC’s & contractor’s, he has led & delivered some of the most challenging Infrastructure, Building, Airports & Marine projects such as NEOM, Etihad rail, Museum of future, Aruba airport and Ipswich tidal barrier for Middle East & UK clients. He has also worked as a “Digital Transformation (BIM) advisor and external consultant” for various projects.