Atkins, a global design, engineering and project management consultancy, has appointed Tom Hasker as managing director for its 750-people strong property division in the Middle East.

Hasker has been with the Atkins group, as Middle East director of project management for Faithful+Gould, since 2013. Prior to that he was regional managing director for project management consultancy Confluence until its acquisition by Atkins.

Hasker will be responsible for spearheading Atkins' strategic growth in the property sector across the Middle East, with a focus on the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Oman. He has more than 18 years' experience in client and design management, project management and property development.

"Atkins is synonymous with some of the Middle East's most iconic and important building projects, so it's a massive privilege to be able to lead such a high-performing and talented team," said Hasker.

"We're proud of our history, but we're also incredibly excited about our future and the continuing role we're playing to shape the region's urban environments.

"Our challenge today is about helping clients with the next phase in the region's transformation, which involves using our creativity to design and engineer fantastic, people-friendly and sustainable places which compete with the most advanced cities in the world."

Simon Moon, chief executive for Atkins in the Middle East, said: "Our property division has been at the heart of our success in the Middle East for the last 40 years, so we needed an outstanding individual for this role.

"I'm really pleased and confident that Tom fits this mould perfectly. He's established a fantastic reputation in the market and is a natural leader who understands how to inspire and motivate talented teams."

Atkins is among the foremost multidisciplinary designers in the Middle East property sector, having delivered a portfolio of projects which includes the Burj Al Arab, Jumeirah Beach Hotel, the Address Downtown (all in Dubai), Yas Waterworld Abu Dhabi and the Bahrain World Trade Centre. – TradeArabia News Service