Kareem Shamma has recently been appointed as the chief development officer of the entertainment, sports and cultural destination of the Qiddiya Investment Co. (QIC).

Qiddiya, which is due to open by the end of 2022, is expected to be the world’s largest entertainment city by 2030. It is located around 40 km from the center of the capital.

Shamma has spent decades working in the Gulf Cooperation Council states, with periods in Bahrain and the UAE, as well as in the UK. He started his professional life in Saudi Arabia, where he spent several years as an engineer working on Riyadh’s ring road network, including the construction of a number of its bridges and underpasses.

Shamma was the CEO of Bawabat Al-Shamal Real Estate Co. WLL (BASREC) in Qatar for seven years, between 2012 and 2019. He was responsible for delivering one of the region’s largest entertainment, hospitality and retail projects at the time.

He was regional director of URS Scott Wilson in Bahrain for two years between 2009 and 2011. He also worked for other companies in Bahrain. Shamma holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and a master’s in concrete structures from Imperial College London.

“I spent my early career in the Kingdom developing key infrastructure, as the capital city grew and the Kingdom developed. To come back a second time and work on this extraordinary project is a chance of a lifetime,” Shamma said of his new role.

Qiddiya’s chief administration officer, Abdul Aziz Al-Remaihi, said: “We welcome Kareem back to Riyadh. He has a wealth of experience that will help us to create the capital of entertainment, sports and the arts here in the Kingdom.”