Dr. Moataz Al Hitimi: Shaping Saudi Arabia’s Landmark Developments Through Design, Engineering, and Strategic Vision

With more than 25 years of leadership in architecture, engineering, and real estate development, Dr. Moataz Al Hitimi has established himself as one of the region’s most accomplished development executives. His career spans the successful delivery of complex mixed use developments, hospitality destinations, commercial towers, residential communities, and master-planned projects across Saudi Arabia, the GCC, and the Middle East. By combining technical excellence with commercial strategy, he continues to transform ambitious concepts into high-value developments that support the Kingdom’s urban evolution.

Serving as Head of Development and Design at The 1st Avenue Real Estate and as CEO Advisor to one of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) companies, Dr. Moataz Al Hitimi contributes to some of the Kingdom’s most ambitious projects, combining visionary leadership with world-class expertise in architecture, engineering, and strategic development.

Leading Development and Design Strategy for Transformational Projects

As Senior Director of Development and Design and Advisor to the CEO at The 1st Avenue Real Estate Development Company, Dr. Al Hitimi provides executive leadership across development, engineering, and design functions. He guides multidisciplinary teams through every phase of project development, ensuring that architectural quality, engineering performance, commercial objectives, and stakeholder expectations remain fully aligned.

His responsibilities extend beyond design leadership. He oversees strategic planning, manages development priorities, optimizes project delivery, and translates executive vision into commercially successful developments that create lasting value for investors, communities, and the built environment.

Building a Career Around High Value Real Estate Development

Throughout more than two decades, Dr. Al Hitimi has progressed through increasingly influential leadership positions within some of the region’s leading real estate organizations.

As Senior Lead Architect and Development Engineering Projects Manager at AKARIA, he directed the design and engineering of large-scale developments while coordinating international consultants, hospitality operators, government authorities, and commercial stakeholders. His work strengthened project governance, design quality, and development efficiency across major investment portfolios.

As Senior Lead Architect at AMSAD, he led multidisciplinary design teams responsible for hospitality, residential, commercial, and mixed use developments, ensuring every project balanced functionality, aesthetics, technical performance, and long-term investment value.

His earlier leadership positions at ADEL Consult, CEG International, and Hoops + Hilgendorff allowed him to manage major architectural projects across Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE, building extensive expertise in master planning, engineering coordination, value engineering, project management, and client representation.

Delivering Landmark Projects Across the Region

Dr. Al Hitimi’s portfolio reflects an exceptional breadth of large-scale developments delivered across multiple sectors.

His experience includes hospitality destinations in Makkah and Madinah, high-rise residential towers, mixed use commercial developments, urban master plans, retail destinations, business parks, and government-backed projects developed in partnership with international architectural firms and globally recognized hospitality brands.

Throughout his career, he has collaborated with internationally respected design firms including SOM, HOK, Gensler, Chapman Taylor, Perkins & Will, Benoy, KEO, CRTKL, and 10 Design, while working alongside leading hospitality operators such as Hilton, Marriott, Accor, IHG, and Canopy. This international exposure enables him to integrate global design standards with local development priorities, creating projects that meet world-class expectations while supporting Saudi Arabia’s rapidly evolving urban landscape.

Academic Excellence Supporting Professional Leadership

Dr. Al Hitimi holds a Bachelor of Architecture, a Master’s degree in Architectural Design, and a PhD in Architectural Design with research focused on human behaviour in museum environments.

His academic background complements his practical leadership, providing a strong foundation for integrating architectural innovation, user experience, sustainability, and commercial viability into complex development projects.

Driving Excellence Through Integrated Development Leadership

Across every stage of the development lifecycle, Dr. Al Hitimi combines strategic thinking with technical precision. His leadership enables organizations to navigate the complexities of large-scale developments while maintaining quality, budget discipline, regulatory compliance, and long-term investment performance.

His executive expertise includes:

• Real Estate Development Strategy
• Architectural Design Leadership
• Master Planning and Urban Development
• Engineering and Design Management
• Value Engineering and Cost Optimisation
• Hospitality and Mixed Use Development
• Stakeholder and Consultant Management
• Project Governance and Delivery
• Strategic Planning and Business Development
• Team Leadership and Cross Functional Collaboration

The Saudi Leaders proudly recognize Dr. Moataz Al Hitimi as a distinguished real estate development executive whose expertise in architecture, engineering, and strategic project leadership continues to shape landmark developments across Saudi Arabia while contributing to the Kingdom’s ambitious vision for sustainable urban growth.