Dewan Architect’s Assam: ‘We will elevate Egypt as a premier destination’
Dewan’s holistic experience will positively contribute to Egypt’s burgeoning real estate market with new Cairo office, says CEO
The CEO of Dewan Architects + Engineers says that his firm’s recent move can make a positive contribution to the Egyptian market following the opening of its newest office in Cairo at the end of 2021.
Dewan’s latest branch is located east of the Egyptian capital in the 5th Settlement area. The office will take on projects with a multidisciplinary approach, focusing on architecture design, engineering design, post-contract supervision, project management and master-planning.
“From redefining skylines to master planning thriving communities, Dewan’s holistic experience in design will positively contribute to Egypt’s burgeoning real estate market,” said Ammar Al Assam, CEO of Dewan. “Our commitment to creative design and sustainable development will further elevate Egypt as a premier destination to live, visit, and conduct business. The new office also represents a milestone in Dewan’s international success, along with its mission to expand its reach across the Middle East, North Africa, and Southeast Asia”.
Dewan is leveraging its experience designing successful mixed-use developments. The local team has recently completed SODIC’s The Estates, the latest luxury residential community featuring premium amenities including a spa, nursery and retail space. They have already completed projects for one of the country’s prominent developers, Emaar Misr and delivered two innovative K-12 schools within the fully-integrated, eco-friendly Mivida community.
Dewan has worked in Egypt for many years, delivering projects for renowned developers like Emaar Misr and SODIC.
According to Assam, “The initiative to set up Dewan Misr was motivated by the inherent need to develop a Cairo based design and delivery team to service our growing client base in Egypt. The country is vast, so we will develop a large design centre of excellence for Dewan’s global work and where technical resources are available in Cairo.”
The timing was based on many factors, including the market growth in Egypt supported by the sound government economic fiscal policies that are supporting the growing real estate market. Dewan’s market share is growing. Market analysis of the leading developers in Cairo suggests a need for an experienced international design firm like Dewan to have a base in the capital to service this growing demand.
Currently, the office is growing organically, and Dewan is hiring locally. They are seeking the most talented architects and engineers from the local markets. Ideally applicants should have regional and international experience and work with international design firms or grade-A developers. Recruitment is supported by senior Dewan colleagues from the UAE office who have relocated to Cairo to support the development, training, and growth of the Misr branch.
Dewan understands the importance of being close to its Egyptian clients and will help bridge and support the communication and design process. The accessibility leads to more opportunities for the firm as their name becomes recognised and solidified in the Egyptian market. Assam explained: “We are already seeing this, and our clients are happy to have regular meetings and the design studios within the country.”
The obvious logistics of moving people around are a hurdle during the pandemic. However, Dewan prides itself on being a flexible and limber firm. It is responsive and quick to market. Digital company transformation and the support of local governments have also helped ease the process. Impressively, Dewan set up the Cairo office with active design resources in less than 2 months
Dewan’s expansion to Cairo comes at a time of significant growth. Assam concluded: “We are already witnessing an increased demand for new developments in the residential and hospitality sectors, especially as the Egyptian government scales up its investment in the tourism industry. We are currently working on SODIC’s The Estates and new developments for Dorra Developments, in addition to a few hospitality projects that we will announce very soon.”
