Dokainish & Company Announces Strategic Expansion Into MENA Region With New Managing Director Appointment

Dokainish & Company, a leader in project controls and technology consulting, announces the launch of its MENA operations, headquartered in the United Arab Emirates. This expansion supports the firm’s strategy to serve government and private sector clients in capital projects across construction, infrastructure, energy, and commercial developments. To drive this initiative, Dokainish & Company has appointed Esam El-Makkawy as the Managing Director for the MENA Region.

“Esam’s expertise in managing complex, high-impact projects will be instrumental in helping our clients achieve their most ambitious goals,” said Tarik Dokainish, CEO & President of Dokainish & Company. “His deep understanding of the MENA region, combined with his proven track record across key industries, ensures we can deliver the innovative solutions our clients need to navigate the challenges and opportunities in this dynamic market.”

Mr. El-Makkawy brings 25 years of experience in infrastructure projects and cross-border real estate developments. His recent role as Regional Finance Director for The LINE at NEOM involved delivering feasibility and business cases during the ideation and master-planning phases, where he played a critical role in shaping this landmark project. His extensive work required coordination across design, development, and construction teams, aligning with multiple economic sectors.

In addition to NEOM, Mr. El-Makkawy has a proven track record across global markets, leading over USD $5Bn in IPOs and M&A mandates. At Reditum Capital in London, he managed multi-billion private equity and credit strategies across key global markets. In the UAE, he led USD $500Mn in ECA debt financing from the UK government for the One Central District mixed-use development at Dubai World Trade Centre. As CFO of Souq Extra, he orchestrated transformative community retail developments and asset sales to ENBD REIT, delivering the company’s first dividend to shareholders. Based in Abu Dhabi, Mr. El-Makkawy holds an MBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business at Western University and is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) and Chartered Management Accountant (CMA).

Dokainish & Company operates globally with offices in the USA, UAE, and Canada. The firm works with Fortune 500 clients and its work was recognized as 2023 PMO of the Year, the Americas, and 2022 Runner-Up for Global PMO of the Year. Known for its expertise in program management, project controls, and technology implementations, Dokainish & Company has a proven track record in delivering major capital projects.