TBH boosts Saudi team with leadership hires Mike Belt and Alaa Arabi

International project management consultancy TBH has expanded its senior team in the Middle East with the hires of Mike Belt and Alaa Arabi.

Both new members join the Australian-origin firm in its growing Saudi practice, which launched around five years ago and recently moved into a new, larger office space on King Fahd Road in Riyadh to accommodate its growth.

“The Middle East is now TBH’s second largest business unit globally, with particularly Saudi Arabia forming a core part of our overall business growth in recent years,” said Christopher Nicolas, Director at TBH. “I am delighted to welcome Mike and Alaa to our leadership team – their experience and knowledge will be instrumental in further enhancing our offering to our clients and will also provide additional management expertise to support our ongoing expansion in the region.”

Established in 1965, TBH specialises in planning and delivering high-risk, large-scale projects in the build environment. The consulting firm provide strategic advice in the early stages of projects, supports the delivery phase with a range of services (project management, PMO, risk management, and cost control), and guides clients through unforeseen issues such as disputes and claims.

Mike Belt joins TBH as the Country Director for Saudi Arabia, bringing over three decades of experience, primarily in the Middle East, working on projects across a range of industries including oil and gas, mega mixed-used developments, themed entertainment, and resort development.

A well-known figure in the industry, Belt previously held Executive Director positions at international consulting firms including WSP, Fluor, and Parsons in the Middle East, US and Asia.

Commenting on his appointment, Belt said: “TBH has experienced a strong growth trajectory in Saudi Arabia over the past five years – it is an exciting time to join the firm. I am delighted to be leading such a talented team and make a meaningful contribution in further strengthening TBH’s position in the market.”

Alaa Arabi joins TBH as a Principal, bringing a wealth of technical expertise in project controls, planning & scheduling, cost management, and risk mitigation. Throughout his career, Arabi has worked on the delivery of multi-billion-dollar mega and giga programmes, including industrial cities, ports, metros, city development infrastructure, and heritage and cultural assets.

Prior to TBH, he served Jasara Program Management Company (a joint venture between Public Investment Fund, Jacobs, and Saudi Aramco), spent eight years at Bechtel, and worked for a regional player in the construction sector.

“As a specialist consultancy renowned for working on high-risk, large-scale and challenging projects around the world, joining TBH was a natural fit for me given my experience working on complex giga projects,” noted Arabi. “I am looking forward to working closely with our clients to elevate our service offering and continue in supporting on the delivery of some of the world’s most iconic projects in Saudi Arabia.”