Uncategorized Archives

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Christoph Kayser

Managing Director

Christoph was one of the first employees at ICON, joining the team in early 2007. He is a Landscape Architect & Urbanist from Germany with a multi-disciplinary understanding of the built environment that reaches far beyond the common landscape architectural aspects. With more than 20 years of experience, he gained valuable knowledge in pre-contract design, tendering and construction management, as well as post contract back-of-house operation & maintenance, and destination management.
Over the past 12 years, he gained valuable experience on the client side with various government Organizations in Abu Dhabi as projects, contracts, operations, and program manager. Today at ICON, Christoph is responsible for growing the company’s existing services into new territories and developing new service offerings.
His passion for efficiency and sustainability gained him several recognitions, including the research and innovation award from the UAE-Minister of Energy and Infrastructure.
In his free time, he enjoys boating, playing golf, climbing mountains and other outdoor activities.

Christoph’s superpower is his ability to dream big, seeing opportunities at a wider scale for the company’s future development.

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Rahul Vinodan

Associate Director – Design

Rahul is a professional designer with over 13 years of experience in the MENA region. He brings a comprehensive skill set spanning master planning, hospitality, cultural, educational, retail, and residential projects.
During his career, Rahul has contributed to many of Abu Dhabi’s high-profile projects, including the Qasr Al Hosn Masterplan, the Cultural Foundation Building, the Abu Dhabi World Trade Center, and the Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal.
As an Associate Director of Design at ICON, Rahul leads the Design Team in Abu Dhabi, driving innovative design solutions at our head office and optimizing project execution for streamlined site implementation across all of our sites.
Outside of work, Rahul’s hobbies include traveling, 3D printing, and architectural photography.

Rahul’s superpower is his contagious positivity and ability to brighten up any situation and project he takes part in. His ability to understand and connect with others fuels his collaborative spirit, making him a dedicated and ideal team player.

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Ameed Abu Salameh

Director – Construction Management

Ameed is a distinguished Civil Engineer with over 25 years of expertise in landscape and infrastructure engineering. Holding a B.Sc. in Civil Engineering from An Najah National University, he has honed his skills working with leading international firms, managing and delivering large-scale projects to exacting standards.
In his role as Director of Construction Management at ICON, Ameed combines strategic vision with a hands-on approach, ensuring the highest levels of quality, cost efficiency, and client satisfaction. His leadership is central to advancing our Construction Management sector, supporting ICON’s growth, and expanding our construction supervision and management services across the region.
Ameed’s portfolio features prominent projects that underscore his commitment to elevating standards in infrastructure and landscape engineering.
Outside of work, his hobbies include cycling, traveling and camping.

Ameed’s superpower lies in his mastery of dispute resolution, driving business growth, and his sharp commercial insight bringing a well-rounded expertise to every project he undertakes.

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Brian Leung

Associate Director – Design

Brian is a Chartered Landscape Architect, with over 17 years of professional experience, of which the last 9 years have been based in the UAE. He specializes in large scale master planning, resort and community planning, public realm and hospitality design and has completed projects in over 20 countries.  He is experienced in all stages of the project life cycle, from bid preparation through to construction supervision.
Brian leads the ICON Dubai office, and manages a team of landscape architects within the wider ICON Landscape studios in the UAE and Philippines.
He believes in a design led approach, analysing the site to identify the genius loci and how to maximize the potential for development, both from a design and commercial perspective.  He has robust project management skills and business acumen, consistently delivering projects on time and on budget.  Additional roles and responsibilities include business development, proposal writing, marketing support, project management & resourcing within the studio, and mentoring staff.
In his leisure time, he enjoys spending his time playing golf and badminton.

Brian’s superpower is his keen attention to detail.

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Michael Patte

Associate Director – Design

Michael is a highly accomplished and Licensed French Landscape Architect, distinguished for his expertise in Urban Design, placemaking, and activation. With an impressive professional journey spanning over 20 years, his wealth of experience extends across diverse regions, including Europe, Asia, and Riyadh, KSA.
Currently at the helm of the ICON Riyadh office, Michael not only leads but also adeptly manages a team of skilled landscape architects. His leadership extends beyond Riyadh, encompassing oversight of operations within the broader ICON Landscape studios situated in the UAE and the Philippines. Additionally, his multifaceted roles and responsibilities surpass leadership, encompassing various tasks such as business development, mentoring staff, proposal writing, marketing support, project management & resourcing within the studio.
In addition to his professional pursuits, he finds fulfillment in exploring different cultures and expressing his creativity through writing.

Michael’s unique superpower lies in his exceptional ability for Visioning and Creativity.

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Dr. Firas Fayssal

SME – Climate & Sustainability

Firas is an Environmental Engineering, Energy Conservation & Water Efficiency Professional with a double major PhD. in Environmental Engineering, Renewable Energy & Energy Conservation. With more than 20 years of experience in the engineering realm, Firas has practiced his expertise in Beirut, Dubai, Muscat, Riyadh, Dublin, Abidjan, Dakar, and Abu Dhabi.
As Sustainability Specialist – Sr. Project Manager at ICON, he focuses on infrastructure planning, overseeing the UAE’s sustainability goals and visions. This also includes managing special infrastructure & sustainable contributions, planning open spaces, and spearheading the development and implementation of funding mechanisms for stakeholders and authorities. Additionally, he coordinates land use strategies & deforestation, ensuring the efficient delivery of the objectives.
Firas is passionately dedicated to his efforts in advancing environmental engineering education, constantly conducting ongoing research in the realms of environmental sustainability, engineering energy, and sustainability goals.
His hobbies include basketball, parasailing, chess and reading.

Firas’s superpower is his ability to find inner peace, decluttering and organizing his busy mind.

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Mhmd Jamal

SME – Irrigation

Mhmd Jamal is an Irrigation Engineer with over 22 years of experience in infrastructure development, primarily related to irrigation network design. He specializes in irrigation design management, excelling in delivering master plans for CMP, DMP, and all design stages of numerous projects.
He has worked on large-scale public irrigation design projects, as well as irrigation design for golf courses. His expertise includes hydraulic modeling, surge analysis (water hammer studies), mainline profiling (using Civil 3D), irrigation pump stations, and mechanical calculations (automation with PLC, SCADA).
At ICON, Mhmd Jamal has gained extensive knowledge of irrigation sustainability principles, practices, and methodologies. He is familiar with relevant environmental regulations and proficient in utilizing artificial intelligence technologies and modern practices to ensure the utmost irrigation efficiency. He is passionate about learning and implementing new ways to reduce water consumption through updated irrigation systems, preserving soil from pesticide residues, reducing the use of inorganic fertilizers, and optimizing the use of landscape and agricultural areas.
Beyond his professional career, he enjoys spending time at the gym and listening to classical symphonies.

Mhmd Jamal’s strength lies in his outstanding patience during stressful times.

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Dr. Lobna Mostafa

SME – Community Development & Placemaking

Dr. Lobna is an architect, urbanist, and expert in sustainable urbanism and community engagement with more than 25 years of experience. She is a professor of Architecture and Urban Design, holds a Ph.D. in “Governance of Urban Development with Stakeholder Involvement.” She has conducted research and published scientific articles on environment-behavior studies, place branding, and quality of life. She also published her first book, “A Model for Governance for Urban Development with Community Engagement”, in 2017. A member of international and national professional bodies: the UIA working group of “Community Architecture and Human Rights,” the Board of Directors of the Saudi Urban Society, Omran, in Riyadh, the Environmental Design Research Association (EDRA), the Asian Society for Behavioral Studies (AMRA), the Saudi Planners Association, and the Egyptian Architects Association.
At ICON, Dr. Lobna’s commitment to community engagement and sustainable design is evident through her role as an advisor of developing the National Strategy for Urban Transformation, an editor of Placemaking Guides and advisory board membership in the Journal of Public Spaces. 
In her free time, she enjoys storytelling, kids stories, handcraft , and photography.

Lobna’s strength is “leaving no one behind” – Engaging people in shaping their cities and facilitating their happiness through creativity, research and design.

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Sujith Kumar

SME – Horticulture

Sujith is a Landscape Professional with a masters in Horticulture and over 22 years of experience in leading the planning, design, construction, and supervision of complex landscaping projects in the Middle East.
Working at ICON since 2010, Sujiths vast knowledge of construction management & supervision encompasses hardscape, softscape, irrigation, water features and themed parks, swimming pools, wave/surf pools, landscape lighting, signage, way finding, and more. His expertise is also in GCC native and introduced adaptive flora, nursery design and construction.
His interests include learning and singing Indian classical and film music on different medias, travelling and sports.

Sujith’s superpower is his vast knowledge and experience on GCC specific horticulture and plants.

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Abdul Hameed Arwani

Managing Director

Abdul Hameed has been a leading member of ICON since 2015, boasting an impressive academic background with an MSc in Water Resources from UAE University and an MBA from the prestigious London Business School. With an extensive professional journey spanning over 23 years, Abdul Hameed has honed his expertise in managing complex projects, driving business development, and excelling in strategic management.
His impactful role at ICON has been instrumental in steering the company’s growth trajectory, leading to the establishment of four offices and the successful delivery of projects across the entire region. Abdul Hameed is distinguished by his robust technical knowledge and extensive experience in the seamless execution of landscape and urban infrastructure projects.
Beyond his professional pursuits, he finds joy in cycling during his leisure time and is a fervent Madridista.

Abdul’s extraordinary strength lies in his remarkable talent for guiding and leading individuals as well as whole organizations to realize their full potential.

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Thalia Protopappa

Director – Design & Creativity

Thalia is a Landscape Architect from Greece holding a master’s degree from Sheffield University in the UK. She has over 20 years of experience in designing public and private projects of various typologies across Europe and the Middle East. Due to Thalia’s strong design skills and her high level of professionalism and agility, she has built strong relationships with the UAE’s government and real estate stakeholders.
Thalia joined ICON more than 7 years ago and has significantly shaped the creative direction of the company, leading ICON’s design at all studios. She provides creative direction for most projects, supervises the teams’ design work and ensures quality for all ICON production.
Her involvement as design director at ICON has helped the company to gain international recognition, earning several design and industry awards. At the same time, she is passionate about diversity and strongly engaged in women empowerment, promoting a share of women in ICON’s design team that is considerably higher than with most industry peers.
Thalia’s favorite project at ICON is the Al Nahyan park, because this playground celebrates seamless play and sojourning experience for different visitors’ age groups and abilities.
In her free time, she enjoys travelling, crafting and yoga.

Thalia’s superpower is Passion. She engages the hearts and minds of the people around her in an extraordinary way and makes them feel part of the ICON family and proud of what they do.

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Samer Diarbakerly

Director – Projects

Samer is a Licensed Professional Engineer registered in New Brunswick, Canada, an MBA, and a Licensed Project Manager. He has more than 25 years experience in major infrastructure and landscaping developments involving sewerage networks, deep tunnel sewer, and micro-Tunnelling, irrigation networks, treatment plants, pumping stations, municipal water network master planning and detailed design.
In the capacity of Projects Director at ICON, Samer is responsible for building and leading a team of project managers, overseeing finance, and ensuring project delivery requirements are achieved. He has designed and managed designs for hundreds of kilometers of pressurized and gravity pipelines with diameters of up to 3,100 millimeters using GIS-compatible software packages as well as utility services coordination, construction management, and support, contract management, and coordination with utility providers and authorities’ approvals and no-objection certificates (NOC).
Outside of his professional life, he takes pleasure in traveling and sharing musical sing along moments with his family. He is very good at negotiation and problem solving.

Samer’s strength is his ability to problem solve within negotiations and think outside the box for solutions.

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Rommel Paulo Roque

Associate Landscape Architect

Rommel has over 20 years of UAE Landscape Design experience, Licensed Architect in the Philippines, and Design & Graphics professional.
As an Associate Landscape Architect at ICON since 2017, Rommel leads and manages landscape projects and supervises a team of landscape architects, CAD, BIM Technicians, 3D visualizers to generate and deliver appropriate landscape solutions for clients and consultants.
His favorite project at ICON that he takes great pride in is Biotopia – Being part of a team designing a massive-scale themed outdoor activity park that encompasses a wide range of activities, from hiking and cycling to farming, play, dining, and climbing, presents an exciting opportunity to create a dynamic and multifaceted recreational space.
In his free time he enjoys tech enthusiast, scuba diving, foodie.

Rommel’s superpower is his ability to harmonize elements seamlessly, earning him the title of a “harmony whisperer”, and his adeptness as a techno-mage.

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Khaled Al-Mheiri

Managing Partner

Khaled is a seasoned Civil Engineer Professional. As the Managing Partner at ICON, he brings with him an impressive track record of over 25 years in overseeing landmark projects within the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. His wealth of experience extends to project internal audit, a domain in which he excelled during his tenure as the Head of Internal Audit in one of the main Abu Dhabi governmental entities.
Beyond his engineering prowess, Khaled is inherently entrepreneurial, showcasing exceptional skills in not only establishing but also leading startups and navigating businesses through both their early and mature stages of development.
In his role as Managing Partner and board member, Khaled plays a pivotal role in steering ICON’s growth. He spearheads business development initiatives, fostering crucial client relationships, and is at the forefront of strategic business and contract negotiations. His multifaceted expertise positions him as a driving force in the success and expansion of ICON, ensuring a comprehensive and well-rounded approach to the firm’s strategic endeavors.
In his free time he enjoys exploring the outdoors and spending time with family.

Khaled’s superpower is his incredible ability to innovate.

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Gangadharan Koduveli

Director – Business Support

Gangadharan is a Management Professional holding MBA in Asset Management & International Finance and BA in Economics.
He has over 27 years of experience in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) services sector in the field of Business Operations Management, Contract Administration and Project Cost Controlling.
As the Head of Business Support Sector at ICON, his role is a key support to the Managing Director in achieving the Vision and Corporate Objectives for the Organization.  He plays an important role in driving the Organization forward by leading and managing all business support functions of the organization such as Finance, HR, IT and Systems whilst supporting other Sector Heads in looking at delivery of efficiencies and increasing income streams going forward.
In his free time, Gangadharan like to follow current affairs and enjoy spending time with family.

Gangadharan’s superpower is his excellent problem-solving, critical thinking and effective communication skills.

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