Ruwaad appoints Chief Development Officer

Nicholas Bashkiroff joins Ruwaad with more than 25 years of comprehensive experience in the pre-development stage of business, gleaned from his extensive work with large development organizations in the United States, Asia and the Middle East.

As Chief Development Officer, Nicholas will work alongside the CEO of Ruwaad for defining the strategic development plan for future Ruwaad destinations.

Ruwaad Holdings' group CEO Hayan Merchant, speaking on the appointment said:

'We are entering a very exciting period in terms of the development of our first destination, and needed a competent professional with proven experience, to efficiently lead the team responsible for making our unique projects successful.'

'Nicholas is a dynamic and tenured professional who has pioneered the success of many master-developed projects, so we look forward to benefitting from his inimitable skills, as we embark upon this important next phase,' he added.

With his astute sense and sagacity for creating winning developments, Nicholas was Development Director for the Pearl Qatar in Doha; responsible for the design, development, construction, operation and sales associated with the man-made 400 hectare island in the Arabian Gulf. Dubai Festival City is another example of Nicholas' eminent talent; working as Development Director for all pre-development activities associated with the $3.5bn mixed-use project - the largest privately funded real estate project in the Middle East. Throughout his esteemed career and from his solid reputation as an authority on destination development, Nicholas has been invited as a keynote speaker to a number of conferences and events, including the Urban Land Institute conference in New York.

Bashkiroff is a graduate from the Environmental School of Design at the University of California, Berkeley, USA and a graduate from the School of Architecture at the Rensselaer Polytech Institute in New York. He also undertook further study at the School of Architecture at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, Massachusetts.

Ruwaad has a unique partnership with Paramount Pictures for the development of a branded theme park in the UAE. Ruwaad and Paramount Licensing are also exploring other developments in select countries within the Middle East and elsewhere.