Landscape Middle East Awards 2019
Middle East Awards
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Building a Greener Future
Professional design execution and maintenance landscaping services:
- Hard landscaping
- Soft landscaping, Plant supply, Maintenance and Plant trading - Water structures
- Light fixtures
- Street furniture and playing equipment
- Wooden structures, Metal Structures, Shade Structure
Al Asmawi Building, A1 Street 1 St Floor, Office104
Dubai Investment Park1, Jebel Ali Dubai-United Arab Emirates
+971 4 88 30 100 [email protected] www.greendmore.ae
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WELCOME NOTE
Welcome to our special issue which marks the inaugural Landscape Middle East 2019 Awards. We are now in the 12th year of publishing the region’s only Landscape Magazine and we would like to take this opportunity to thank our loyal readers and sponsors who have enabled us to grow from strength to strength, year on year.
You’ll find detailed information about the impressive career path of our award recipients. They have all individually played a part in shaping the region’s landscape industry from its infancy into the successful and vibrant sector it has become. For their outstanding contribution, they deserve the recognition they are about to receive tonight. You will also learn more about our advisory board members who were instrumental in the selection process and helped us with the organisation of these prestigious awards. They, indeed have also played a crucial role in the development of our industry.
This is a who’s who of the landscape industry in the Middle East! We hope the individuals that we are honouring tonight will inspire and encourage their industry peers, as well as a new generation of landscape professionals to follow their path and to produce outstanding work with dedication, success and optimism, despite the constraints that they may encounter on their way.
We look forward to engaging with you all over the coming years!
Ziad Amine Managing Partner
Landscape Middle East Awards 2019
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Dedicated to the memory of
Dr. Musa Najib Nimah
Professor of Irrigation and Soil Physics American University of Beirut 1942-2016
Dr. Nimah received his Master’s degree in Irrigation from the American University of Beirut (AUB) in 1968 and his doctorate in Soil Physics and Irrigation Science from Utah State University in the US. He became an educator in 1977 as he embarked on a teaching role at AUB that lasted more than three decades, and saw him mentor more than a thousand students at undergraduate level and many more to their master’s degree. He also guided and encouraged over a dozen others to finish their PhDs in the USA.
Dr. Nimah collaborated and shared his expertise with respected professionals and educators around the world to produce papers on irrigation and soil physics. As one of the most respected and productive scientists in the Middle East, he has authored and participated in multiple papers and books, as well as contributed to several chapters in books and bulletins, in addition to presenting at international conferences.
Dr. Nimah was not only a teacher but a mentor who inspired his students to excel beyond their potential. He positively affected the life of many of his students on both a personal and professional level.
Dr. Nimah was an active member of a number of professional organizations including, the United Nations Food Development program and the UN Agriculture Organization where he consulted with business and government leaders from countries throughout the Middle East and North Africa.
His exemplary life is why he was chosen as the 2010 College of Agriculture Hall of Honor recipient at the Utah State University and in 1998 he was awarded as Man of The Year in Irrigation outside the USA by the Irrigation Association of America.
Dr. Nimah will always be remembered.
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GROUP OF COMPANIES
In Pursuit of Excellence
Tanseeq
Tanseeq Investment LLC
P O Box 3151
Dubai, UAE
Tel: +971 4 2402277 [email protected]
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www.tanseeqinvestment.com
HH Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Muhammad Al Qasimi
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HH Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Muhammad Al Qasimi Member of the Supreme Council
Ruler of Sharjah
is Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan Bin Muhammad Al Qasimi was born in Sharjah in 1939 and grew up with a deep-rooted love for his country and his people. His Highness was keen to expand his knowledge through broad education, travelling to Egypt in 1965 to further his higher education at the College of Agriculture at Cairo University. After his graduation in 1971 as a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Engineering, His Highness managed the Ruler’s office in Sharjah. Following the Establishment of the United Arab Emirates on 2nd December 1971, the Ministers’ Council was formed and His Highness became the first UAE Minister of Education. His Highness became the Ruler of Sharjah on 25th January 1972 and a member of the UAE Supreme Council. His Highness is the 18th Ruler of the Emirate of Sharjah in a chain of Al Qasimi Rulers dating back to 1600.
His Highness has been at the forefront of the Emirate’s cultural, economic and social development, playing a significant role in promoting cultural interaction and dialogue among nations at local, regional and international levels.
Despite a very busy schedule, His Highness continued his higher studies, becoming a Doctor with Distinction in History from Exeter University, UK in 1985 and a Doctor in Political Geography from Durham University, UK in 1999. His Highness holds several Official and Academic Positions including, amongst others, that of President of the American University of Sharjah, President of Sharjah University and Chairman of Sharjah Urban Planning Council.
His Highness received Honorary Degrees in varying fields from leading Universities in several countries. These include: UK, Spain, Italy, Portugal, France, Germany, Russia, Armenia, South Kora, Japan, Malaysia, India, Pakistan, Sudan, Jordan, Egypt and Canada.
His Highness was awarded a fellowship of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) in February 2019, in recognition of his contribution to Architecture and improving the quality of the built environment.
His Highness has taken a personal interest in the creation of extensive public realm in the city of Sharjah and throughout the Emirate. Lush parks and amenities have been provided for all residents, promoting outdoor living, social gathering and physical activities. The waterfront and principle thoroughfares of Sharjah, as well as University City have all been generously landscaped under his direction.
Recent Landscaped projects in the Emirate include the Sharjah Beachfront development and the Iconic new Sharjah Mosque that can accommodate up to 25,000 worshipers, featuring extensive Islamic garden areas and large water features.
His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan took the forward-thinking decision to create the Wasit wetland reserve centre in the heart of Sharjah. This unique natural reserve project was awarded the 2019 Aga Khan Award for Architecture. Buildings are concealed beneath ground level, leaving the natural landscape unspoiled. Open to the public and school children for bird watching, the reserve has become the permanent or winter home of more than 200 species of migrating and resident birds.
The mangroves of Khor Kalba on the West coast have been recognised as globally important wetlands by an international convention and made a protected natural reserve area by His Highness.
We take pleasure in presenting the First Landscape Middle East Lifetime Achievement Award to His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan Bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, for his leadership, vision and outstanding contribution to Urban Design and Landscape Architecture.
Landscape Middle East Awards 2019
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LIFE TIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD WINNERS
Dr. Jala Makhzoumi
Landscape Architect, Ecological Planning
Jala Makhzoumi pioneers ecological landscape design and planning in the Middle East which she applies in professional practice, research and teaching to bridge disciplinary boundaries, promote place and culture responsiveness and safeguard environmental and ecosystem health.
Her expertise includes sustainable urban greening, postwar recovery, rural and urban landscape heritage conservation. She was awarded the Tamayouz Award for women in architecture (2013) and profiled by the Aga Khan Women Architects (2014). Recently, in September 2019 Dr. Makhzoumi received the European Council of Landscape Architecture Schools (ECLAS) lifetime achievement award for her outstanding achievement to landscape architecture education.
She serves on the editorial board of several journals and is widely published, her books include Ecological Landscape Design and Planning: the Mediterranean context, co-author Pungetti (Spon, 1999) and The Right to Landscape, contesting landscape and human rights, co-editors Egoz and Pungetti (Ashgate, 2012) and Horizon 101 (Dar Qonboz, 2010) a reflective collection of paintings and prose on landscape and identity. Jala is co-founder and president of the Lebanese Landscape Association, the national chapter of the International Federation of Landscape Architects. She studied architecture in Iraq, Baghdad University, received a master in Environmental Design, from Yale University and a PhD in landscape architecture, from Sheffield University.
Jean-Claude Melone
Landscape Consultant
Jean-Claude is an independent Landscape Consultant based in Dubai. He was born in a small village in Provence in the south of France surrounded by lavender fields, olive trees, pine forests and very little industry. From a young age, Jean-Claude developed an affinity and keen interest for the outdoors and a sensitivity to the beauty of natural landscape. Having obtained a Baccalaureate in Agronomic Science, he studied Ornamental Horticulture Engineering and Landscape Design in Antibes, on the Cote d’Azur and graduated in 1976. Following three formative years in France, Jean-Claude wanted to travel before settling down. His international career took him to Italy and Brazil where he designed and project managed the Landscape implementation of several Seaside holiday resorts. JC’s first visit to the Middle East was for a “temporary placement” in Abu Dhabi in 1981. It was during this assignment that he met Alison, his antipodean wife from New Zealand. He never left and has been a UAE resident ever since, raising three locally born children. During his more than thirty-eight years’ local tenure, 30 of which as a self-employed consultant, JC has been involved with the design, documentation and management of over 400 landscape projects spread across the seven Emirates and all GCC countries.
He is highly regarded by his peers as one of the pioneers of the regional landscape revolution. JC has designed and managed the landscape implementation of several five star hotels and tourist developments in the region, including the Sofitel Thalassa Sea and Spa Resort in Bahrain, the Four-Season Hotel in Doha, the Radisson Blu on Yas Island and the Mövenpick Jumeirah Beach Hotel in Dubai. Other feature projects in his comprehensive portfolio include public parks, man-made islands, rail and highway infrastructure, streetscape and residential developments. These successfully completed projects in added substantial value to our environment, becoming a testimony to his legacy in the region.
Having acquired an unparalleled Middle Eastern experience, Jean-Claude has dedicated more than Forty years to the reconciliation of mankind’s ambitions and nature’s requirements. He has written several articles in Landscape Magazine over the past five years, providing some insight on how the Landscape profession has evolved exponentially in the region.
Landscape Middle East Awards 2019
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WINNERS
Mona Campbell
Landscape Architect
Mona was born in Zurich, and raised in Switzerland, Canada, and the United States. She received her professional education in the USA and has practiced landscape architecture on an international level including in the USA, Australia, New Zealand, Middle East, Asia, and United Arab Emirates. She has over 30 years of experience in design and project management across a broad range of sectors including public realm, hospitality, commercial, residential and mixed-use developments and is among the female pioneers of the profession in the UAE.
Mona hails from a family of renowned architects, urban planners, and engineers including her father, grandfather, uncles and her brother. Her mother, a lover of the arts and excellence in all forms of design, greatly influenced the development of her aesthetic sensitivities. The combination of these influences is reflected in Mona’s distinguished work and style.
Intending to join the family’s architectural and urban planning practice, Mona was accepted to the architecture program at Cornell University. However, when she visited the Landscape Architecture Department at Rutgers University, she became captivated by the work on display and recognized the unlimited nature of the profession. She subsequently enrolled in the landscape program, earning a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Planning and Design, followed by gaining her professional license as a Landscape Architect and a further diploma in Horticulture.
Mona has a passion for contemporary design and prefers a less-is-more approach which is evident in her minimalist designs. Her design ethos demands that she bring energy and innovation to every project, push the creative envelope, exceed client expectations, and deliver her projects to the highest standards. Mona embraces a multidimensional, collaborative approach to design, developing unique, functional and sustainable design solutions.
As one of a handful of professionals working through the explosion of activities that characterized the UAE and the Gulf Region in the mid 90’s, Mona contributed heavily to the fledgling landscape architecture scene. Working with suppliers and nurseries to increase the range of available materials, Mona introduced new design ideals and innovation into her projects. She directed her Dubai based design practice, SBG Landscape Design, for 15 years until joining Cracknell’s head office in Dubai.
Some early projects of note include Al Maha Desert Resort, the American University of Dubai, Bab Al Shams Resort, the initial phases of Dubai Marina, Dubai Internet City and Dubai Media City, Emirates Hills streetscapes and the Gate Village, DIFC. More recent projects include the Bulgari Island public realm landscape and Business Bay Promenade in collaboration with her colleagues.
Mona looks forward to continuing her professional practice in the region and abroad. In parallel, she plans to pursue an academic role in order to educate aspiring students in the field. Furthermore, she intends to work closely with public authorities to affect positive change at the government level by highlighting the critical role that landscape architects play in shaping the environment and emphasizing the need for their active involvement in the early planning of our communities, cities, and global environment.
AWARD
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Landscape Middle East Awards 2019
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Geoffrey Sanderson
Horticulturist & Landscape Architect
Geoff has practiced as a horticulturist and landscape architect, mainly in private enterprises since 1972. In his earlier professional years, he lectured at Melbourne University, RMIT and guest lectured at universities throughout Australia, Japan, Netherlands, Beirut, Paris, New Delhi and Damascus.
He was a partner in a successful Australian practice with offices in Melbourne, Adelaide and Canberra for over a decade, winning numerous design awards during his tenure and as a forerunner to the next career chapter, he got the opportunity to represent Australia’s interests in a project for the Crown Prince of Bahrain.
Beginning in Bahrain in 1987 Geoff lived and worked in Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, Qatar and Dubai he also worked on projects in Kuwait, Syria, India, Japan, France and Saudi. His last 6 years have been in senior roles with AECOM.
Geoff has worked as a design manager and/or technical advisor on some of the most important projects in the region, especially Dubai World Expo 2020, Beijing Horticultural Expo 2019, Neom City KSA, Royal Reserves KSA, Masdar City, Abu Dhabi Midfield terminal, The Tower Dubai, Emirates Towers, Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council Public Realm Design Manual, Landscape Strategy for Saudi Arabia (MOMRA), Al Ain Landscape Strategy, the Zayed Museum, Dubai’s Opera District ; Al Wathba Lake Abu Dhabi and Al Raha Beach.
His involvement with many conferences, his depth of experience with often large and important projects and the collective wisdom of 47 years in professional practice, plus a sustained love of local culture, natural history, teaching and family have provided him with a fulfilling career.
Ahmed Anoohi
Chairman, Tanseeq Investment Group of Companies.
Mr Anoohi is a UAE National and the co-founder and Chairman of the Tanseeq Investment Group of Companies. He is a graduate of the University of Arizona, Tuscon, USA, and is a qualified irrigation and agricultural engineer.
Tanseeq investment LLC heads a group of fifteen successful companies with each company specializing in a select discipline of landscaping and together they offer a one stop solution for all landscaping requirements. Proscape LLC, the flagship company of Tanseeq Investment LLC, is one of the largest and most professionally managed landscaping companies in the Middle East.
Mr Anoohi served in Dubai Municipality for ten years in different capacities before co-founding Proscape LLC in 2000.
Under the umbrella of Tanseeq Investment Group of Companies, Mr Anoohi co-founded fifteen successful companies including Stones and Slates LLC in 2003, which is now the largest supplier of natural stones for hard landscaping in the Middle East, and Acacia LLC in 2008, a reputed supplier of natural plants to landscaping projects in the Middle East that maintains 44 hectares of nurseries in Dubai.
Proscape LLC executed the complete landscaping works of Dubai Mall in 2009, the largest shopping mall in the world, and the Burj Khalifa in 2010, the tallest tower in the world.
More recently, Proscape LCC carried out the complete landscaping works of the Bvlgari Resort Dubai and Dubai Arena, the largest indoor multipurpose arena in the region. Proscape LLC is also participating in Expo 2020 Dubai — one of the most highly anticipated global events that will feature many attractions from different cultures around the world, and is involved in several landscaping projects. These are: Sustainability Thematic District, Mobility Thematic District, Sustainability Pavilion, Mobility Pavilion, Expo Plaza Park, Co-Ex Campus, Al Wasl Plaza and the Public Realm.
Landscape Middle East Awards 2019
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WINNERS
Julian Lee
Landscape Specialist
Julian arrived in the Gulf in 1976 to work on an afforestation scheme on the edge of the Empty Quarter in Abu Dhabi. The project was conceived of by Sheikh Zayed who wanted to find out if trees would help stabilize the ever-shifting sands and also provide a habitat for the local fauna such as the houbara, foxes, hares and hedgehogs.
During the next twelve years, he worked as both a contractor and consultant across the GCC. In 1988, he started Desert Group with the establishment of Desert Landscape Company. In 1993 Wahat Al Sahraa nursery was formed to improve and expand the limited plant palette that was then available for the company’s own project needs, and for the local market. In 1994, he set up Desert Leisure to cater for the ever-increasing demand for swimming pools, lakes, streams, fountains, waterfalls, sewage treatment ponds and even pools for exercising horses. SBG Landscape Design was also established in 1994 as a stand-alone landscape architectural design studio in response to a growing demand for professional landscape design services. By 1998 the amount of maintenance work was increasing in the UAE and Desert Turfcare Maintenance company was consequently formed. The Turfcare Division sought out commercial opportunities as well as carrying out maintenance work for Desert Landscapes completed contracts.
By 2002 Desert Group needed bigger offices and the dream of having a garden centre in Dubai was realized when the Dubai Garden Centre building on Sheikh Zayed Road was completed. Desert Turfcare Trading was formed in 2004 in response to the rapid development of the landscape and horticultural industry in the GCC which created the demand for a wide variety of specialized turf machinery, landscaping equipment and materials to support the golf, sport, leisure, landscape, municipal, real estate, recreational and hospitality markets across the region.
Next came Desert Oasis Fertiliser Packaging and Wahat Al Sahraa Laboratory, established in 2008 at a time when the municipalities in the UAE started banning the use of imported organic composts due to the high incidence of pest and disease that they contained. At the same time Wahat Al Sahraa Laboratory was set up to provide scientific and technical support for the company’s nursery operations and the fertilizer packaging products. Desert Group Qatar was formed in 2011 to meet an increasing demand for plants exported from Dubai.
In 2013, Julian published the 1,276 page “Landscape Plants of Arabia”, the culmination of all his years’ of observational records of the plants used in landscape projects in the region.
Julian believes the way forward is to focus on sustainability in all its forms: plant conservation, water conservation, use of native and arid adaptive plants, as well as hydroponics for efficiency of production and for food security. In the future, he hopes to see the development of a landscape association to help set horticultural and landscape standards of quality in the region.
This year, after nearly 45 years in the middle east, Julian has retired from day-to day operations.
AWARD
Landscape Middle East Awards 2019
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WINNERS
Robert Shakespeare
Group Design Director, Cracknell
With a professional journey that started in Asia 30 years ago, Rob has enjoyed being a part of the growth and development of Dubai and this region for the past 20 years. A keen advocate for placemaking and creating landscapes that have a positive impact on our cities and the people who use them, Rob feels blessed to have been working in Dubai at a time of rapid growth, and at a time when our profession has had such a key role in shaping and defining this city.
Arriving in Dubai in 1998 from Singapore was initially a professional and cultural shock, from leafy green to gritty sand. However, it was clear from the outset that there was huge potential to make an impact through design, and the scale and ambition of projects in this region made Dubai an exciting blank canvas.
In those early Dubai years Rob worked on many of the bold projects that were making Dubai an icon of the region, including the Abu Dhabi Corniche, Dubai Marina, Palm Island and The Sheikh Zayed Mosque. It was also a time of the real estate, commercial and hospitality boom, a big moment in Dubai’s evolution as a destination lifestyle city. Rob was fortunate to play a part in setting the style and identity for many of the large master-planned communities, resort hotels and commercial projects that now define this city.
Rob is now drawing on his international experience to lead Cracknell’s global expansion into Asia, recently opening an office in China and managing projects in India and North Africa in addition to ongoing projects in the Gulf region.
Rob firmly believes that landscape architects have an important urban, environmental and strategic guardianship role in creating authentic and sustainable places, and that the places we design today will set the benchmarks for the next generation. While we can celebrate the efforts of individuals, it is the collective vision of all landscape professionals that can have the biggest impact on the quality of our urban environment.
AWARD
Saleh Almushekih
Managing Partner, Alwasail Industrial Company
As the Managing Partner of Alwasail Industrial Company, Saleh Almushekih is responsible for running all facets of the business. Saleh has a proven executive management track record of over 30 years in the manufacturing industry.
His company is one of the leading manufacturers of polyethylene pipes and fittings mainly for irrigation, telecom, potable water, firefighting networks, gas and oil transport system. The company also produces rubber products and foam through its affiliate company in KSA, Saudi Rubber Products (SRP).
In 1979, Saleh co-founded, along with his four brothers, Alwassel Agricultural Company to import and distribute irrigation materials. His sustained efforts transformed the company from a sales operation into a manufacturer in just 8 years. Today the company operates one of the biggest factories in the region with five manufacturing sites spread over 1.3 million sq. foot, it houses raw materials and has finished goods storage facilities, as well as support offices. Saleh oversaw the company’s name change to Alwasail Industrial Company in 2007 as it increased its production lines, then transformed it to a closed joined stock company in 2012 by increasing its paid-up capital to SR 250 million.
Saleh is a founding member of Alwasail’s board and leads more than 550 employees across 25 branches in KSA, with an additional four branches in the Gulf states and Egypt.
Landscape Middle East Awards 2019
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W I N N E R S
Paul Cracknell
Executive Chairman, Cracknell
Paul started his Middle East journey straight after qualifying with a short posting to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in 1982. This was followed by positions in London and Dubai where he built on his Middle East landscape experience. With an eye for the opportunity that the region presented Paul founded his own studio in London in 1987 focusing on work in the United Arab Emirates. As opportunities grew he decided to open a branch office in Dubai in 1993.
Paul has been a pioneer for the region and has played a huge role in establishing and growing the landscape profession within the Middle East, setting the benchmark for design, horticultural innovation and professionalism.
Paul’s work on landmark projects such as the Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Burj Al Arab and Wild Wadi was a key contribution to establishing Dubai as a world class resort destination and set new standards for design in the region.
Under Paul’s leadership his company has been responsible for some of the most unique landscape designs across the region, including Dubai’s newest beach district La Mer, Dubai Design District (D3), the new Bvlgari Hotel, Park Hyatt Lagoon and Doha’s Museum of Islamic Art, to name a few. Each project is underpinned with the belief that architecture is about creating community and culture as much as it’s about creating spaces.
Over the years, Paul has grown the office from one person to over 280 staff spread over 6 offices, with a footprint in the Middle East, China, Europe and South East Asia.
As the Cracknell brand has grown, the principles of good design and a bold philosophy that design should positively impact the communities and lives of people have been retained. Paul firmly believes in the long- term impact of what his teams are working on and has ensured that his philosophy is a priority in every project in the office.
A W A R D
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Landscape Middle East Awards 2019
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Ara Khanoyan
Founder and Managing Director, Al Ryum Group
Ara Khanoyan set up Al Ryum Group in the late 80’s. A well-known entrepreneur in the field of infrastructure and landscaping for over three decades, he is also described as a visionary by his peers. Thirty-two years ago, he arrived to Abu Dhabi and saw an abundance of opportunities, he had a clear vision for the emirate’s landscape that was shared by the municipality of Abu Dhabi. During that early stage, the only visionary was the founding father of the UAE, His Highness Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who ensured lush landscapes blossomed in an environment that does not naturally support the same, and together, they turned the desert green. This is the reason that Al Ryum Group is considered a pioneer in the commercial landscape industry in the UAE and GCC.
With Ara’s ambitious and aggressive business philosophy, he executed major developments across the Middle East under the flag of Al Ryum Group as well as ARCO General Contracting. Throughout the years, the most prominent and iconic projects in Abu Dhabi and the UAE were executed by Al Ryum Group which, specialized in landscaping and construction, and eventually became the leader in the field of landscape and theme parks, leading to opportunities in construction around the globe. With a profile that is unrivaled, Ara and Al Ryum Group continue to push the boundaries of the industry, celebrating 30 years of success and have paved the way for others to enter the market and contribute to the growth and development of the UAE and GCC.
The future of the landscaping industry is bright, with new technologies that are sustainable and environmentally-friendly. Al Ryum Group is continuously exploring new techniques from around the world to implement in their home country of the UAE. With support from the leaders of the country alongside esteemed government bodies and developers alike, Al Ryum Group aim to provide sustainable, efficient, and long-lasting solutions in a competitive market.
Another goal is to ensure water conservation is at the heart of every project they deliver as water is the key to sustainability, so conservation and management of this resource is vital.
Ara says he is proud of the direction the GCC is heading in the landscape industry and believes that together ‘we can be an example to the world of how to develop sustainable, efficient solutions to make the world a greener place’!
Basem Al Shihabi
Managing Director, Omrania & Associates
Connecting buildings with their surroundings is central to the work of Basem Al Shihabi, Managing Director of Omrania. Since he co-founded the Riyadh-based design consultancy in 1973, he has relentlessly worked to integrate landscape with architecture, engineering, urban design and master planning. His approach—bridging modern and traditional- has helped build for place-based, culturally and environmentally contextual projects in Saudi Arabia, the Middle East and parts of Europe.
After completing his architectural education at the School of Fine Arts in Cairo in 1967, he earned a postgraduate diploma in landscape architecture from the University of Edinburgh, UK. Where he learned to collaborate across disciplinary boundaries with architects, planners, engineers, soil scientists, economists, and horticulturists, among others. Basem’s determination to design with nature has resulted in timeless projects such as the Tuwaiq Palace, a preeminent cultural and diplomatic facility in Riyadh, which was completed in 1985. With its exquisite garden court, curving masonry walls, and tensile shade structures blending vernacular and modern components, the design group which included the late Fri Otto received the prestigious Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 1998. Together with his Omrania colleagues and other talented collaborators, Mr. Shihabi participated in the landscape architectural design of Riyadh’s Diplomatic Quarter, the 25-hectare Salam Park and, most recently, the visionary plan for King Salman Park, a 15.5-square-kilometer green city heart that will be the largest urban park in the world.
In his decades of leadership at Omrania, Basem helped direct the expansion of the firm to include over 500 professionals with offices in Riyadh, Jeddah, Bahrain, Jordan, and London. Major projects built include the Kingdom Centre, the PIF Tower, the Grand Mosque of the King Abdullah Financial District, King Abdul Aziz Library and Auditorium, the Kingdom Hospital, the King Salman Transplant and Dialysis Centre, the headquarters of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, KSA Embassy Complex in Jordan, and the Main Western Station of the new Riyadh Metro. While these projects all differ in purpose and scope, they are united by a common ethic of sustainable design, connected to place and surrounds.
Landscape Middle East Awards 2019
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WINNERS
Dr. Maher Stino
Co-founder, Sites International
Dr. Maher Stino established Sites International in 1986 with his wife Dr. Laila El-Masry Stino. The company is an award-winning, multi- disciplinary consultancy firm with offices in USA and Egypt.
Sites International offers clients fully-coordinated, comprehensive project services that include feasibility, planning, and all design stages through to tendering and construction site supervision.
Maher earned his undergraduate degree in Architecture from Cairo University followed by graduate degrees from the University of Georgia and the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S.A.
He later earned his PhD in Landscape Architecture with an emphasis on Environmental Planning and Urban Design. Maher served as a registered landscape architect in the State of Michigan in the US and held various academic positions at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, King Saud University in Riyadh, American University in Dubai, American University in Cairo and at the College of Urban and Regional Planning at Cairo University, including Chair and Dean.
Maher served as a United Nations Town Planning Expert at the Dubai Municipality in the United Arab Emirates from 1992-2000.
For more than 25 years, Maher and Laila have led a team of architects, landscape architects, planners and engineers with the vision of putting academic principles into practice and creating fully integrated environments where architecture, landscape architecture and engineering disciplines blend with meaning and beauty.
Sites International received the 1999-2001 Aga Khan Award for Architecture for their Landscape Architecture design of the Nubian Museum in Aswan, Egypt and the Hassan Fathi Gold Prize Award for Architecture in 2014 for Al-Azhar Park project.
Sites International’s work on Al Azhar Park, in Cairo, which included master planning, architecture, landscape architecture, engineering and site supervision, was featured on BBC, CNN and the Public Broadcasting Service’s (PBS) series e2 design, “A Garden in Cairo, design season III – episode 1”.
Maher and his wife Laila aim to create a lasting contribution through their design work and educational initiatives.
AWARD
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Landscape Middle East Awards 2019
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WINNERS
Dr. Laila ElMasry Stino
Principal, Sites International
Dr. Laila is the co-founder and principle of Sites International, a multi- disciplinary consultancy firm specializing in designing integrated environments. She is also a professor of Urban Design at the Faculty of Urban and Regional Planning at Cairo University. Previously, Dr. Laila held the position of Associate Dean of Graduate studies, Faculty of Urban and Regional Planning. Her academic career spans internationally, having taught at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, in the school of Architecture as well as the University of Georgia in the school of Environmental Design. She also taught at the American University of Dubai. Professionally, she gained experience working in several Architecture offices in Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United States (including Philip Johnson and Richard Foster firm in New York; Bechtel Company and Colvin Robinson in Ann Arbor, Michigan).
Dr. Laila obtained her Ph.D. in Landscape Architecture from the University of Michigan and her Master’s Degree in Environmental Design from the University of Georgia. She also obtained both her Bachelor Degree in Architecture and a Diploma of Town Planning from Cairo University in Egypt. She is a member of The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), Egyptian Syndicate of Engineers in Architecture, Society of Architects of Egypt, and Society of Planners in Egypt. She is also a member in the Society of Friends of Historic and Cultural Parks in Cairo. Dr. Laila is an active member in the committee of conservation of Historic Gardens and Parks, “The National Organization of Urban Harmony in Egypt”.
Dr. Laila leads a team of architects, landscape architects, planners and engineers with the vision of putting academic principles into practice and creating fully integrated environments where architecture, landscape architecture and engineering blend together with meaning and beauty. Sites international’s work is recognized for its uniqueness and environmental consciousness. AI-Azhar Park is internationally renowned and was featured in BBC, CNN and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) series e2 design. The design of the Park received “Hassan Fathi Gold Award” in Egypt. “The Nubian Museum in Aswan, Egypt received the Aga Khan Award for Architecture for their landscape architecture design of the Nubian Museum, Aswan, Egypt. Dr Laila aims to create a lasting contribution through her design work and educational initiatives. She is also an accomplished author with a dual volume book and numerous research papers published on various topics within her field.
AWARD
Kiran Asher
Founder Partner and Group Managing Director, Al Ansari Group
Kiran is the founding partner and group managing director of Al Ansari Group of Companies which he formed in 1975. Al Ansari has evolved into a group of 12 companies in various sectors in the construction industry and span across Oman, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Africa, Sri Lanka and India with more than 3,500 employees.
Kiran arrived in Oman in 1974 following the completion of his Bachelors of Technology (Hons.) in Industrial Engineering & Management from the UK University. He comes from a family known as ‘KAZI’ as his great grandfather was bestowed a Title of ‘KAZI’ by the current Sultan, H. M. Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said’s grandfather Sayyid Taimur during the 19th Century in Oman.
Kiran has been on the Forbes list of Top 100 Indian Business Leaders in the Middle East for the past few years. He is actively associated with Indian associations in Oman – Indian Merchants’ community, Indian Social Club, India Economy Forum and Indian Schools in Oman. His association with the Fraternity of Indian Schools goes since 1979.
His contribution to society and his profession has been widely recognized having held a number of prestigious positions throughout his career including, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Indian Schools in Oman, Chairman and now a member of the Education cell of Indian Merchants’ community and a member of the Fraternity of Indian Businessmen at Jabel Ali Free Zone Authority, to name a few.
A slew of awards has also followed including; the prestigious ‘Pravasi Bhartiya Samman Award”— the highest recognition given to a non- resident Indian, by the Government of India. In 2016, Kiran was honored at the AIWA Awards (Oman) as The Business Leader and in 2018, he was awarded for his yeomen service to the community and humanity to mankind in all regions by Shri Sanjay Sai Seva Organizations– International.
Landscape Middle East Awards 2019
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WINNERS
Yusuf Nalwala
Partner and Managing Director, Al Ansari Group
Al Ansari is a provider of integrated building, infrastructure and engineering solutions. Yusuf established the firm in 1975 in response to the growing needs of the infrastructure and construction developments in Oman. He has a proven track record of delivering quality, reliable solutions on all the projects. His projects have played a vital role in the development of Oman’s infrastructure and have beautified the country’s landscape.
Since its inception, Yusuf has diversified the company into many verticals such as civil construction, electro mechanical solutions, water treatment works, infrastructure works, instrumentation calibration and repairs, building materials trading, rebar cutting and bending and electroplating works. As a result, Al Ansari has evolved into a group of companies in various sectors and span across the regions of Oman, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Africa, Sri Lanka and India with 4,000 employees in its care.
Yusuf was also instrumental in establishing Akar Technical Services in 1994, an MEP and Landscaping Company in the UAE. Apart from the involvement in Al Ansari Group, he also has stakes in IT companies in US & India.
As a young man, he earned his diploma in Civil Engineering from Saboo Siddik Polytechnic Institute in Mumbai, India. Since then he has been recognized by various entities including, the recipient of the ‘Dossier Award - 2014’ for the Outstanding Contribution made in the construction sector. His other achievements include and the Best Infrastructure Project 2014 for Sewerage Network Project at Al Wadi Al Kabir from the ‘Construction Week’. And Under his leadership Al Ansari had won the best Contractor of the Year Award in 2014 from IQPC (International Quality & Productivity Centre).
He also serves on a number of boards; including the Chairman of the Human Welfare Trust - Oman Chapter, spearheading the transformation of the village Milak Pallupura. He is also the founder of the Yusuf Nalwala center for Plumbing in Kerala.
AWARD
Landscape Middle East Awards 2019
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Prof. Dr. Kamel O. Mahadin
Founder, MK Associates
Kamel is a Jordanian landscape architect, professor, author, and artist. He was the Chief Commissioner of Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA) and was a Jordanian senator at The House of Senate. However, he is now a full-time professor at the college of Architecture and Design at the American University of Madaba in Jordan. Kamel uses his extraordinary gift for drawing to communicate design concepts that capture the spirit of his nation. After earning his bachelor’s, masters, and doctoral degrees in the U.S., he returned to his homeland to found the first landscape architecture firm in Jordan. Among his many leadership positions, he was the chair the University of Jordan architecture department, the coordinator of the Aga Khan Unit for Islamic Studies 1994, and he was a consultant to the Hashemite Royal Court. In October 2017, Kamel was the first Arab to be awarded the ASLA American Society of Landscape Architects Fellowship. Dr. Mahadin, received his nomination, for “Service”, from the Council of Fellows Executive Committee.
Kamel founded M K Associates in the late eighties— Jordan’s only specialized landscape design firm. Over a period of twenty years, he served as a landscape consultant for Amman Greater Municipality, Mutah University, Al-El Beit University and the Ministry of Tourism and served as a landscape consultant to the Royal Court. In January 1997, he became Director General to Petra Regional Council, and in 1999 took the portfolio as the Ministry of Water and Irrigation. In June 2000, he returned to teaching while simultaneously practicing Landscape Design at M.K. Associates. He also continues to write and has a wide range of published articles in his field.
Isaak Al Diqs
Founder & CEO, Badan Agricultural & Contracting Co. Ltd.
Born in a tent in the foothills of Palestine in 1936. In the absence of nearby schools, Isaak was sent at the age of 9 to a boarding school where he saw his family only twice a year. With the love of nature deep rooted in him and his nomadic background, which is distinctly connected to nature, he pursued a Diploma in Horticulture. He later completed a master’s degree in teaching English as a Foreign Language in the United States. After graduation in 1957, he pursued a career in the Executive Education Field and published a book called “Bedouin Boyhood”.
In 1980, and after 23 years of working in the education field, Isaak decided to fulfil his dream and indulge his passion for landscaping by starting Badan landscaping. Over the years, the company has transformed from a modest operation of merely 5 people handling small gardens to one of the leading landscaping companies in the region with a talented and dedicated team of over 600 people handling projects ranging from private gardens, palaces, recreational farms and enormous large-scale government public parks and projects.
Isaak’s contribution to this field is reflected in Badan’s modus operandi of a distinguished signature design that accentuates the significance of ecological harmony, environmental friendliness, efficient scarce resources utilization and sustainability.
Each of Badan’s project is testimony to his loyalty and devotion to his background of living in the wildness through creating a landscape design that offers a sanctuary heaven and mirrors the natural habitat with its balanced ecological system. Throughout his career in landscaping, he strived for Badan to reflect professionalism, integrity and pride in providing its clients with the finest quality of resources, workmanship, and clients service.
After almost 40 years of working in the field, Isaak’s passion for landscaping has not subsided even slightly, he still works hard at the age of 83, resisting the temptation of retirement. He still strives to create distinguished landscape projects with the support of his dedicated and talented team and the will to achieve and deliver on their outstanding reputation of excellence.
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WINNERS
Richard Bödeker
Landscape Architect
Richard Bödeker is an award-winning landscape architect with nearly six decades of experience under his belt. Having established his first office in 1961, today Bödeker Landscape Architects consists of 7 partners and around 60 staff members.
Richard founded the company with the late Professor Wilhelm Hübotter and from 1964 to 1996 Richard was also in partnership with Prof. Hermann Birkigt, a fellow German landscape architect. He also entered into a partnership with Armin Boyer and Horst Wagenfeld and later Klaus Steinhauer and Vilmos Kren. It was known as Bödeker, Boyer, Wagenfeld and Partners (BBW&P) from 1971–1983 and Bödeker, Wagenfeld and Partners (BW&P) from 1983–2000. During this time, the office began to be increasingly involved in major landscape projects in Saudi Arabia and other countries. BW+P Abroad emerged from this partnership in 1997, primarily to concentrate on international projects. It was founded by Richard and David Elsworth, who in the early nineteen seventies was one of the first members of the BBW&P staff to work in the Middle East. Both were pioneers in their fields during those early foreign projects. The BW+P Abroad team was created comprising exceptionally talented specialists, who work together on a freelance basis. Richard’s son, Jens Bödeker joined the practice as junior partner in 2002 and became senior partner in 2009. Bödeker Partners was established in June 2010 with a new partnership structure oriented towards the future development of the company. In the beginning of 2016 Bödeker Partners was renamed BPLA GmbH.
C M Y CM MY CY CMY K
AWARD
Led
Lights on!
Landscape Middle East Awards 2019
USB
stay charged!
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keep it playful!
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WINNERS
Suheil Najjar
General Manager, Orient Irrigation Services
Suheil is an accomplished executive with over 30 years’ experience in the landscape industry. Suheil is currently the General Manager of Orient Irrigation Services, a UAE based company offering complete solutions for water treatment and irrigation from the design stage to installation and maintenance. Prior to becoming GM, Suheil was the company’s chief accountant after joining them in 1981. His tenacity and strong leadership skills propelled him up the ladder and allowed him to progress quickly within the company ranks.
He started his career with the intellec tual property firm Saba & Co. / Touch Ross, shortly after moving from his native Palestine to the UAE in 1978. Suheil earned his degree in Business Administration and Economics from BirZeit University in Palestine.
AWARD
Ghassan Maamari
Head of Urban Planning & Landscape Division, Rabya
Ghassan has been a stalwart of Rabya Trading & Agriculture Co since 1981. He is currently Projects Director and the General Manager of Trading Operations. A graduate of the American University of Beirut in Agriculture Sciences, Ghassan spent the majority of his career working on projects in Saudi Arabia revolving around urban planning, town planning and landscape development. His expertise cover everything from softscaping, hardscaping, irrigation systems, landscape lighting, water features and related utility works such as infrastructure. Most of the projects Ghassan has overseen are large scale developments providing designed landscape zones within cities or a landscape plan for a large- scale housing project, university or airport. These types of projects involve design elements such as massing and traffic and environmental impact studies.
Through the years, Ghassan has helped to build a reputable company by partnering with other specialists in the field and gathering a substantial number of specialized materials along the way, which has aided him in his mission to position himself as well as be trendsetter in the industry. He also worked extensively on nursery development, introducing new plant species, utilizing state of the art materials on hardscape, lighting and other related works. Throughout his career, Ghassan has managed projects worth over 2 Billion Saudi Riyals and as a result he has been key in developing a company with an outstanding track record in the industry.
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WINNERS
Ahmed Omar
Director, Landscaping Projects, Emaar
Ahmed Omar, A well-known name at the forefront of the landscape scene in Dubai since 1978, the date he joined Dubai Municipality Agriculture Department. A Graduate from Ain Shams University with a bachelor of science degree in agriculture class of 1974. He was actively involved in many landscaping projects and witnessed firsthand Dubai Municipality relentless efforts to develop and construct public spaces to the highest international standards.
Mr Omar later Joined Emaar Properties in 2000, a real estate development company, a pioneers of Master-Planned Communities in Dubai.
After 45 years in the Landscape Profession, Mr Ahmed Omar continues to this date, overseeing the construction of iconic landscaping Projects. He has seen Dubai’s rapid and vivid transformation into the most cosmopolitan city in the world.
AWARD
Landscape Middle East Awards 2019
60 Years in
the Water & Power
business
[email protected] www.abunayyanholding.com
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Imad Daher Shaar
CEO, Middle East Agriculture Company
Imad started his career in 1980 at Rabya Landscaping— which he describes as a great molding school. He co-founded MEAC in 1983 which later became part of Abunayyan Group, now a major regional Irrigation player with support of Mohammad and Khalid Abdallah Abunayyan, the group leaders.
Imad is known as a visionary, risk-taker and high achiever without compromising on values or ethics. He has always worked with passion and is determined to provide solutions in water management in the Arabian Gulf Region. In the late nineties, despite several challenges he was one of the pioneers to introduce drip irrigation on date-palms in Saudi Arabia. He also pioneered the introduction of Super High-Density olive plantation technology into Saudi that saved 50% of the water compared to wheat and increased farmer financial return by eight times.
His long-term partnerships with top global irrigation manufacturers like Hunter, Netafim and Motorola Control has resulted in his company being recognized as a bench-mark for quality and professional irrigation services from design to installation in landscape and agriculture solutions.
During his tenure as CEO, his company MEAC picked up most of the iconic projects in KSA, UAE, Bahrain and Qatar such as, Atlantis Hotel, Yas Island Projects, Zaabeel Palace, Abu Dhabi Corniche, Riyadh and Buraidah Ringroads, Jubail Royal Commission Industrial city irrigation and automation, Yanbu Royal Commission Industrial City Central irrigation control, Bahrain irrigation and automation. Through all the years of his career no priority was ever above the respect, appreciation and well-being of his colleagues and human talent who are the main contributors to the above and many other achievements under MEAC.
Philip Deeb
Founder & Managing Director, Hydrotech Group
Philip was born in Lebanon and emigrated with his family to England in 1966 when he was just 8 years old. He completed his Bachelor’s Degree in Building Construction at Brighton University. He then worked briefly for Wimpey Construction and Costain’s in London.
He arrived in Dubai in December 1980 for a short holiday to visit his father who owned and ran a flying school in Sharjah. During his visit, he was introduced to His Highness Sheikh Humaid Al Nuaimi the Ruler of Ajman and was offered a job as Head of Public Works at Ajman Municipality. In this role, he was responsible for the roads department, surface water drainage systems, Maintenance of Government departments, street lighting design and installations, urban developments and developing new areas for roads and housing projects. In 1985, he started his own business in non-disruptive road crossings with thrust boring and directional drilling machines. A year later in 1986 he set up the Fountain division with his first project designing and constructing a beautiful fountain for the Dewan Ameeri in Ajman. The fountain was constructed at the entrance of the Dewan and provided a magnificent spectacle for all the dignitaries visiting the Ruler. The fountain is still in operation to date and still looks amazing.
The Swimming Pool Division took off in 1987 with a turnkey project for the construction of a semi Olympic size swimming pool for a private school in Dubai. Necessitating the undertaking of the entire works from the pool construction to the supply and installation of the filtration, water treatment, heating and lighting system. He has not looked back since then and is proud to say that Hydrotech are now one of the leading swimming pool and fountain companies in the U.A.E.
Hydrotech Group of companies has over 300 employees with offices in Ajman, Sharjah, Dubai and Abu Dhabi and with over 30 years of experience they are the leaders in fountain design, interactive and sequence fountain features, installation, choreography and programming of musical fountains in the Gulf today.
Landscape Middle East Awards 2019
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WINNERS
Dr. Salma N. Talhouk
Professor at American University of Beirut, Department of Landscape Design and Ecosystem Management
Salma is a professor at the American university of Beirut in the Landscape Design and Ecosystem Management department. She has a PhD in Landscape Horticulture and has spent her career focusing on nature, its conservation and appreciation.
Building on her successful multidisciplinary research, she has served as founding director of a new interdisciplinary center of excellence, the ‘AUB nature conservation center’. Midway through her career, Salma made an internal ‘career move’ from the department of plant sciences, with a pure scientific scope, to the department of landscape design and ecosystem management, which caters to landscape architecture and landscape research. With this move, she incorporated spatial and social dimensions to her research while continuing floristic and horticultural studies.
Salma has utilized digital technology to further understand how to achieve ‘harmony between people and nature’ by promoting public participation to document and archive the natural and cultural heritage of Lebanon. She is currently in the process of collaborating with the Digital Humanities Institute at AUB and developing research on how digital mapping of nature and heritage will influence sense of place and how it will affect local economies.
A high point for Salma was to lead the newly created department of Landscape Design and Ecosystem Management for two terms, where she initiated the process of accrediting the landscape architecture program and developed a landscape plant database. She also served as Associate Dean of Faculty and led the development of a research strategy, ‘Healthy Earth, Healthy Food, Healthy People’. More recently, she has launched an initiative to conserve the natural heritage of the campus by establishing a university wide committee, the AUB Arboretum and Botanic Garden, AUBotanic.
To promote appreciation of nature, Salma has translated the children book by Dr. Seuss’ ‘Lorax’’ to Arabic, she published a coffee table book on the ‘trees of Lebanon’ in English and Arabic, and has illustrated and narrated a children book titled that presents a simple ecological concept and colorful drawing for every Arabic letter.
AWARD
WE CREATE THE PERFECT
POOL AND WELLNESS EXPERIENCE
Landscape Middle East Awards 2019
THANK YOU FOR BEING PART
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WINNERS
John A. Davies
Landscape Professional
John A. Davies began his career in 1959 with Manchester Parks Department as a nursery boy, later becoming an indentured apprentice, learning the art, craft and science of horticulture as well as the principles of landscape and garden design as espoused by Sylvia Crowe learnt at college.
The late 1960s and early 70s saw him designing and building gardens for British and foreign aristocracy, celebrities and bankers, while the late 70s saw him doing the same for Middle Eastern royals who had purchased properties in London and estates in the home counties.
In 1982, he landed his first project in the Middle East – a palace garden in Abu Dhabi. The brief called for an informal style, but the spirit of place advised him otherwise, the result being a garden rooted in traditional Islamic style. The following year he designed, built and sponsored at his own expense a garden on a Japanese theme as an exhibit at the Royal Horticultural Society’s Chelsea Flower Show. The theme for the garden was inspired by Shangri – La and was awarded the Royal Horticultural Society’s gold medal for its particular category as a show garden.
His focus shifted to the Middle East again in the late 80s where he undertook design projects in the UAE, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Morocco, as well as Italy - all of which related to prestigious gardens, small and large.
Since then a wide spectrum of projects has been undertaken, including palace landscapes and gardens; residential gardens; residential compounds; public parks, resorts, environmental schemes and commercial enterprises, including industrial projects; as well as the improvement of date palm plantations: also, Arabian horse stud farms, plus prestigious residential developments on land reclaimed from the sea. In 2014, his contribution to the landscape development of The Kingdom of Bahrain was recognised by the government in the person of HRH Prince Khalifa Bin Salman Al Khalifa, The Prime Minister, during an audience with him in Gudaibiya Palace.
Recently John contributed to the landscape design of farm in Fujairah, UAE, while currently in Bahrain, he is involved in establishing a date palm plantation in a landscaped setting; in the Seychelles, he is liaising with the National Botanical Garden in the development of a private botanical garden, while in the republic of Ireland, he is in the preliminary stages of assisting in the design of an arboretum; also, there is a small residential garden in Goa, India, in the offing.
He has passionately served the horticultural/landscape profession for 60 years and it is unlikely he will retire completely. He hopes there will be time to continue supporting his old friend and fellow landscape professional Jean-Claude Melone’s call to save mankind through planting trees, and enlisting the spirit of Bahrain in the process.
AWARD
Dr. Bahget T. Hamooh
Landscape Consultant
Dr. Bahget is an executive, specialized in leading institutions towards performance excellence, with an established and accomplished track record in the private and public sectors. His relentless drive stems from genuine desire to contribute his fair share to the economic development of his cherished and beloved country by creating for future generations of Saudis even better opportunities than the formidable ones that were afforded.
As the General Manager of the General Administrative of Gardens, plantation and Municipal Facilities- Jeddah Municipality. 2007- 2012 , Dr. Bahget Lead the initiative of constructing 100 parks and the upgrade of 450 parks. The implementation of his initiatives made Jeddah a greener city with high quality and well-maintained landscape areas. Dr. Bahget Guided the partnership with private sector and international agencies to the evaluation and restoration of 214 Jeddah’s monument. He also led the construction team of Jeddah sea front (Cornish) project and established the sea front department in Jeddah municipality. Under his management Jeddah eastern forest and wet lands projects (6.8 million square meter) was constructed. He also Upgraded Jeddah municipality plant nurseries for the production of 5 million plants in 2013 compared to 175.000 plants in 2007.
Simultaneously, Dr. Bahget works in the professional landscaping industry as an advisory consultant at Bastana Int. Co., a Saudi landscaping company aiming to achieve outstanding landscape design and construction in both public and private sectors.
In his academic role, Dr. Bahget is the Academic advisor of several Saudi and international doctoral and master students. The Founder and head of plant tissue culture lab and research team aimed to achieve unconventional research of economical crops.
Recently as The Holy Makkah Mayor Advisor for Gardening and Plantation, Dr. Bahget Assisted to develop a strategic plan for the development and sustainability of Makkah gardens and plantation through current and future governmental contracts as well as the partnership with the private sector. Aided the management structure of the general Administration of Gardening and Environmental Design. He assisted the evaluation of Makkah city irrigation water resources and irrigation network. He also, Coordinates the initiative of the Prince of Makkah Province and Makkah region development Authority to propose plantation and beautification projects for the Holy Makkah city.
Landscape Middle East Awards 2019
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WINNERS
Aly Elezaby
Director for Business Development, Rain Bird Corporation
Aly comes from a long line of agricultural engineers, starting with his grandfather, followed by his father, two of his uncles and a brother. He grew up in Cairo and before he even graduated from the university of Cairo he had a small nursery with his brothers.
His first post-graduation job was the Technical Assistant to the General Manager of a Coca-Cola Food’s Division joint-venture company in Egypt, called Ramses, a pioneer land reclamation project to turn 15,000 acres of desert into a citrus grove with high-yield, in which new citrus varieties were imported from the US. He worked with a California-based consulting firm, Boyle Engineering, which developed the project’s master plan. After a good performance, he was promoted to be the Technical Manager of the company where he was responsible for several projects related to establishing the project’s infrastructure. Aly joined Rain Bird International in October of 1984, as an Area Manager for Egypt. He was responsible for setting up new distribution, building long term relationships with customers and clients. During this period he secured for Rain Bird several large scale agricultural projects, as well as several golf projects. This was his first introduction to sales, which became a passion.
A few years later, he was promoted to Regional Manager for the Middle East. His team was able to solidify Rain Bird’s leadership position in the Middle East market in both landscape irrigation and golf and again, he was rewarded with a promotion, this time to the US in charge of Business Development as the Manager of the Commercial Business Unit.
Currently, he is Director for Business Development, reporting to the President of Rain Bird. Aly is responsible for business broadening, managing some of the international markets as well as overseeing the Commercial Business Unit and the Middle East. He continues to travel a lot, both domestically and internationally. He is based in Tucson - Arizona with his wife, while his adult children and grandchildren live in the Bay Area in California.
AWARD
Landscape Middle East Awards 2019
Alwasail Industrial Co.
6 (610) Round
10 (910) Round
11 (1111) Round
12 (1419) Standard
12 (1320) Jumbo
www.alwasail.com
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15 (1324) Big Jumbo
18 (1730) Super Jumbo
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Dr. Tarek M. Sobhy
Principal Partner, Okoplan Landscaping
Tarek Sobhy, graduated in 1981 with highest honors. He started work in the University of Helwan as a TA teacher assistant before getting a PHD in Landscape years later, under the study title: “The behavior and attitude of people in plazas (evaluation of the effects of design concepts & landscape features). The road for being a professor was a hectic and long one but very important.
Tarek is not only dedicated to his profession in terms of planning and design but he has a true affinity for the outdoors, which enables him to deliver unique outdoor living spaces across the region. As a landscape architect, he believes landscape design is moving the world into a phase were landscape is recognized as the most comprehensive of the arts. Bringing and integrating people with the outdoor world together in an environment that is beneficial for both. So it’s very important to create a living space that connects people at all time with their daily routine Dr Tarek’s career can be dissected into three important milestones. Firstly, the opportunity to design a 500-acre outdoor living space two projects overlooking the Mediterranean and the Red Sea (Telal Elsahel & Telal Elsokhna). He transformed the space into a smooth leveled landscape to ensure that each house had an uninterrupted sea view, he created more than 11 swimming pools with different design in each project. The second milestone was being introduced to the hospitality world. One of his very first projects was Crowne plaza in Sharm ElSheikh, followed by Intercontinental Dacar in Senegal. His most recent project is the Rixos Nabq and Hilton Hurghada. The last milestone for Tarek to take off his career bucket list was to design theme and aqua parks, his first was in Nabq, Sharm ElSheikh and the other one in Salala Oman. His latest project which is still in progress is a kid’s theme play area in one of the biggest sporting clubs in Egypt (Heliopolis Sporting Club) and it promises to be an immersive experience like no other.
The process of design is always a challenge for Dr. Tarek, where he needs to create new ideas out of his imagination and transfer them into reality.
Yahya Al Kodmani
Managing Director, Al Darmaky for Contracting & Agricultural Materials
Yahya is the founder and Managing Director of Al Darmaky for Contracting & Agricultural Materials, one of the oldest established agricultural, horticultural construction and supply company in UAE. Yahya oversees a group of companies with operations spanning across KSA and Syria with an estimated annual turnover of 150 million Dirham.
Under Yahya’s watchful eye, Al Darmaky has gained a respectful reputation over the years for providing quality projects in agribusiness, contracting and materials for greenhouses, landscape and irrigation systems, from design through commissioning. Al Darmaky is known for its multitude of agricultural and landscaping services and specialized products showroom. In recognition of the company’s contribution to the Agriculture development of the region, Al Darmaky received “The European Quality Award” held in Paris (96’).
Al Darmaky is consolidated by a multi-disciplined team of international professional managers with experience from the Gulf region and around the world. Those professionals are supported by a dedicated labour force in excess of 300 people.
Yahya is a member of Franco Arab chamber of commerce and Industry and an honorary member in the Board Directors of the Syrian Business Council.
Landscape Middle East Awards 2019
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WINNERS
Peter Harradine
Landscape Architect
Swiss born Peter Harradine landed in Dubai in 1976 on a six-month contract to install a drip irrigation system for the Dubai Municipality, 43 years later he still resides in the emirate and is one of the region’s most respect landscape professionals.
With the help of a fellow local visionary, Peter founded Orient Irrigation in 1977. The initial goal was to use the limited and precious local water resources to obtain maximum yields and results through modern and specialized technology.
One of Peter’s first tasks was to share his knowledge with the municipality irrigation engineers about the intricacies of drip and bubbler irrigation, Peter’s first design and contracting jobs mainly involved drip and bubbler systems for farms and basic irrigation for simple landscaping projects along roadsides and small parks. At that time, the most adventurous layouts usually only consisted of hedges, grass, and trees and naturally the obligatory date palms. In those early days, drip irrigation was a little-known concept and it took a lot of persuading to change the wasteful “falaj” systems to drip irrigation. Being a golf enthusiast coupled with his knowledge of landscape design and irrigation techniques, Peter expanded his skills base and applied it to golf courses. At the time in the late eighties, golf courses were not popular in the desert region so Peter employed his expertise and helped to integrate them into the natural environment across the region. He also undertook design projects in Dubai for Sheikhs, private clients, parks, and hotels.
AWARD
Nakhle Sakr
Founder, Consent Group
Within the concrete industry, Consent is a household name synonymous with quality and innovation. With 2020 rapidly approaching, Consent will be celebrating 45 years in the trade and yet not much is known about the man behind it all, Nakhle Sakr.
Born in Lebanon in 1944, Nakhle Sakr moved with his family to Iraq in 1955. Inspired by an uncle he respected deeply, Nakhle chose to follow in his footsteps and later went on to study Civil Engineering at the University of Baghdad in 1963. In April 1968, he joined a contracting company based in Abu Dhabi and after successfully opening a second, then third branch for them in Dubai and Oman respectively, in 1975 he decided it was time to part with them and begin the journey of building his own company.
Becoming one of the first companies to produce interlock, paving tiles and kerbstones in Dubai, Consent was also the first to bring a concrete shotblasting machine to the Emirates as well as the first to manufacture tumbled concrete products in the U.A.E, which were later used in many major projects such as Motor City and Dubai Festival City. He trusted in his vision of creating quality products and persevered with upholding his vision even though finding quality materials at the time was difficult. Behind his calm and soft spoken demeanour is a mind constantly searching and, more importantly, finding innovative solutions to problems others had long given up on. It is thanks to his creativity and outside of the box thinking that spurred a major turning point for Consent in 1998 in the form of the Emirates Towers project which led to what is now Consent’s popular product line, Granix.
Nakhle’s revolutionary way of solving challenges continued over the years and shined through many milestone projects such as the Conference Palace in Abu Dhabi and The Palm Jumeirah. In his eyes, nothing was impossible and like a puzzle, all that was needed was simply some time to figure out a solution.
As a testament to their success and in order to keep up with increasing demand, Nakhle constructed two more successful factory branches for concrete and a third one for 100% recycled PET straps. Consent prides itself on being able to make any design a reality and work on the concept of “you design it, we make it” philosophy with quality always being the number one priority.
A titan of the Middle East concrete industry, Consent rose from humble beginnings and continues to prove through their many projects, national and international, just how the power of a man’s vision and commitment to quality can create a legacy that echoes and grows year after year.
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WINNERS
Velimir Ljubibratic
Senior Landscape Manager, North25 MERAAS
Velimir Ljubibratic is a senior landscape architect for North25 by MERAAS, a Dubai-based project management company that offers a range of services across the full project lifecycle from initiation to procurement, construction and handover.
Prior to his arrival in the UAE in the early 90’s, Velimir spent 12 years with the Institute of City Planning and the Dept. for Construction and Reconstruction in his home city of Belgrade. In Dubai, Velimir assisted the city›s urban and town planning expansion vision laid out by the Dubai Municipality. He was appointed to head up design in what are now some of Dubai›s most famous municipal parks; Al Mamzar, Umm Sequimm, Satwa, Safa, Creekside Park, Mushrif Park through to Al Maktoum Bridge. He drew on his expertise to create waterscape themes for his projects, introducing fountains, lakes and ponds and designing indigenous and botanical themed-parks, playgrounds and beach and leisure facilities.
During his 30 plus career, Velimir has approached every task with acute focus on the fundamental basics of each project using the mantra of logic, objective and strategy to ensure he achieves his goal. In his current role as Senior Landscape Manager for North25, he works on projects for some of the UAE’s most prominent figures. Velimir is an accredited member of ASLA.
AWARD
Landscape Middle East Awards 2019
Landmasters Landscaping & Construction L.L.C
Set up in UAE on 2010. To provide the full Landscape Solutions such as: Soft Landscaping, Hard Landscaping, Irrigation System, Garden Lighting, Water Features, Swimming Pools, Civil Works, Electromechanical and Infrastructure Works. Our staff has a big experience in Gulf Region and Middle East our branches in UAE, Qatar, and Egypt in Construction and Maintenance Projects.
OUR SERVICES
• Design
• Landscape Construction
• Irrigation Systems
• Operation and Maintenance • Nurseries
• Trading of indoor &
outdoor Plants and Flowers
• Light Industries
• Shade Structure
• Green Houses
• Play Ground Equipment
• Golf Courses
• Civil & Electromechanical Works
landmastersdubai
Landmasters Landscaping & Construction LLC
Tel : 04 2941313
P.O. Box : 84713 – DUBAI, U.A.E. Web : www.landmastersuae.com Email : [email protected]
landmas LANDMASTERS
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ADVISORY BOARD
Dr. Ahmad N Sadek
Professor / Practitioner / Leader and Designer in Urban Planning
Dr Sadek is an urban and regional strategist, planner, and designer. His work spans between practices, research, and academic teaching; and has involved developing and implementing innovative planning and governance tools for liveable, sustainable, and agile places.
Over the past twenty years, he has engaged with government institutions, leading international consulting firms, and renowned universities in parts of Europe, the Middle East, and the Arab Gulf Countries.
He served as a senior advisor to the upper management of Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council (UPC), municipalities, and local administration ministries on innovative sustainable and resilient development strategies, urban governance, business strategies, as well as operating procedures and processes.
With various public institutions and consulting firms, he headed and served on multi- professional planning teams, to develop a wide range of spatial strategies, land-use plans, detailed master plans, human-centred and sustainable development regulations. Furthermore, he was responsible for setting municipal Capital Improvement Programs (CIPs) and GIS-based Planning Support Systems.
On the academic front, he has held several positions as Adjunct Professor, and has taught graduate and undergraduate planning courses; lectured in regional and international workshops and conferences; mentored architects and planning public officers; and conducted academic and practice research on planning efficiency, public-private- partnership, and real estate development.
Dr. Sadek is an inspiring practitioner and leader. Over his extensive work experience in the UAE, he has conducted studies that have a radical impact on the practice and governance of residential development in Dubai, Emirati residential land allocation in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and the culturally contextualized, and award-winning Estidama program for the planning and design of sustainable communities and buildings.
Amine El Haiby
General Manager, AquaVerde
Amine is the General Manager of AquaVerde Co LLC, a landscaping company based in Dubai which provides the most aesthetical forms of soft and hard landscaping, Irrigation, water features, swimming pools, artificial lakes and fountains.
Amine graduated as an Agricultural Engineer from the Holy Spirit University in Lebanon and now has 20 years of experience working in the landscaping and swimming pool sector. After starting his career in his home country, he later decided to move to Dubai to pursue new opportunities. Amine was promoted to Project Manager after a few years on the job and in 2011, there was another leap in his career as he was promoted to Division Manager. After only a year in that role, he was appointed General Manager at AquaVerde in 2012. He believes his secret to success is good design, quality materials, never ending attention to details and executing the work with the highest standards within the prescribed time frame. His most significant projects include, beach palace, lego Island, Damac Hills, Akoya Oxygen, Al Khail Gate, and the Qatari Embassy.
As a lifelong learner, Amine continues to improve his craft as he believes his own personal development is crucial to shaping an effective team and adapting to changes in business development.
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