Speakers & presentations

Ghaith Abuiyada

Regional Business Development Manager

Importance of Tunnelling Projects in the Gulf Region

Ghaith Abuiyada, a graduate of mechanical engineering and certified project management professional has over 13 years of experience in mechanized tunnelling technologies. Currently, He is working as the regional business development manager for the Herrenknecht Group in Gulf Cooperation Council Countries and is promoting tunnelling technologies and solutions for projects with large tunnelling diameter (>4.8m).

During the past years, Ghaith oversaw several regional projects with importance for particular global events i.e. Expo Route 2020 as well as for the development of modern connectivity in the main cities i.e. Riyadh Metro Project.

Fahad M. AlHashem

Real Estate and Construction Managing Director // Ministry of Investment of Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia – Construction Magnet

Fahad is a holder of a Bachelors degree in International Trade, with 12 years experience in management across various sectors, most notably; real estate, tourism and hospitality, aviation and construction.

Throughout his career, he has been working with various stakeholders from government and private sector, and he currently holds the position of Real Estate and Construction Managing Director at the Ministry of Investment, where he oversees the development of investment plans and strategies for the sector, with acquired knowledge in the field stemming from serving in advisory roles for HE Minister on various topics.

Further, he is a Board member at the real estate general authority and serves on the supervisory committee for development of the contracting sector, playing a key role in attracting and facilitating market entry for various companies in related fields such as development, construction, building material and MMC/FMC, all in order to cover the demand generated by the country’s various giga and mega projects, as well as ensuring the country’s regulatory system and processes being investor friendly across all necessary parameters: Building code, Labor Issues, Contractors classification, amongst many other.

Reinhard Bütikofer

Member of the European Parliament // Greens/EFA

Keynote Speech on EU Foreign Policy Priorities

Reinhard Bütikofer is a Member of the European Parliament (Greens/EFA). He sits on the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET), where he serves as Greens/EFA foreign affairs spokesperson, and on the Committee on International Trade (INTA) as a substitute member. He is the Chair of the European Parliament’s Delegation for Relations with the People’s Republic of China as well as a member of the Delegation to the U.S. and a substitute member of the ASEAN Delegation.

From 2012 to 2019 he was co-chair of the European Green Party (EGP). Before getting elected to the European Parliament in 2009, Mr. Bütikofer was the Co-Chair of the German Green Party BÜNDNIS 90/DIE GRÜNEN (from 2002 - 2008). He was the party’s Secretary General from 1998 - 2002. Prior to that he served as the Chair of the Greens in the Federal State of Baden-Württemberg. From 1988 - 1996 he served as a Member of the Baden-Württemberg State Parliament.

Besides his positions in the party and parliament, Mr. Bütikofer is, amongst others, a member of the Europe/Transatlantic Advisory Board and the Heinrich Böll Foundation, the German-Israeli Society and the German-Chinese Dialogue Forum, as well as the DGAP, the ECFR and the IISS.

 

 

Charles-Emmanuel de Beauregard

Head of Corporate & Institutional Banking // Qatar National Bank

Financing Solutions for Infrastructure Development in the Gulf Region

Charles-Emmanuel joined Qatar National Bank (QNB) Paris’ office in January 2021 as Head of the Corporate & Institutional Banking team, overseeing the relationships with large UE-based corporates and European & African financial institutions. 

Previously, he spent 6 years in Societe Generale (SG)’s Dubai office as the Head of Structured & Asset Finance in the Middle-East, covering Export Finance, Shipping, Aircraft, Leasing & Real Estate financing, including transactions in Transportation, Infrastructure, Metals & Mining, Power, Oil & Gas, Media & Telecom, Food and customers (corporates, public entities, sovereign wealth funds, asset-managers, banks, multi-lateral organizations).

Before moving to Dubai, he worked in Paris during 4 years in SG’s Export Finance department covering the Gulf region.

Charles-Emmanuel was previously a Director in the Americas and Asia Group, a Coverage Division of SG, in charge of North American & Asian companies for Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Prior to joining SG, Charles-Emmanuel spent five years with Citibank (Paris) and five years at Crédit Lyonnais (Paris/ Asia).

Over his 25-year career, Charles-Emmanuel has been involved in structured financing, capital markets, asset finance, structured investments, M&A, trade and general corporate finance.

Charles-Emmanuel graduated from EM Lyon, a French Business School, in 1995 and holds a Master in Business Law (Lyon III).

Philippe Dessoy

General Manager Business Development // Besix Group

Interactive Panel Discussion on Financing Options and Delivery Models

Philippe Dessoy has over 30 years of experience in the construction industry throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa. He graduated in 1983 in civil engineering from the University of Brussels and started his career with CGEE Alstom and Spie Batignolles on the Cairo Metro project. In 1989, he joined BESIX Group and moved in 1992 moved to Dubai to be in charge of the tender department for BESIX-Six Construct. From there he was promoted to Deputy General Manager of Six Construct in 2003, and then to General Manager in June 2007. Since 2013, he holds the position of General Manager – Business Development for BESIX Group and in that capacity, he is a member of BESIX’s Executive & Strategic Committee.

BESIX, founded in 1909, has recorded regular and impressive growth, covering all fields of construction. Active in the Middle East for as long as 50 years, Mr. Dessoy has helped the company group to win contracts on some of the world’s and the region’s most prestigious projects, including works on the Burj Khalifa Tower in Dubai, the world’s tallest structure.

Philippe DESSOY is currently the Vice-President of EIC and President of CICA.

Francesco Falco

Group Commercial Officer // Webuild Group

Interactive Panel Discussion on Business Environment

Francesco Falco is Group Commercial Officer at Webuild Group, Global. He has+20 years of international experience in the Energy & Infrastructure industries, building global corporate value, focusing on project business, innovation, system engineering, EPC operations and financial success.

Before joining Webuild in 2019, Mr. Falco was Vice-President of Wolong Electric and prior has build a career at General Electric from 2000-2018.

Mr. Falco graduated cum laude in Mechanical Engineering from University of Naples, Italy and participated at the Executive Leadership Program (MDC and BMC) at GE Management Development Institute, Crotonville in the United States.

Nicholas Gould

Partner // Fenwick Elliott LLP

Avoiding Claims and Solving Disputes in the Gulf Region

Nicholas is a construction and international arbitration lawyer.  Frequently selected to advise on high value complex construction, engineering and energy projects around the world, Nicholas is highlighted as one of the titans of the international construction market according to Global Elite Thought Leader’ Who’s Who.  The IBA’s International Who’s Who of Business Lawyers Today, listed him as one of the “ten most highly regarded individuals internationally for construction law”.

Nicholas is a Visiting Professor at King’s College London and Vice President of the ICC’s Arbitration Commission.

Oliver Oehms

CEO // German Emirati Joint Council for Industry & Commerce (AHK)

Panel Moderation

Oliver Oehms majored (M. A.) in Political Science, Public International Law and African Studies from the University of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg.

During his studies, Oliver started working for the German African Business Association (Afrika-Verein e. V.) where his last position was Regional Manager Western Africa. From 2003 onwards, he headed the Foreign Trade and Trade Fairs Department of one of the regional Chambers of Commerce and Industry.

Early 2009, Oliver moved to Jakarta where he was tasked to develop a new service unit in the national Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KADIN Indonesia) in Jakarta. Oliver was hired from 2014 onwards by GIZ for promoting a program of regional economic development.

In January 2016, he was appointed by the Association of German Chambers of Commerce & Industry (DIHK) as the Delegate of German Industry and Commerce for Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Yemen. Heading the Chamber Abroad (AHK) in Riyadh, Oliver managed a team of twenty professionals working in the capital city, in Al Khobar and Jeddah. Since Mid-August 2019, Oliver is the CEO of the German Emirati Joint Council for Industry & Commerce (AHK), and ex office the Delegate of German Industry and Commerce to Iraq.

Christophe Petit

Deputy CEO // Bouygues Bâtiment International

Interactive Panel Discussion on Financing Options and Delivery Models

Christophe PETIT is the Deputy CEO of Bouygues Batiment International since 2012. Before, he has been the Legal General Counsel of Bouygues Batiment International from 2002 to 2012. As Deputy CEO of Bouygues Batiment International, Christophe PETIT is in charge of business development for complex projects worldwide, which include financing and/or operation components such as airports, hospitals, social accommodations, hotels, etc. and for projects to be developed in new countries.

He is a Board member of ZAIC Ltd, the Concession Company for the Airport of Zagreb, which is the Concession Company for the Airports of Madagascar. He is further Chairman of the Board of Hermes Airports Ltd., which is the Concession Company for the Cypriot Airports. Christophe is also the President of MEDEF International for South Balkans.

He is a member of the Executive Committee of Bouygues Batiment International and reports directly to its CEO. Bouygues Batiment International (a fully owned subsidiary of Bouygues Construction) is the company in charge of the building activity of Bouygues Construction with sales exceeding € 2,5 billion in 2022 (out of circa € 12 billion sales for Bouygues Construction). Bouygues Construction is the fully owned subsidiary of Bouygues SA, a company listed with the Paris Stock Exchange with sales exceeding € 50 billion in 2022.

Dyrik Wellershaus

Managing Director // Strabag International

Interactive Panel Discussion on Business Environment

Dyrik Wellershaus started his career as a construction manager at STRABAG International, after successfully completing his civil engineering studies in Aachen. Two years later, he moved to Bilfinger and Berger, for whom he worked as a construction manager in Nigeria, among other places. In 1998, his work with Hochtief took him to Argentina and later Taiwan, where he focused on contract and claim management as a department manager. 

As part of the Lane Cove Tunnel project in Sydney, Australia, the last section of the Sydney Ring Road was completed between 2004 and 2006 under his project management on behalf of the Thiess company.

From 2007, his path with Julius Berger led him again to Nigeria. As the Division Manager he signed responsible for his team of engineers and commercial specialists for the successful realization of turnkey office, institutional and residential projects as well as infrastructure projects for the development of Abuja and Northern Nigeria and remained with this same company as a management consultant until 2015.

From 2016 to 2021, as Head of Business Development & Marketing for Keller Holding GmbH, he developed strategies and processes to structure the work and forecast the growth of the operational business units, as well as to optimize operations. He represented the Keller company in the German Construction Associations (HDB - Auslandsbauausschuss)

In Spring 2021, Dyrik Wellershaus started as Technical Director at STRABAG International GmbH and became Managing Director of the same company in February 2022.