MILENA EL SAHMARANI

Projects to Credit:
• Diriyah Gate, a monumental SAR 64 billion development project sprawling across 7 km², is instrumental in transforming this historic, cultural, and lifestyle destination into the beating heart of the Kingdom. Diriyah Gate seamlessly blends heritage, hospitality, education, retail, and dining experiences.
• Grand opening of Bujairi Terrace, an elite culinary haven housing 22 prestigious F&B units, including internationally renowned names like Hakkasan, Bruno, Tatel, Flamingo Room, and Cova.
• UNESCO Heritage: Spearheaded design/delivery process for retailers at the UNESCO World Heritage site, At’Turaif, ensuring every detail resonated with historical authenticity while offering modern-day allure.
• Commanded the overall design coordination for an astonishing portfolio of over 500 retail and F&B units across various project phases. Highlights include:
o Zalal Albujairi: 12 F&B units, each an epitome of gastronomic artistry.
o Diriyah Square: A colossal 422 Retail and F&B units, setting new benchmarks in retail splendor.
o Art District: 122 Retail and F&B units, fusing creativity and commerce.
o Samhan: 27 distinctive Retail and F&B units, each narrating a unique story.
Key Contributions:
• Visionary Strategist: Engineering the comprehensive design strategy for the Diriyah Projects' design criteria manual and guidelines, setting the highest standard for design excellence and consistency.
• Design Leadership: Providing strategic design direction and mentorship to a team of designers, ensuring the delivery of high-quality and innovative retail shopping mall projects.
• Strong Communicator: Revolutionizing tenant design communication processes, fostering seamless collaboration and elevating the quality of design submissions that align with client objectives and market trends.
• Consultant Collaborator: Partnering with top-tier consultants to research, plan, design, and oversee the retail assets, leveraging deep expertise in design and construction procedures, materials, and specifications.
• Team Collaboration: Fostering a collaborative and inspiring work environment, encouraging effective communication and idea-sharing among team members and other departments.
• Client Engagement: Cultivating strong relationships with clients, understanding their vision and requirements, and translating them into actionable design strategies.
• Issue Resolver: Actively participating in progress review and coordination meetings, adeptly resolving design and construction discrepancies to maintain project momentum.
• Diligent Reporter: Producing detailed weekly and monthly reports, providing comprehensive status updates that ensured transparency and informed decision-making.
• Municipality Liaison: Skillfully navigated the approval and permit landscape by engaging with Municipality UMA, and securing necessary endorsements to keep the project on track.
• Market Research: Staying informed about industry trends, innovations, and emerging technologies in retail design, integrating these insights into the development of cutting-edge projects.

Projects to Credit:
• Mall of Qatar, Al Rayyan, Qatar - Opened December 2016 with over 400, 000 sqm BUA, housing more than 400 retail units and F&B outlets and offering unique entertainment experiences.
Project Responsibilities:
• Offered input on the creation, development, and adaptation of globally generated retail assets to ensure market relevance. Provided conceptual thinking whilst delivering commercially viable solutions. Be a source of innovation and inspiration to shape future design thinking.
• Spearheaded the retail design and delivery team, ensuring tenants' design processes and fit-outs were executed flawlessly and on schedule in addition to approving designs for retail and F&B units.
• Coordinated seamlessly with the Operations team on key deliverables for tenancy units. Crafted strategic development plans, issuing innovative concepts, budgets, and comprehensive project briefs.
• Managed stakeholder coordination, producing C-level reports focused on critical deliverables, risks, schedules, and budgets. Developed a comprehensive tenant coordination procedure, enhancing delivery timelines and quality.
• Authored a pioneering Kiosks design criteria manual, ensuring harmony with the Mall's architecture.
Projects to Credit:
• May 2021 - April 2022: Mall of Qatar Luxury Area Redevelopment
Project Responsibilities:
• Defined, owned, and refined retail design process, structured the design development, review, and approval of architectural designs and materials.
• Delivered information on retailer and solidified industry connections, maintaining synergetic relations with stakeholders and government authorities.
• Monitored progress, variations, and change requests, and maintained and updated resource and status reports to ensure effective project management and upward reporting directly to the CEO.
• Proposed new design solutions for affected areas, demonstrating effective problem-solving skills.
Projects to Credit:
• Dec 2020 - Nov 2021: Mall of Qatar Road Redevelopment
Project Responsibilities:
• Role: Project managed and represented Mall of Qatar for the road enhancement project, monitored progress and interim payments, reviewed change requests, coordinated with mall FM and stakeholders, and liaised with marketing for customer experience.
• Achievements: Enhanced road circulation within the plot to connect all external parking areas, added 2 new roundabouts, drop-off zones, paving, and aesthetic lights.
Projects to Credit:
• 2019 - 2022: Grand Zone Mix-Use Development
Project Responsibilities:
• Role: Managed design coordination for the connection between the mall and Grand Zone, arranged area statements and project dossiers for leasing and marketing, managed the retail delivery team handling retail units, coordinated stakeholder changes and variations, monitored progress, and issued reports to the CEO.
• Description: An extension to Mall of Qatar featuring 15 residential towers, a school, and retail stores.
Projects to Credit:
• The Eighteen Tower - APM Head Office
Project Responsibilities:
• Role: Managed the retail delivery team, enhanced development designs, and oversaw ongoing construction within tenant areas and the tower/Description: A 36-floor tower consisting of offices, retail, and amenities.
Projects to Credit:
• ALMAHA ISLAND - Design Phase
Project Responsibilities:
• Role: Led design management, collaborated with the leasing team to gather requirements, and coordinated with tenants' design teams for restaurants like Beef Bar, Billionaire, Zuma, Tatel, Lpm, Em Sherif, Rossopomodoro, Nammos Beach Club, and others./Description: An entertainment destination with 95, 000 sqm of rides and entertainment park, a 9, 000 sqm events venue, restaurants, beach club, marine yard, hotel & huts.

Designation Chronology
• Dec 2011 - Apr 2017: Head of Projects, Design & Tenant Coordination
• Aug 2008 - Dec 2011: Client Representative Tenancy Project Manager
Projects to Credit:
• Lagoona Mall, a premier retail destination in Doha, spans over 128, 000m² with 160 stores, 18 food and beverage outlets, and a 20, 000m² outdoor piazza. Since its opening in 2011, serving as landmark for luxury shopping & dining.
Key Contributions - Lagoona Mall - Pre-Opening Phase:
• Bringing extensive industry experience to the table, driven by a passion for innovation and excellence with a sustainable approach to the design of the built environment.
• Acted as the client representative, responsible for material selection and coordination with stakeholders.
• Managed civil and electromechanical base building works, ensuring efficient electrical load distribution to tenants.
• Provided diverse exhaust solutions for restaurants and approved gas proposals for the mall network.
• Supervised electrical meter approvals and installations.
• Project Management:
o Lagoona Mall Loose Furniture: Oversaw design management, material selection, production, and installation inspection (Dec 2010 - Oct 2011).
o Lagoona Mall Wayfinding: Led design management, production, and installation management (Mar 2011 - Oct 2011).
• Retail Delivery/Tenant Coordination: Directed the retail delivery team for design and fit-out works, reviewing and approving tenant designs in line with guidelines.
• Streamlined tenant coordination processes, enhancing efficiency and achieving organizational objectives.
• Successfully opened over 140 retail units and 15 innovative F&B restaurants, including:
o 51East Department Store (Darwish Holding) - 12, 000m2 BUA.
o Carrefour Market - 1, 200m2.
o Flik Cinema - 1, 000m2, 8 premium theatres, 1, 600 seats.
o CHANEL Boutique & Jewelry - 700m2.
o Rolex Boutique, Boucheron, Patek Philippe, Fauchon, Paul Café, B&O, FNAC, Tory Burch, Michael Kors, Mouawad, Kenzo, Mulberry, Cioccolatitaliani, among others.
• Participated in budgeting, adding revenue from additional resources and consultancy services.
• Revised the design criteria manual, tenant coordination procedures, and contractors' rules and regulations.

Key Contributions -Post-Opening Phase/PIAZZA Renovation Project (Jan 2012 - Dec 2013):
• Scope: Upgraded interlock flooring to stone, added wooden pergolas, enhanced waterproofing and landscaping, added wind barriers, and aesthetic lighting to the water lagoon fountain for a total area of 20, 000m²
• Intersected skills in design, advanced technology, and project management, preparing project briefs, conceptual and architectural designs, detailed architectural drawings, construction documents, and technical specifications, and realizing diverse designs for both aesthetics and efficiency.
• Managed the wind study with WINDTECH, Australia, creating a wind tunnel to study effects in the piazza.
• Coordinated design with PDS (Papas Design Studios), Canada, on wooden pergolas along restaurants.
• Approved material selection for stone pavements from Italy and lighting and windscreens from Korea.
Key Contributions -Lagoona AVENUE Renovation (12 months):
• Scope: Demolished existing retail units, opened a new corridor on the first floor and introduced new interior design packages with aesthetic light features and upscale finishes for a total area of 2, 400m².
• Directed and integrated the planning, design, material selection, and technical aspects of projects, while carefully controlling quality, cost, and schedule.
• Managed luxurious custom-made loose furniture design review/approval, production, and installation inspection.

Key Contributions - Beirut Souks, Lebanon
• Played a pivotal role in revamping the Tenants Manual and Contractor’s Guidelines, ensuring seamless integration of cutting-edge architectural practices.
• Designed comprehensive master sheets for meticulous monitoring and reporting of fit-out progress, resulting in unprecedented efficiency and precision in project execution.
Key Contributions - Westown, Egypt:
• Produced comprehensive project proposals, deftly integrating inputs from multiple disciplines, showcasing an exceptional ability to synergize various project components.
• Crafted detailed external project assessments, providing invaluable insights for project enhancements.

Projects to Credit:
• ABC Mall Achrafieh, BUA: 127, 000 sqm; 170 Retail units & ABC Dbayeh - BUA: 44, 274 sqm; 205 retail units
• ABC Mall Achrafieh, Level 1 extension, 6, 000 m2
• ABC Mall Achrafieh, Level Zero Renovation, 5, 500 m2
• ABC Mall Dbayeh Extension and renovation, 44, 000 m2
• ABC Mall Achrafieh Department store, renovation project levels Three & Zero, 8000 m2
• ABC Department Store Jordan Amman, 4, 800 sqm.
Key Contributions:
• Achieved seamless plan approvals, expertly managed detailing, furniture design, and overall mall planning designs.
• Directed the execution of retail and F&B units, reviewing contractors’ shop drawings to adhering to standards.
• Maintained rigorous supervision and coordination with consultants and tenants, ensuring all designs conformed to ABC’s stringent standards and technical rules.
• Developed/executed innovative concept designs for shop-in-shops across various ABC department store branches.
• Maintained vigilant supervision of site progress, overseeing both architectural and electromechanical works.
• Provided invaluable support to the Project Manager, contributing to design efforts and issuing weekly reports.
• Orchestrated timely approvals and project submittals, facilitating successful project completion within designated timeframes and budgets including renovation projects, enhancing aesthetic and functional aspects of ABC Malls.

o BUA: 80, 000 square meter mall that offers 220 stores with a hypermarket a cinema complex with 9 movie theaters, indoor Karting area, specialty shops and a BHV department store on 2 levels
o Electrical infrastructure of CITY Mall, BUA: 210, 000 sqm, 200 units
o GEANT Hypermarket (later Carrefour)-CITY Mall, Area:11, 000sqm
o 5 Retail outlets including Petit Bateau, Cinemacity and Eric Kayser
o BHV Department Store- City Mall, Area:12, 500 sqm on two levels

o Lebanese University Campus (LUC), Hadath, Lebanon, project is designed to regroup 13 faculty buildings supported by dormitories, central catering and sports complex. Total land surface area: 705, 000 m2 / Total BUA: 360, 000 m2 Total project cost: USD 500 million

Analyzing architectural aspects and lifting as built for archaeological & Heritage sites and preparing a full documentary for The Temple of Eshmun (Phoenician 529-333 BC) Saida, Fortress of Kayfoun, Maysanoun village, etc.