The region’s positive economic climate creates substantial growth opportunities for market-leading consultancy firms. This is evidenced in the latest growth figures from AESG, which show the company posted a 46% year-on-year revenue increase in 2023 and secured over 200 million dirhams in contract awards over the past 12 months. The firm was quick to reinvest these gains into a 34% increase in headcount, further enhancing its ability to play a pivotal consultancy role in the region’s many mega and giga projects, which have significantly contributed to its growth over the last year.
“Middle East markets – in particular Saudi Arabia and the UAE – are bucking global trends and drawing the focus of the global development and construction community to the region. While the opportunity is exciting, the ambitious projects require global expertise to be balanced by a deep understanding of regional practices, nuances, and norms,” said Saeed Al Abbar, CEO at AESG. “Our success through 2023 is the culmination of over a decade of continued investment into the best global talent and deploying highly qualified teams as close to our clients as possible. Our newest offices in AlUla, Al Madinah in Saudi Arabia and Masdar City in the UAE are prime examples of this commitment. Alongside our international offices in Singapore, London and the newly opened South Africa office, we can draw on the best talent globally to work closely with our clients on the ground to deliver the complex solutions required to achieve their visionary goals.”
AESG’s business momentum also offers critical insight into the factors that will drive the success of the region’s giga projects. From One Za’abeel in Dubai, which boasts the world’s largest cantilever bridge, to The Line in Neom, which represents a revolutionary new approach to urban living, the projects now underway in the Middle East are breaking new ground, and thereby setting new benchmarks for the global construction industry. “As with any world-first, these projects require the best and brightest talent, use of the latest technologies and materials, excellence in collaboration, and project and cost management. Success is to be found at the nexus of these forces and is making the region the epicentre of engineering innovation,” said Al Abbar.
As it looks to continue its support for the region’s most ambitious developments, AESG has earmarked areas for ongoing investment in 2024. Through a mix of organic growth and strategic partnerships and acquisitions, the company is set to expand and enhance three critical aspects of its business. “On the back of the recently concluded COP28, tackling climate change is high on regional agendas, and our hundred-strong sustainability and environmental consultants are stepping up to help governments and private entities realise their ambitions. At the same time, the complexity of projects has warranted greater demand for our specialist engineering line of business. And as these projects approach delivery, clients are realising immense benefit from the services of our cost management and commissioning teams,” said Al Abbar.
Having recently crossed the milestone of having over 300 expertly qualified consultants on its employee roster, AESG is now one of the region’s largest privately held construction consultancies. “The depth and scale of our multidisciplinary practice perfectly position us to be the partner of choice to the most complex and unique projects. We intend to capitalise on these opportunities and are projecting 30% growth this year,” concluded Al Abbar.