AESG, a leading global engineering and advisory firm, has announced the launch of a dedicated Structural Design and Engineering division, further strengthening its fully integrated, multi-disciplinary consultancy platform across the Middle East.
The new division enhances AESG’s ability to deliver concept-to-construction engineering solutions embedded within its established sustainability and cost consultancy expertise. By integrating structural engineering, commercial advisory and sustainability strategy from the earliest stages of project development, AESG enables clients to achieve design-to-budget outcomes, optimise embodied carbon and reduce downstream delivery risk.
AESG’s new division is embedded within a broader engineering and advisory ecosystem that aligns engineering decisions with capital efficiency, procurement strategy, material availability, regulatory compliance and long-term asset performance. This integrated approach enables structural solutions to be evaluated not only for technical robustness, but also for whole-life value and commercial viability.
The move comes as the increasing scale and complexity of projects in the region is driving the need for delivery-aligned, commercially intelligent engineering. Saeed Al Abbar, CEO at AESG, said the launch reinforces the company’s commitment to integrated delivery across the full asset lifecycle. “Our strength has always been in combining engineering, sustainability and cost intelligence into a single advisory platform. The addition of a dedicated Structural Design and Engineering division strengthens that model, allowing us to influence critical structural decisions at concept stage while protecting commercial outcomes and long-term asset value. Across the UAE and Saudi Arabia, projects are increasing in complexity and ambition. To deliver successfully, engineering strategies must be aligned with sustainability targets, procurement realities and financial objectives from day one. This integrated approach improves certainty, reduces risk and drives stronger project performance.”
The Structural Design and Engineering division will support clients across feasibility, concept design, detailed design, early contractor engagement and construction-stage advisory. By embedding structural strategy early and aligning it with cost modelling and sustainability analysis, AESG aims to reduce redesign risk, protect programme milestones and improve budget certainty.
The division will focus on:
- Optimising embodied carbon through material efficiency and alternative structural systems
- Aligning structural design with capital budgets and procurement strategies
- Accelerating delivery through modular and repeatable methodologies
- Enhancing durability and resilience in response to regional climatic conditions
- Improving whole-life asset performance and adaptability
AESG has appointed Matthew Cross as Director of the new division. With more than 25 years of experience in the built environment, Cross has held senior leadership roles at AECOM and Arcadis, overseeing large international & multidisciplinary teams and directing major projects across Saudi Arabia and the UAE. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) from Griffith University and is a Chartered Structural Engineer in Australia.
“Developers today are operating with compressed delivery programmes and expecting increasingly sophisticated delivery models from initiation,” said Cross. “Design-to-budget is no longer aspirational — it is a key metric at every stage. We are also seeing greater reliance on early works and structural packages to de-risk the critical path. By integrating well engineered structural solutions with cost consultancy and our inhouse multidiscipline engineering teams from the outset, we are helping clients make informed trade-offs that protect both programme and commercial performance.”
Joining AESG as Technical Director, Dr. Gavin Lume brings deep expertise in complex structural design and regional delivery. He holds a PhD from the University of Sydney and has led teams across the Middle East on major programmes, including hyper-luxury Red Sea developments. His experience in structural dynamics contributed to landmark projects such as the Burj Khalifa and Dubai Frame. Dr. Lume emphasised the importance of tailoring engineering solutions to regional realities:
“International developers entering the region can underestimate how local processes, procurement constraints and construction norms shape programme certainty and buildability. Integrating regional design, procurement and construction expertise early alongside the wider specialist disciplines, enables holistic solutions that are coordinated and practical to deliver on site. This new division brings earlier clarity on the intent of the project, aligning the structural design with stakeholder expectations from the outset.”
With the launch of its Structural Design and Engineering division, AESG reinforces its position as a fully integrated engineering and advisory partner, capable of delivering commercially resilient, sustainability-led and delivery-ready developments across the Middle East.