Archives: Speakers

With a career spanning over 3 decades, Faisal Al Raisi is an accomplished multi-industry senior management executive with expertise ranging across strategic planning, concept creation, project development, management consultation, collaborations and strategic partnerships. Faisal is someone who takes a vision, makes it reality through sound strategy development and translate ideas into profitable businesses. His strong presence and adept problem-solving abilities always leave an impact.   Currently, as COO & ACEO at Etihad Energy Services, Dubai’s Super ESCO, being a key advocate of green economy and sustainability, he oversees entire company’s operations and plays a pivotal role in organizational development. Accustomed to driving operational efficiency, under his leadership, Etihad has witnessed significant growth and emerged as the market leader in sustainability and energy efficiency industry in the MENA region.   Previously, Faisal held senior management positions with both public and private sectors and served prestigious entities such as Dubai Holding, Dubai Development Authority and Abu Dhabi Capital Group. During his time at Dubai Holding, leveraging his strong background in Project Management, he was instrumental in strategic development of several landmark projects in Emirate of Dubai.   Faisal holds a Master’s Degree in Project Management from Regis University in Washington D.C. USA. He also received executive leadership certification from Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.   When he isn’t working, Faisal is committed to giving back to the community and often directly gets involved in CSR activities which means working closely with young college graduates and nurturing local talent.

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.

Background

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.

Engineer Atter Hannoura has +39 years of professional experience in different capacities and business sectors. He is a holder of a Law Degree, Cairo University/2016, Diploma in Large Procurements ILO/Italy/2004 and a B. Sc. Engineering/(ICT) Alexandria University in 1981.   Eng. Hannoura is a PPP Expert, with solid procurement, and contract management experience. Professional business experience is mainly gained due to working at multinational organizations since 1997, ten years at the USAID, and the World Bank as a Management Information System (MIS) and Procurement Expert, Experience then extended to cover the full Project Management, Financing and Contract Management in the MENA Region.   Since Feb 1st, 2007, Eng. Atter Hannoura has joined the Ministry of Finance/Egypt to participate in establishing the PPP Central Unit. Eng. Hannoura was appointed by the Minister of Finance to be the Director of the PPP Central Unit. Work included but not limited to being the Director of the Central Department for PPP Projects, Tendering Affairs & Contract Management. Eng. Hannoura was also responsible for implementing PPP initiative on a national basis and drafting the PPP legal frame work in Egypt since May 2011.   Hannoura strongly managed feasibility studies, preparation and tendering of several PPP projects in Utilities, transportation, health, education, ports, and communication sectors in addition to creating additional PPP pipeline projects.     Eng. Hannoura worked as a Deputy General Manager, Business Development Director, and Vice President for different Regional and Local Organizations with a strong customer’s needs & a continuous stakeholder engagement. Such variance provided high exposures in senior and broadly based wider commercial aspects such as legal, logistics, sales and distribution experience in wide business aspects in the Egyptian and Middle Eastern markets.   Hannoura was also Chairman & CEO at Egyptian Countryside Development Company – A State Owned Company responsible for the reclamation of 1.5 million feddans initiative. (2016-2020)

Asim is Digital Transformation Manager – VDC at Ellisdon – Dubai. He’s held leadership roles in Digital Transformation in AEC industry, including heading the Digital Twins Strategy and Implementation for Built Environment, Digital Asset Delivery and Management, BIM Integration Strategy and Implementation Program. Asim collaborates closely with all stakeholders, including asset owners, architects, engineers, general contractors and supply chain partners. He’s also volunteered to serve as an Advisor and Author to the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure – UAE in the development of the UAE’s National Smart Construction Guidelines. Asim works across the Middle East providing consultancy on implementation of innovative technological workflows in Built Environment Life Cycle.

Aref occupies Executive positions at multinational corporations in Digital Transformation for over twenty years. He also holds a “Strategy Officer” position at the World Economic Forum, Member of Board of Directors at Technology & Innovation Startups, & Advisor\ Consultant for Universities & International Research Groups\ Expert Networks. Aref’s career at CCC Group included creating & implementing Third and Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies in operations of turnover values exceeding $70 Billion. With last years’ focus being on providing vision, direction, and leadership to a large number of discrete Strategic Initiatives & projects that drive organization-wide transformational & digital change. Aref is CEO of “CCC Startup” company; a subsidiary of CCC Group that implements, in partnership with tech Startups, disruptive technologies. He, & his geographically diversified team in Europe, & Middle East delivered world record innovations in Renewables, 3D Printing, Wearables, IoT, Additive Manufacturing, AI, etc. Aref is a “Strategy Officer” at the “World Economic Forum” contributing for years to many studies & white papers. Work includes: World’s megatrends, Industry 4.0, Infrastructure 4.0, Globalization 4.0, Fourth Industrial Revolution, UN SDGs relevant initiatives, etc. At United Nations GlobalABC, Aref contributes to studies related to Net Zero Carbon Transition, Efficient & Resilient Buildings\ Construction Sector. Aref is a consultation group member at OECD Blue Dot Network, an initiative that puts ESG at the heart of infrastructure development. Aref is an advisor and board member to various startups that digitally transform legacy industries. He excels at mentoring seed-stage startups to achieve product-market fit, sell to C-level and executive decision-makers, and become international revenue-generating businesses. All the startups he has partnered with have successfully raised Series A & B rounds from world-renowned investors. Recognized commentator and speaker at events organized by the UN, EU Arab Summit, BuiltWorlds Summit, The Big 5, The Solar Show, Construction Tech. Forum, etc. Opinion cited in Reuters, Business Green, Yahoo Finance, Forbes Middle East, MEED, MTV, Euro2Day, BusinessNews, Business Insider, Markets Insider, etc. Aref has a proven track record as an executive with a business vision, hard-core technical skills & the ability to grow/motivate/bring people together. A career of building businesses through innovation & technology.

Dr. Ali Ismail works as a BIM expert and digital solution advisory for Dubai Municipality since 2019 and actively involved in various digital transformation initiatives and managing the buildingSMART UAE chapter. He is playing a vital role driving digital transformation in construction industry in Dubai and contributing to the im of Dubai BIM roadmap, BIM standards and BIM submission platform.

Dr. Ali has 20+ academic publications about BIM, project planning, simulation methods and is actively engaged in local and international conferences, where he generously shares valuable insights on the progress of digital transformation initiatives conducted by Dubai Municipality and buildingSMART UAE chapter.

Andrew has over 39 years’ international experience in project and construction management, including a number of major building and infrastructure projects.   He has held senior roles in the delivery of a number of high-profile projects in the UK, Hong Kong, the UAE and Saudi Arabia, working extensively in Main Contracting, Client and Consultancy organizations.    His experience includes Hospitality, Leisure, Retail, Infrastructure, Commercial and Industrial developments.   After initially working for Main Contractors in the UK, Andrew relocated to Hong Kong where he worked as Project Manager for a large Management Contractor for eight years.   Since moving to the Middle East in 2004, he has held senior leadership roles on the delivery of projects such as Ski Dubai and Etihad Rail Phase 1, as well as leading the 175-strong Construction Management team on the Atlantis The Palm, Project in Dubai.   For 2 ½ years Andrew held the role of VP-Construction with MGM Hospitality, after which he joined AECOM in 2011, eventually leading a team of 500 Project & Construction Management and Supervision resources across the UAE and Oman.   Andrew joined The Red Sea Development Company in July 2018 to lead the Project and Construction Management team responsible for the on-site delivery of the project.

Dr. Ahmed Shalaby, Ph.D. is the President & CEO of Tatweer Misr and a Founding Member of its Board of Directors, a position he held since mid. 2014. Drawing on his extensive planning and business management experience, Dr. Shalaby supervises the day-to-day management of the company, including the business development and the strategic planning for Tatweer Misr’s projects. In addition to his work with Tatweer Misr, Dr. Shalaby is also a Professor of Architecture and Urban Development at the Department of Architectural Engineering at Cairo University, Egypt, a Former Visiting Assistant Professor at the Department of City and Regional Planning at Cornell University, USA. Dr. Shalaby also holds prestigious positions including being Co-Chair of Real Estate committee at the American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt (AmCham), Vice- Chairman of the Real Estate Export Council and Board Member at the Egyptian-Emirati Business Council. Prior to the inception of Tatweer Misr, Dr. Shalaby spent a year working at El Mostakbal for Urban Development, where he held the position of Advisor to the Chairman. During his time with El Mostakbal, Dr. Shalaby played an integral role in the development of Mostakbal City; one of the largest mixed-use urban developments in the New Cairo area. An established engineer in the field of architecture, urban development and a real estate expert in his own right, Dr. Shalaby has over 25 years of experience as an architecture consultant and in developing and managing real estate portfolios in Egypt. Dr. Shalaby held prestigious positions whilst working with Al Fawares Holding where he was responsible for real estate investments in addition to his work for the Egyptian Ministry of Housing, Utilities and Urban Communities as a Technical Advisor to the Minister. Dr. Shalaby holds a bachelor’s degree in Architectural Engineering , which he received in 1993. Afterwards, he pursed his studies receiving his master’s degree in 1998, followed by his PhD in Urban Planning, which he received in 2003 through a joint program between Cairo University, Egypt and Cornell University, USA.