Zainab Alireza

Director, KSA

Zainab Alireza holds a masters degree in Housing and Urbanism. She has an extensive understanding of the factors infl uencing good urban design and has a keen interest in developing positive public experiences through urban strategies and the engagement of a wide stakeholder audience. A Saudi National based in Jeddah, Zainab has particular experience in Middle Eastern projects, possessing a deep understanding of physical and social infl uences unique to projects in the region. She has experience working on projects at varying scales and location, including long-term spatial visions for mega- city regions, masterplans and urban design strategies for residential, commercial and tourism Projects. During her time with AECOM she was deeply involved with both the Jeddah and London offi ces working on multiple large scale urban projects focusing on the environmental and social opportunities these projects provide for the region. Capacity Building and community development are important aspects of Zainab’s practice she recently joined the board of Friends of Jeddah Parks to look at opportunities of scaling up Open spaces in the in Jeddah. In 2015 she Co-Founded Integrate lab to develop a knowledge exchange platform across borders to develop events involving professional to share experiences in place making. In 2018 Zainab co-directed the Sustainable Cities Lab for Saudi Women architects and planner, an innovative forum to discuss sustainability, resilience, wellbeing and community development in the implementation of the KSA vision 2030. More recently, she Founded Takween- Home of Design and Innovation Interdsplianry educational platform for children and youth grounded in the complexities of the cities they live in to cultivate a community of forward thinkers and purposeful leaders. Zainab is working on a range of projects in KSA ranging from Development Projects to Cultural Strategies. She leads Allies and Morrison's work on the Al Balad UNESCO World Heritage Site in Jeddah. Her master's in Housing and Urbanism is from the Architectural Association in London, she is a LEED Accredited Professional, and she was previously a senior urban designer at AECOM working on the Jeddah Structure Plan.