Imran Ali appointed as CEO of Livspace-ASG JV in the Middle East
Livspace, India and South East Asia’s largest home interior and renovation platform and Alsulaiman Group (ASG) have announced the appointment of Imran Ali as the CEO for the JV-led company in the Middle East. Imran will assume responsibility of the regional organisation and build a leadership team to start the operations in the region while enabling the partner ecosystem consisting of design studios, contractors, vendors, and brands for greater success in the region.
With industry-first technology, Livspace brings homeowners, design professionals, vendors and brands together on a single platform. Livspace has partnered with ASG to deliver world-class design solutions in the Middle East. The JV further plans on strengthening the team by investing in top talent across levels while also aiming to reach 500 design and execution partners in the region by 2022.
Commenting on his appointment, Imran said: “Saudi Arabia is a highly attractive market with the home interior and renovation sector worth USD 8 billion. With Livspace’s technology platform and playbooks for operating models and private labels, and ASG’s market knowledge and access, and expertise in retail, logistics, and warehousing, we are well positioned to achieve our vision of delivering hassle free interior and renovation requirements to homeowners. I am excited to build a high-performance team that joins us in our vision to serve thousands of homeowners across Saudi and the Middle East very soon.”
Speaking on Imran’s appointment, Saud Alsulaiman, CEO Alsulaiman Group said, “We are very excited to have Imran lead this newly created JV with Livspace. Imran will provide great leadership and focus on the operations in the region with an integrated ecosystem to enhance customers’ lives, as he played a leading role in establishing Livspace as the market leader in India. Imran brings with him over a decade of experience in Tech startups, strategy and consulting. Given the exponential growth of opportunities in the Saudi housing market and significant increase of homeownership among the Saudi population, fuelled by Saudi Arabis’ Vision 2030 initiatives and projects, we are very confident that Imran, through the newly established JV, will play an instrumental role in capitalising on these opportunities and provide an excellent service to the many customers”
Further, Imran will focus on delivering an integrated offering to meet the interior and renovation requirements of homeowners whilst offering ease of discovery, transparency, quality, and predictability.
Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 initiatives are sparking growth in home ownership and a wider array of residential formats villas to high-rise apartment living – which underlines the need for quality home interior design and execution. Livspace plans to invest $50 million to fuel regional growth and further strengthen the team by investing in top talent – aiming to reach 500 design partners by 2022.
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Glaze Granite & Marble appointed as official distributor of ARIOSTEA in the UAE
The UAE’s largest marble importer, Glaze Granite & Marble, has been appointed as one of the official distributors of ARIOSTEA, one of the leading Italian brands in high-end technical ceramics (or in large format Porcelain Slab).
ARIOSTEA was established in 1961 and it is part of the Iris Ceramica Group which is an example of excellence at an international level in the ceramics industry. The Group, based in Italy, has always had a strong innovative spirit often acting as a pioneer in the ceramic sector. Iris Ceramica Group still knows how to be unique in the sector: example the creation of eco-active ceramic surfaces. Ariostea, at the same time, expresses the main values of the Group with its cutting-edge products and state-of-the-art quality, creativity, and aesthetics. ARIOSTEA is renowned today as an international leader in design and innovation in large format technical ceramic slabs.
All ARIOSTEA slabs are developed, produced, and processed exclusively in Italy, using the latest advanced manufacturing technologies to create superior innovative designs. The strength, durability, and high precision quality of its slabs have allowed ARIOSTEA to remain the among the top-quality benchmark for brands around the world for the past six decades. The unparalleled designs & material quality of Ariostea is now available for UAE customers.
Commenting on the development, Umesh Punia, [CEO, Glaze] said, “In the last 25 years, we have focused on bringing the world’s best brands to the UAE to bring luxury and glamour to the homes & offices of our clients. This agreement with ARIOSTEA is another step towards fulfilling our clients’ expectations. Though, in the last 5-7 years, numerous brands of large format porcelain slabs have become available in the UAE, Ariostea stands definitively apart, due to its high precision print quality, especially in marble & onyx designs, thanks to the most advanced print technology developed by Ariostea through relentless research and development. Any homeowner or architect would love to specify these beautiful surfaces.”
ARIOSTEA can be used conventionally for floors and walls, for all types of surface applications, and even for furniture and accessories. These slabs can be used for interior and exterior design solutions, tables, kitchens, bathrooms, countertops, washbasins, swing doors and much more.
The Sales Manager at Ariostea, Alessandro Branzoni says, “We have always wanted to associate with a luxury marble company in the region, not only for sales & marketing, but also to gain insight and experience from the marble industry. Using the classical marble cutting and fixing techniques for large format technical ceramic slabs will bring a great transformation in the usage of large format ceramics from standard porcelain products. Overall, a natural stone look can never go out of style, and we are really excited about our new partnership with GLAZE and we would like to assure UAE’s home owners, architects and designers that as a team, we will give you the best experience possible.”
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George Karl is appointed as managing director of Preciosa Gulf
Preciosa announced the appointment of George Karl as managing director of Preciosa Gulf. In his new role, Karl will take the lead in implementing the brand’s vision across the Middle East and Africa. He will manage the execution and development of business strategies across the company, working in tandem with designers and developers alike.
Born and raised in the Czech Republic amongst master glass artisans of the Crystal Valley, Karl has a great reverence for the legacy of Preciosa and a desire to see the company continue its pre-eminence in producing exceptional designs across the region. Karl looks forward to leading Preciosa in the next chapter of its growth and looks to elevate Preciosa by furthering its reputational excellence in the world of bespoke decorative lighting.Preciosa is a leading international glass manufacturer that offers unparalleled craftsmanship and brings new creativity and innovation to the art of glassmaking.
The company’s installations are synonymous with sophistication and elegance and encompass intricate wall sculptures and elaborate crystal chandeliers that hang boldly from ceilings all over the world. The lighting company is also renowned for its creative and innovative references, having installed bespoke Bohemian crystal installations across a plethora of prestigious venues in the UAE, including the Mandarin Oriental Jumeira and Atlantis, The Palm. Under Karl’s management, this list is set to expand with future projects to be launched in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and UAE.
Karl disclosed: “I’m incredibly honoured to lead Preciosa Gulf as we embark on this next chapter of our company’s future. My passion for crystal and lighting comes from a childhood growing up amongst the world’s top lighting designers at Preciosa and in the heart of the Crystal Valley in the Czech Republic where I was born. I have tremendous respect for the generations of artisans and talented teams that work with us at Preciosa and am proud of the award-winning work that comes out of our international ateliers. I look forward to continuing and strengthening our strong relations with all our partners within the luxury resorts & hotels, villas, and palaces, and also look forward to shaping the future innovations at Preciosa Lighting across the Middle East and beyond…”
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SSH is appointed as the Design and Supervision Consultant for Byout Hessah Development in Kuwait
SSH is excited to announce its involvement as Design and Supervision Consultant for the newly-launched Byout Hessah development, Package 2, of United Real Estate Company’s Hessah AlMubarak District in Kuwait.
Nestled within Hessah AlMubarak District’s modern, all-inclusive mixed-use neighbourhood, Byout Hessah offers a luxurious contemporary living community with a unique mix of townhouses and apartments with stunning views stretching from the Arabian Gulf to the heart of Kuwait City.
Byout stands out as a bold enclave inspired by Kuwait’s vision of future living, embracing high-end modern architecture harmonised by exclusivity and privacy. With a BUA of 47,000sqm, the development comprises 40 luxury townhouses and two 12-floor residential buildings with 104 upscale apartments, featuring spacious open plan designs, welcoming natural sunlight. Set amidst landscaped surroundings and conveniently located next to Hessah AlMubarak District’s retail and dining hub and other commercial components, residents will enjoy a live-work-play lifestyle.
As the first ever comprehensive, mixed-use district in Kuwait, Hessah AlMubarak District showcases residential buildings, serviced apartments, offices, clinics, health clubs, commercial activities, retail as well as food and beverage offerings. Once complete, the total leasable BUA of the development will be 381,000sqm.
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10 Design appointed to lead on the design of Shenzhen Pengcheng Laboratory
10 Design has been appointed to realise the design vision of the Shenzhen Government for phase one of the city’s forthcoming flagship scientific research facility, the Shenzhen Pengcheng laboratory. The practice won the project following a national public tender process held by the Shenzhen Government and Pengcheng Laboratory.
Phase one of the schemes’ wider masterplan will manifest in circa 436,500sqm of laboratory space incorporating a series of research spaces, with accompanying recreation, dining, sports and social facilities. 10 Design’s brief is to design a space which promotes social interaction between the researchers who will occupy the site.
Nick Cordingley, design partner at 10 Design commented: “Our plans have been assembled to position social amenity spaces at the heart of the scheme, complemented by a series of elevated connected walkaways which navigate the terrain and the internal movement to allow connectivity and fluidity when passing through. This part of the development will be split into three main sections: the northern campus, the southern campus, and the central social hub with VIP conference facility and a focal sculptural element.”
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FTI Consulting’s Connor Curran has been appointed as regional vice-chair of CIOB
Connor Curran, director at FTI Consulting in Abu Dhabi, has been appointed regional vice-chair of The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) for the MENA region.
Based in the Middle East for 10 years and having significant experience in providing expert advice to both employer and contractor, Curran is well versed in the issues that arise on projects across the Middle East. Some of the key elements of Connor’s role will include the promotion the CIOB across the MENA region, arranging and conducting relevant and topical CPD events, providing input to CIOB initiatives/policies and engaging with the next generation towards obtaining professional chartered status.