New MEA Regional Base Joins Firm’s Key Global Offices in Dallas, New York, Los Angeles, and Singapore.
“Middle East Leading the Global Architectural Design Race,” Says CEO.
Dubai, UAE—March 10, 2014: Wilson Associates, US-based global interior architectural design firm best known for its award-winning work in the hospitality and high-end residential sectors, has announced today the opening of its Middle East & Africa (MEA) regional office in Dubai, UAE.
Wilson Associates’ Dubai office will become an important addition to the firm’s other key global offices and will support the firm’s existing projects in the Middle East and Africa, while developing new projects in a region witnessing an unprecedented boom in premium hospitality project development.
“The Middle East is leading the global race to design truly outstanding architectural landmarks, and we want to continue to be an important part of that story, just as we have for the past two decades. We want to continue our legacy of designing tomorrow’s landmarks,” stated Wilson Associates’ CEO Olivier Chavy.
“With more than 400 hotels set to be delivered over the next five years, we believe our services—based on both our global and regional reputation of excellence—will be very much in demand. Wilson Associates has always been one of the industry’s most progressive firms, and now we are working with clients across the region to create new standards of luxury in hospitality,” added Chavy.
Operating in the Middle East for more than 20 years and having completed more than 25 projects in the region, Wilson Associates has designed interiors of some of the most iconic projects in the gulf, including the Royal Mirage in Dubai, the Shangri-La in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Oman, the St. Regis in Doha, and the Four Seasons in Cairo.
The Dubai office will have a regional view and will become Wilson Associates’ base of operations in expanding and supporting the firm’s growing list of clients and projects in the Middle East and Africa, especially as the region prepares to host the World Expo 2020 and 2022’s FIFA World Cup Football Finals.
The decision to establish a permanent presence in the region was also driven by a keen understanding and deep appreciation of the values that are important to the people of this region.
“In the Gulf region, hospitality is not a mere economic strategy or commercial opportunity, it is a defining attribute and a cherished legacy,” commented Firas Alsalih, Wilson Associates’ newly appointed Managing Director for the Middle East and Africa. “As a firm, we are focused on transposing the region’s rich legacy of hospitality on our global projects in Asia, Europe, North and South America.”
The Dubai office opening represents Wilson Associates’ great confidence in the local economies of the region and their emergence as global leaders, affirming their belief that a local presence goes beyond mere commercial considerations and allows the firm to fulfill its commitment to be a good corporate citizen in supporting the communities in which it operates.
Alsalih said Wilson Associates hopes to work closely with major educational institutes to help mentor students of design, and to help foster emerging regional design talent.
“This mentorship program not only allows us to support the development of local talent, but also gives our designers unique cultural insights, enabling them to continue creating trendsetting designs with local flair.”
Opening a new office in Dubai has been a very deliberate decision with a long-term vision. Company executives point out the firm’s Singapore office as a model for healthy organic growth, expecting the same success in Dubai. Wilson Associates Singapore opened in 1990 and has since grown to a major center of design excellence with more than 160 professionals.
About Wilson Associates
Specializing in interior architectural design, Wilson Associates was founded in 1971 and today employs 400 professionals located across eight international offices: Abu Dhabi, Dallas (headquarters), Dubai, Kochi, Los Angeles, New York, Shanghai, and Singapore. Blending experience, innovation and strong business principles, Wilson Associates continually sets the design standard for some of the world’s most well-known addresses. The firm creates interiors for world-class hotels, resorts, restaurants, casinos and high-end residential properties, offering a full range of design services. Wilson Associates is consistently ranked as one of the top firms in the hospitality design industry worldwide.
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