BrazilRICS appoints Haroon Niazi (HKA) as regional chair
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), a global professional body for professionals in the build environment, has appointed HKA leader Haroon Niazi as Chair of its Middle East and Africa World Regional Board.
As the new Chair of the regional-focused board, Haroon Niazi will spearhead the RICS strategy and objectives at the regional level, and oversee plans rolled out across the Middle East and Africa.
“It is an honour to be appointed to this role. The World Regional Board plays a key part in delivering RICS’ strategic objectives, benefiting members as well as key stakeholders both in the private and public sector. I look forward to working with RICS colleagues and fellow board members as we aim to continue with some of our key initiatives.”
With a heritage of over 150 years, RICS sets the standard for over 130,000 members and candidates operating in the development and management of land, real estate, construction and infrastructure across more than 140 countries globally.
Niazi, who leads HKA’s Construction Claims and Expert (CCE) practice across Europe, Middle East and Africa, will also become a member of the Membership Services Committee (MSC), representing the Middle East and Africa region.
The purpose of the MSC is to advise on how RICS’ strategy is operationalised so that members feel valued and engaged while recommending the regional business plans developed by World Regional Board. The MSC in addition oversees member services and experience.
Niazi is a chartered quantity surveyor with more than 18 years of experience in the construction industry. He has been with HKA for close to seven years, specialising in construction claims and disputes, with his track record including working of disputes worth billions of dollars.
In particular, Niazi has worked on all of the major railway projects being undertaken in Saudi Arabia and is currently advising on a number of large-scale oil and gas projects. A testifying quantum expert, Niazi is currently also involved in both domestic and international arbitration proceedings.
At RICS, Niazi succeeds Chris Seymour, Managing Director MENA at engineering group Mace.
