Six key figures leading Kuwait’s ambitious public-private partnership plan: Adel al-Roumi, Hashem al-Tabtabaei, Mahdy al-Dakheel, Abraham Akkawi, Frank Beckers and Mustafa Jassem al-Shamali
Adel al-Roumi
Position Director general, Partnerships Technical Bureau (PTB)
Biography Adel al-Roumi heads up Kuwait’s PTB and is responsible for implementing the country’s PPP plan. This involves raising $28bn through the privatisation of 32 key projects. About $17bn is currently being spent on rail schemes, which include the metro project and the railway network. Another major project is the development of Kuwait’s first independent water and power plant at Al-Zour North. Plans also involve the privatisation of Kuwait Airways. Previously, Al-Roumi was chief executive officer of Kuwait’s Small Projects Development Company and managing director of the new projects department at Kuwait Investment Authority. He is the current chairman of Viva Telecommunications Company. Al-Roumi has postgraduate degrees from the US’ Harvard School of Business and Northwestern University and the UK’s London Business School.
Contact Tel: (+965) 2 496 5901
Hashem al-Tabtabaei
Position Technical team director, PTB
Biography Hashem al-Tabtabaei is currently directing the technical team within the PTB. He started working with the bureau when it was first launched in June 2009. As part of his role, he is directly involved in the development of $17bn-worth of transport projects, including the Kuwait railway and the Kuwait metro. Prior to joining the PTB, he was chairman of the civil engineering department at Kuwait University from 2003 to 2008 and a faculty member from 1989 to 2010. Al-Tabtabaei received bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil engineering in 1980 and 1984 respectively from North Carolina State University in the US. He also obtained a doctorate in civil engineering in 1989 from the US’ Colorado University. He has also provided extensive project management consultancy services to Kuwait’s Defence Ministry and to the Public Works Ministry.
Contact Tel: (+965) 2 496 5901
Mahdy al-Dakheel
Position Director of the projects department, Kuwait International airport, and Directorate General of Civil Aviation
Biography Mahdy al-Dakheel has been involved in the development of Kuwait International airport for 19 years. He was appointed as director of the projects department in May 2007. After graduating from Wentworth Institute of Technology in the US, Al-Dakheel began his career as a site engineer at Kuwait International airport. He was later promoted to project manager, leading a team of engineers working on airfield maintenance and development projects. Following this, he was named head of the pavement section, managing multiple airfield pavement and maintenance schemes. Al-Dakheel then became head of the investment projects section and was responsible for evaluating investment opportunities for the private sector at Kuwait International. Later, he became the chief engineer of the projects and development division.
Contact Tel: (+965) 2 433 6699
Abraham Akkawi
Position Partner and head of infrastructure and PPP advisory services, Ernst & Young
Biography Abraham Akkawi is Ernst & Young’s engagement partner for the Kuwait metro project. Akkawi has led Ernst & Young’s Middle East infrastructure and PPP advisory since April 2008. He was transferred from the consultant’s offices in Canada, where he headed up the PPP practice in Quebec and Eastern Canada. In his current role, he has advised governments in Abu Dhabi, Egypt, Bahrain, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya and Saudi Arabia, on landmark PPP transactions. Akkawi has led or advised on more than 60 public infrastructure and PPP projects in the Middle East, Canada and the US in various sectors, including health, municipal services, education, transport, defence and real estate. Before joining Ernst & Young, he was a founding partner of P3 Advisors and headed up the Ottawa PPP practice of UK consultancy and accountancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Contact Tel: (+971) 2 417 4556
Frank Beckers
Position Managing director, Deutsche Bank
Biography Frank Beckers is the Dubai-based global co-head of Deutsche Bank’s project finance franchise and is heading up the team that won the advisory contract for five PPP projects planned for Kuwait International airport. At Deutsche Bank, he is responsible for the firm’s project finance business in the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific region. Beckers joined Deutsche Bank in 1998 and has 18 years of experience in advising on, structuring and arranging project and structured finance transactions across a range of industries. He has successfully advised private and public-sector clients with respect to debt, mezzanine and equity solutions in the Middle East, Europe, Latin America, Africa and Asia. Before joining Deutsche Bank, Beckers worked for five years at the German Investment and Development Company, specialising in project finance in emerging markets.
Contact Tel: (+971) 4 361 1700
Mustafa Jassem al-Shamali
Position Finance minister
Biography Mustafa Jassem al-Shamali was appointed finance minister in October 2007. During the past four years, Al-Shamali has been a strong advocate of diversifying Kuwait’s economy away from its reliance on oil. Prior to his current ministerial role, Al-Shamali held a number of senior positions in the Kuwait government. He was the undersecretary for economic affairs between 1986 and 2006 and was then appointed finance secretary. Al-Shamali has a bachelor’s degree in commerce and administrative studies from Ain Shams University in Egypt. In his current position, Al-Shamali also chairs the Higher Committee of Development Projects. The PTB reports directly to the Higher Committee. The Higher Committee is responsible for granting final approval of the privatisation projects planned for Kuwait. Al-Shamali is also chairman of Kuwait Investment Authority.
Contact Tel: (+965) 2 248 0000
You might also like...
Saudi Arabia's Roshn launches Aldanah Dhahran project
25 April 2024
Adnoc sees project spending uptick
25 April 2024
Partanna and Saudi firm tests carbon negative concrete
25 April 2024
A MEED Subscription...
Subscribe or upgrade your current MEED.com package to support your strategic planning with the MENA region’s best source of business information. Proceed to our online shop below to find out more about the features in each package.
