Middle East Council of Shopping Centres announces new appointments to advisory board

Mohammed I.B. Alawi, who has been Vice President of the council since 2004, will now serve as the President of MECSC and Maher Al Shaer, currently General Manager of MAF Investments, will be the new Vice President.

The Executive Board Committee meets several times a year and is responsible for setting strategies and giving direction to the MECSC Secretariat office in Dubai, located at the Burjuman Business Towers.

Commenting on the new appointments, Kim Redman, Regional Director of MECSC, said, "This year's appointments are especially noteworthy, as we have for the first time two Arab nationals in the positions of President and Vice President, in addition to our Chairman Majid Saif Al Ghurair. Both Mohammed Alawi and Maher Al Shaer have contributed greatly to the growth of MECSC in their previous roles and we look forward to working more closely with them."

Alawi has played an important role in outlining MECSC's mission to retail operators and mall developers in GCC, especially in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He has over 16 years of experience in engineering, facilities management and the mall industry.

Currently, he is also the Saudi-Arabia country General Manager for MAF Shopping Malls Co and was formerly the Vice President of Leasing and Retail Property Division, United Properties Group, part of the Savola Group.

"Shopping centres are a major contributor to the region's economy, in terms of revenue and employment opportunities. MECSC has played an important role in advancing shopping centre development in the region through advocating best practices, creating awareness and conducting training and development programmes. Started with only a handful of associates in 1994, today the organisation is 700-members strong which shows the growing influence of the council, "said Mohammed Alawi.

"This year, we look to further boosting membership numbers, introducing new modules of training programmes and continue to provide networking and business opportunities through conference and trade events," Alawi added.