Pedro Pereira is heading Digital Growth and Innovation Strategy for SAP across EMEA South region and acts as digital transformation evangelist worldwide being invited as the jury for Dubai 10X Initiative, leading the UAE Ministry of AI Summer Camp and keynote speaker in several Smart City conferences as subject matter expert. He is also Advisory Board Member at The BeSure Project, a startup using blockchain and AI to potentially save people’s lives.

Prior to SAP, he has successfully established multi-million dollar technology companies from the ground up in emerging markets including Latin America and the Middle East as co-founder and member of the global leadership team. Results-oriented, very focused on growth strategies and over 18 years of experience building and commercializing cloud and enterprise software solutions.

Born and graduated in Brazil, honored with executive certifications from MIT Sloan, Singularity University, the University of La Verne in the areas of Strategy and Innovation, International Marketing and Business Management.

As Arabtec’ s BIM Lead in the Dubai head office, Donya leads the BIM & Engineering Support of projects during Tender as well as construction stage through visualization, implementation planning and providing training. She has Bachelor’s in Civil Engineering and Master of Construction Project Management with focus on BIM

Pamela Chikhani is the General Manager of Secure Parking UAE and Director of Strategic Alliances at the Arcadia Education. She is also a co-founder, board member and mentor at Reach, a non-profit organisation, registered in the DIFC and dedicated to helping young professional women unlock their real potential.

With over 14 years of experience and a strong entrepreneurial spirit, Pamela is passionate about shaping the future of organisations. She has a proven track record in identifying new opportunities and forging long-term strategic partnerships. In the past, she has held executive positions at Al Shirawi Group, London Business School, Thomson Reuters, Zawya, and Damac Invest

Pamela holds a Masters degree in Economics from the University of London in the UK and a Bachelor of Commerce in Finance from Concordia University in Montreal, Canada.

Jonathan has joined Cundall in 2016 as Head of Acoustics. In his role, Jon leads the team in the Middle East and also actively participating and leading innovative approach to the design in the Acoustics team globally.

As a qualified acoustics consultant with ten years’ in the field, Jon has gained extensive project management experience at all stages of planning, design, construction and operation.

Technically his skills include design documents for building control, planning reports, EIA, noise management plans, technical memorandums, noise and vibration monitoring, construction supervision, commissioning testing and witnessing, airport noise modelling and detailed design guidance for industrial noise control.

Jon is a corporate member of the UK Institute of Acoustics (IOA). He is also Vice President of the Middle East Acoustic Society, promoting professional standards in all matters of acoustic practice in the region. Additionally, during his time in the UK, he held a seat on the IOA Publications Committee and was presented with the Distinguished Service Award for his services to the Institute.

Alan has spent the last fourteen years (Aconex, Primavera & Oracle) helping Middle East construction projects realise efficiency gains, through the use of dedicated software tools and platforms. A deep experience of project controls, (time, cost, quality and risk tools) fused with their alignment to project and business processes. Having spent hundreds of hours on the front line of organisational culture change, Alan is consciously passionate about customer success, what it looks like and how to achieve it.  

 An accomplished CEO and leader with a proven 30-year track record of successfully managing high-value global real estate developments and investments. Sunil Gomes is presently the CEO of Gemini Property Developers, a Dubai-based boutique real estate development company.

Sunil’s role is to oversee the company’s real estate business and to help manage their growing portfolio of real estate developments whilst expanding their footprint across the Middle East and India. A highly qualified, articulate and multilingual professional, Sunil joins the Gemini Group after enjoying a global career spanning international blue chip companies in Europe, Latin America, the Caribbean and Cuba and Middle East where he has been based since 2003.

With a keen interest in all aspects of property development, economics and finance, Sunil possesses wide-ranging experience in real estate development, portfolio investment, acquisition, and asset management experience.

Sunil brings with him a wealth of knowledge garnered in strategic roles such as Senior Director Development & SVP Hotels and Hospital at Nakheel, SVP Commercial for the Qatar Airways Group, A-CDO Dubai Properties, GE Capital, and several others.

Sunil earned his bachelors degree from the University of the West of England, UK, adding further to his educational repertoire at the Universidad de Zaragoza in Spain, and IS, Aix en Provence in France.

Equally at ease managing multi-billion dollar real estate projects (Palm Jumeirah, Trump Tower, among others) or brandishing a paint brush, Sunil is also an accomplished artist, tennis player, pianist, ballroom dancer and horseman.

A prolific public speaker, possessing sharp, analytical business skills, Sunil is best known as a people’s person and a driven leader.

Alexander leads AECOM’s Middle East Digital Project Delivery group which covers the implementation of Building Information Modeling (BIM) and other digital technologies on major projects.

Alexander holds a Mechanical Engineering degree and a Project Management Professional qualification. His 17 years professional experience includes project management, design and construction coordination, site management and supervision roles. He has worked in Europe, Australia and the Middle East, with the last nine years spent in the UAE.

For the last eight years he has been heavily involved in the management and implementation of Building Information Modeling and digital technology for design consultancies, construction firms and developers. His experience includes development of organisational strategy and implementation, project methodology and BIM execution plans, design coordination, design management, setting up BIM for scheduling (4D), costing (5D), and facility management (6D).

With over 14 years of hands-on BIM execution and implementation experience, Arsen is the Head of BIM at ALEC Group. His team is currently championing BIM implementation on Expo2020 and other ALEC projects. Arsen has worked as a BIM Manager on the owner, contractor and consultant side of the building industry in the region, and has a complete understanding of the capabilities and constraints on all levels of the supply chain.

Jesus Gutierrez is the co-founder and managing director of Smart4Power, one of the leading Energy Services Companies (ESCOs) in the region. Jesus career over the last 20 years has been closely linked to the energy sector with companies of the likes of Naturgy, one of the largest utility companies in Spain and Indra. Jesus has also a large international experience with positions in Mexico, Philippines, Spain and the UAE, where he has lived over last 10 years. Jesus is passionate about energy efficiency and is determined about the role that will play in the region. His company has already managed to save over 100 GWh in existing buildings.

Cyrus Engineer is heading Shapoorji Pallonji’s international property development business, where he will use his knowledge and experience to make important contributions for the company in its growth trajectory. He is also responsible to steer the development of Shapoorji Pallonji’s ongoing projects in the Gulf successfully, in a move to support its continued growth and expansion in the region.

In his previous role, Cyrus was the Chief Sales & Marketing Officer at Shapoorji Pallonji in India, where he also served as part of the Executive Committee and was in-charge of all sales and leasing activities, marketing, customer relationship management, PR, and communication for projects in India.

With 25 years of senior management experience, Cyrus brings extensive experience to this role in building, supervising and motivating teams, delivering and achieving revenue and profit targets.

Before joining Shapoorji Pallonji, Cyrus spent 7 years at Tata Realty in Mumbai, and served as the Head of Sales and Marketing. He was responsible for Tata Realty’s retail, residential and commercial projects. Cyrus’s role also included formulating business strategy and planning, developing sales, marketing and CRM programs, media and communication, and key and strategic account management.

Prior to working at Tata Realty, Cyrus held positions as Vice President of IPP Consultancy Service – Sydney - Australia, Business Development Manager at HCL Technologies – Sydney - Australia, Business Development Manager at Ernst & Young - India, etc.

Francis Alfred is the Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of Sobha Group, a multinational, real estate and construction group that has diversified interests and investments in the UAE, India, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Brunei and Tanzania.

A well-rounded creative and business oriented professional with a track record of successfully directing large scale and complex mixed use real estate development & construction of projects from inception to completion for over 17 years, delivering exceptional results through a genuine entrepreneur approach.

A seasoned professional with excellent problem-solving skills in construction management, development, contracting, project and design management along with core expertise in management of multi - disciplinary projects with complex civil engineering, building, mechanical and electrical aspects.

Currently under his leadership in Sobha, he oversees development of strategies in conjunction with the Founder & Chairman - Mr. PNC Menon for geographic expansion and diversification of company’s real estate development business. He is responsible for the overall management and monitoring of master planning, project life cycle, design and delivery of all real estate projects. Current projects include the 8 million square feet freehold mixed-use development – Sobha Hartland in MBR City.

Francis also plays an instrumental role in identifying and executing diverse opportunities for Sobha, in terms of both new sectors and geographies.

Francis is a gold medalist from Annamalai university, Tamil Nadu and holds a Bachelor of Civil Engineering degree. He has also undergone training in Quality and Technology in construction at Japan, and has closely working with renowned M/s Nikken Sekkai Architects.

In his previous stints, he has held senior positions within the organisation both in Dubai and India. He is an avid reader and always keen to learn new developments and market innovations keeping himself abreast with the demands of a competitive construction industry.

Rita is a senior construction and projects lawyer specializing in large scale international construction, infrastructure and energy projects (including Public Private Partnerships) in a wide range of sectors including energy, renewables, petrochemicals, water, transportation, healthcare and education. Rita has assisted clients with the entire tendering process, contract negotiations and project financing, along with post completion issues such as variations, refinancing and disputes. Further, Rita holds significant experience acting for gas buyers in numerous disputes under long term gas sales agreements. She is experienced in drafting, reviewing and negotiating a wide range of commercial contracts and agreements throughout the procurement and execution phases of a project, and regularly acts for contractors, funders, developers, employers, and consultants worldwide.

Rita’s practice has an international outlook, with a particular focus on the Middle East. It involves contentious and non-contentious matters, and she can assist in the preparation of all legal or contractual documents both in English and in her native German. Rita has a pragmatic and commercial approach to providing legal advice and is focused on working with clients to achieve their objectives. Rita joined Pinsent Masons in January 2019.

Rita's relevant experience includes:

• SEC in relation to 950MW DEWA Phase IV CSP/PV.
• 150 MW solar PV, Jordan Round 3 Solar (2017)
• drafting solar leasing agreement for use under the Dubai Shams program
• Advice to gas buyers in negotiations of new gas purchase agreements as well as volume and operational issues under current agreements
• Advising the joint contractor/investor on a multi-tranche greenfield fertilizer EPC project in Gabon
• Advising prospective lenders on the bankability of major international infrastructure projects
• Negotiating and drafting bespoke and standard form EPC contracts for major projects
• Acting for contractor clients in competitive bidding situations for EPC projects
• Drafting 400MW wind farm, Dumat Al Jandal, Saudi Arabia
• the owner's EPC contract for an LNG port terminal development in Norway
• Advising on two power cable interconnector projects between Norway and the European
• Extensive experience acting solely for gas buyers in numerous disputes under long term gas sales agreements, including negotiations and arbitration pursuant to the Rules of the ICC International Court of Arbitration and the Rules of the Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce (claims value of 3.5 - 10 billion USD, depending on the case), concerning gas price revision and competition law compliance. A client on record is Naftogaz (Ukraine), in its dispute against Gazprom (Russia).
• Representing a consortium of state oil and petroleum companies in an ICC arbitration

Living in the UAE since 2007, Alistair is a chartered mechanical engineer with extensive experience in the building services industry. This includes both new and existing developments that cover a broad spectrum of building sectors such as commercial, retail, residential, media, mixed use, data centres, laboratories, public spaces, leisure facilities, sustainable consultancy and high-rise design.

Knowing the importance of accurate, economical, sustainable and practical designs, Alistair leads by example by providing a pragmatic approach to MEP engineering. With the continuing trend of BIM in the construction industry, this approach has been further enhanced through his accurate use of BIM.

With Black & White’s business model designed to commit all our available engineering expertise to client projects, our Directors can devote their time to the needs of clients, away from the shackles of general management. It also allows our senior engineers to do what they do best; produce distinctive and innovative designs that maintain Black & White as an industry leader.

This design and build approach has gained the respect from contractors, resulting in the design and build model being very active in Black & White’s current work load. This approach has meant that Alistair has managed BIM models on his projects, from concept stage all the way through to shop drawing stage. Coupled with this, the use of these models for offsite modular MEP and structural systems, Alistair has experienced first-hand the benefits and pitfalls that current BIM usage can provide to the construction industry.

adavis@bw-engineering.com

Deema Aburizik is an architect and urban design consultant, who is currently leading master planning design at Arada, a new UAE-based developer with a launch focus on the Emirate of Sharjah.

Prior to joining Arada, Deema led the urban planning and design practice for the UAE at Khatib & Alami, where she worked with major developers such as Dubai Properties Group, Meraas and Majid Al Futtaim Properties. During this time, she worked on high-profile projects that spanned a diverse series of disciplines, including reginal planning, town planning, public realm design, development codes, port planning and wayfinding.

Deema also led the urban planning studies for the implementation of the new street addressing scheme for the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and provided advisory services for the Department of Town Planning and Survey in Sharjah on strategic city-wide studies such as urban growth, demand, supply of land and housing.

She has also worked as a Researcher and Analyst at Colliers, and as a Research and Coordination Officer at the Centre for the Study of the Built Environment (CSBE) in Amman, where she served as a liaison officer between CSBE and Habitat for Humanity – Jordan.

Deema is currently conducting professional research on public realm design and related policies in the UAE.

Currently leading Besix Digitalisation and BIM Management team at Besix, Ouafa is holding the position of Project Manager overseeing the BIM Implementation on different Besix construction sites. Ouafa obtained her Master Degree in Architecture and Urban Studies in France; she joined Besix in 2018 after spending 8 years at Gehry Technologies supporting the implementation of virtual construction techniques. Ouafa is responsible for a large range of international and high-end design projects at all stages of development, working on an important number of projects among the world’s most complex and iconic, in many different regions and cultural context, including US, Europe, North Africa and Middle East.

Senior BIM Engineer in ASGC group, Arsanious is maximizing the BIM benefits across the company and developing its integration from 3D to 7D.

Arsanious Abtnago is a BIM passionate. During his 5 years tenure at ASGC, Arsanious is keen to maximize the benefits of BIM in the contracting field and to expand the BIM functionality not only in the BIM department but in all other divisions of ASGC as well. He also strives for achieving the integration of BIM from 3D to 7D.

Arsanious expertise and passion came well aligned with ASGC’s culture and direction of being the most disruptive and innovative player in the market. ASGC, one of the leading construction groups in the UAE, is at the forefront of digital transformation in its industry.

Before this role, Arsanious was working in Kuwait as a site engineer in Palms Agro, a company specialized in landscaping governmental projects across Kuwait. He started his career in MK Design Egypt as a designer of both residential and commercial construction projects.

Arsanious was born in Egypt and he got his bachelor’s degree in architecture from Modern Academy in Cairo.

As Industry Manager, Suhail Arfath is responsible for developing and delivering “Future of Making” vision, roadmap, and solutions for Architectural, Engineering, and Construction – AEC firms and Owners, Developers and Agencies. Suhail has been involved in evangelizing the technology solutions such as Building Information Modeling – BIM since early days and shares the goal of enabling the full promise of BIM by simplifying its methods and developing new education mechanisms. Since joining Autodesk in 2004, Suhail has been instrumental in spreading and sharing the knowledge of BIM, IPD, and Industry 4.0 in several countries. As guest faculty, he has delivered several sessions on BIM and other technologies at many Architecture schools and Engineering colleges encouraging the young professionals to use technologies and be competent in their respective industries. Prior to joining Autodesk family, Suhail has also served as chief technology officer (CTO) of Eigen – a Liang O’ Rourke Company, responsible for the technology and BIM transformation.

With a proven background in sales and commercial business objectives, Shadi brings a broad and in-depth understanding of all aspects of the Telecommunications & ICT Industry to his role as Vice President – Large Enterprise Sales at du.

Well-versed in Business Development, Strategy Development and Partnership Management, his expertise and experience has moulded him into a strong and capable leader – a trait which motivates his team and those around him.

Displaying extensive experience in setting sales team targets, and increasing market share & revenue, Shadi calls on his proven ability to develop customerorientated relationships that deliver long-lasting value and business progress for all involved parties.