J/Brice Design International names Khalid Latif as Senior Vice President for Middle East Operations and Development

Latif manages the firm's marketing among hotel developers and operators and the commercial real estate community in the Middle East. J/Brice Design is currently under contract with several resort and hotel projects now being completed in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Qatar as well as upcoming signature real estate developments in Bahrain, Ethiopia, Jordan, Libya, Tanzania and Zanzibar.

Before joining J/Brice Design International as Vice president Latif originated several projects for the firm as a consultant with Bivings Group, a Washington, DC-headquartered lobbying and public affairs firm with access to the legislative and executive branches of the US government. Latif has developed international business relationships and strategic communication campaigns aimed at fostering relationships between international clients from Western and Middle Eastern nations.

In announcing the appointment, Jeffrey Ornstein, CEO and founder of the two-decade-old design firm, stated:

"Khalid possess a versatile professional background in marketing management, coupled with an international cosmopolitan education that culminated with degrees in International Relations and Economics from the Tufts University Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy."

Latif's was graduated from private and public schools in the United Kingdom, Switzerland and Algeria. In addition to his native Urdu, he is fluent in English, French and Arabic.

Following his appointment, Latif said, "There is a new global perspective developing throughout the Arab world and I am proud to be associated with a cutting-edge firm that is participating in Arabia's emergence as an international architectural and design innovator. I hope to reinforce the firm's reputation for cross-cultural understanding and contribute to redefining the luxury architectural landscape in the Middle East."

Latif brings tremendous intellectual depth to the post. His scholarly work includes a wealth of research and position papers such as, Enhancing US-Saudi Relations, Public Diplomacy in Saudi Arabia: Suggestions for New Strategies,

US-Saudi Relations: Rebuilding the Strategic Consensus and Investor Perceptions and Establishment of Image-Building Objectives.

While at Tufts University, he held numerous leadership positions including the International Affairs and Economics Club, where he helped foster the intellectual life of the university community by arranging seminars on the most pressing conflicts of the world.

"The Middle East's influence on the hospitality industry worldwide, will become even more powerful in the 2010 decade, and Khalid will have a big influence on developing region's image as a luxury destination. What is more, Khalid shares our vision and passion for the hospitality industry. His depth of understanding of Middle Eastern culture will contribute immeasurably to helping us achieve our goals in the region," added Ornstein.

"Arabian prominence in the hospitality world started with the Burj al Arab -- the hotel that branded Dubai in much the same way as the Eiffel Tower branded Paris and the Golden Gate Bridge branded San Francisco. Notably, the Burj al Arab's distinctive sail shape marks the first time a hotel, rather than a public structure, has become the defining icon of a city. Khalid will play a big role in seeing to it that the trend continues," said Ornstein.

Latif will oversee current J/Brice projects that include The Khalifa Hotel in Doha, Qatar, and Al-Khobar Hotel and Towers in The Kingdom Saudi Arabia adds, "The region's emergence as leader, rather than follower of European and American neo-modernist architecture, is coupled with a new ultra-high-end guest with a global perspective and heightened expectations. This guest expects to be awed."