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Being at the right place at the right time isn’t always the recipe for success. Sometimes it’s as easy as knowing the right person. So Construction Week lists some names that you may want to include in your Qatar diary.
1- Khalid Abdulla Al Hitmi
Role: Project Manager
Company: Barwa
Description: He is the project manager for Barwa Village in Doha and is a Qatar national with a lot of experience in the construction market. Barwa is also one of the largest developers in the Emir state and a sister concern of Qatari Diar – only the biggest government owned development company in Qatar.
In 2000 he completed his Bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Qatar University and joined Qatar’s water works authority (KahraMaa) as a water networks project engineer where he worked until 2006. He then joined the Emir, HH Sheikh Private Engineering Office for two years and also worked alongside as the project manager for the Qatari rehabilitation project of the south of Lebanon. He is married with two children.
Our take: Keep a good time margin when setting up a meeting with Al Hitmi. Qatar works on a different time scale. Al Hitmi is open and straightforward and has a good understanding of the market.
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2- Yahya Jan
Role: Vice President and Design Director
Company: Norr Group Consultants International
Description: Jan has 20 years experience in architectural design and has been a member of the firm’s Dubai office since 1996. During this time, Jan has won numerous international design competitions throughout the region, including high-rise office and residential towers, retail malls, hotels, and multi-use complexes.
Prior to moving to Dubai, Jan worked for ten years in the US with design offices in New York and Boston. Jan undertook his undergraduate and graduate studies at Princeton University, receiving a Bachelor of Science (Architecture & Engineering) degree in 1986 and a Master of Architecture degree in 1989.
He has taught at Princeton University and has served on design juries at universities in the US, Middle East, and Asia. Jan is a licensed architect in New York and is a member of the American Institute of Architects.
Our take: Easy to talk to, punctual and knows his business.
3- Brian Meilleur
Role: President and COO
Company: Al Wa’ab City
Description: Meilleur holds BA and LLB degrees from the University of Ottawa, an MBA from the University of Western Ontario and an LLM from the University of Toronto. While a licensed lawyer, Meilleur has, over his 25-year career, held a variety of line positions, primarily in the real estate field.
Meilleur has also held various positions within the Toronto-Dominion bank, the Bank of Nova Scotia and Citibank Canada. At Citibank, Meilleur also had responsibility for new product development within the Real Estate Group. Upon the sale of this portfolio in late 2005, Meilleur was invited to come to Qatar to join the Al Wa’ab City project.
At his request, Meilleur also fills the role of in-house Legal Counsel to the company.
Our take: Approachable, positive outlook on the market and straightforward.
4- Edd Brookes
Role: Director
Company: DTZ Qatar
Description: With over 15 years of experience, Brookes is a Director at DTZ Qatar and has undertaken a range of valuation, agency, consultancy and feasibility work both within Qatar and the wider Gulf Region including Dubai, Egypt, KSA and Kuwait.
Brooke’s clients are generally regional and international financiers, high net worths property investment companies and regional insurance companies.
In terms of local projects, Brooke has been involved with a wide range of developments including Dubai Towers Doha, The Pearl Qatar, Lusail and Al Khor Redevelopment.
Brooke is a regular contributor to a number of local and regional property publishers together with the BBC World Middle East Business Report. DTZ (which is 226 years old this year) is one of the top three global real estate advisors and the only one to have a permanent office within Qatar.
Our Take: A wealth of experience and great to talk to.
5- Dalal Farhat
Role: Project Director/Senior Concept Designer
Company: Arab Engineering Bureau
Description: Dalal Farhat graduated in 1989 with a Bachelors of Science in Architectural Engineering from The University of Technology. For the last 10 years, Farhat has been in her current role where she composes comprehensive research studies about traditional architectural elements used in the Gulf.
With over twenty years of practice in the field, she has gained extensive experience in Architectural Design and has been involved with a variety of high-profile projects in International locations such as Canada, Iraq, Kuwait and Lebanon.
Farhat’s interests are concentrated mainly towards restoration and more environmentally sustainable projects. Much of her current work is located in historically and culturally sensitive locations.
Our Take: With her experience and knowledge of working in different parts of the region, she’s great to gain an insight into the region’s many cultures.
6- Charbel Maakaron
Role: Associate
Company: Patton Boggs
Description: Maakaron draws from his commercial and business law experience to assist clients with corporate structuring, mergers and acquisitions, finance and securities, intellectual property, labour, and employment matters. Maakaron is familiar with Middle Eastern commercial laws, particularly Qatari and Lebanese laws.
His specialisation in international commercial law, coupled with a practical understanding of local laws, allow him to efficiently advise clients on the legal complexities of the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region.
Before joining Patton Boggs, Maakaron worked for four years in a Beirut law firm, where he handled complex litigation matters in civil and commercial law and has gained considerable experience. Maakaron is a Chevening scholar and is fluent in English, Arabic and French.
Our Take: Excellent to talk to if you’re looking for a legal overview of the Qatari market. He is very approachable.
7- Philippe Baretaud
Role: Director of Development
Company: Accor Hospitality Middle East
Description: Baretaud joined Accor Hospitality Middle East in 2006 as Head of Development for Accor Brands’ from Luxury to Economy segments – Sofitel Luxury Hotels, Pullman, Novotel, Mercure, Ibis, Suitehotel and Adagio Aparthotels in the GCC countries, Levant countries, Iran and Pakistan.
Before coming to Middle East, Baretaud was based in the UK for five years with Accor Hospitality, as development director for UK & Ireland. He and his team achieved deals on numerous hotel developments through freehold properties, operating leases, acquisitions and management contracts, contributing to the decisive acceleration of the expansion of Accor brands’ in the UK.
Previously, he worked for Accor Hotels in France and Europe.He started his career in 1986 in the French public sector where he was in charge of economic and social development for a region. He has a Degree in law and a Master’s in Business Administration.
Our Take: If you’re looking for some insight into the hospitality market and hotel construction industry, Baretaud’s the one to take out for a coffee.
8- Vartan Kouzoudjian
Role: Head of Electrical Department
Company: MZ & Partners
Description: Kouzoudjian completed his Bachelor’s in electrical engineering from the American University in Beirut, Lebanon.
He has over 34 years experience in engineering consultancy and construction and is heavily involved in the field of electrical and mechanical engineering. He has handled design, project management, supervision and commissioning of commercial, industrial and residential installations including power transmission networks, infrastructure works, highway lighting, power plants pumping stations, water and sewage treatment plants, hospitals, industrial complexes, oil pumping stations, recreational and hotel complexes, military training camps and infrastructure works.
Prior to joining MZ & Partners, Kouzoudjian was a partner and head of electrical at Associated Consulting Engineers in Beirut.
Our Take: Since he’s been in the region from 1975, he has a wealth of knowledge and experience, which he is more than happy to share with interested parties.
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FEATURED COMMENT
Actually we are Al Wadaq Trading Co wll.family in qatar since 1994. So work basis are manpower and we are handling subco