Ramzi Kanaan

Overseeing controls and governance for one of the world's most high-profile giga-projects, Oxagon, a semi-floating industrial city under development owned by NEOM (area 48M m²), and a confidential urban regeneration and mixed-use real estate development mega programme for the Public Investment Fund (PIF).
• Governed PMO Framework: Established and enforced the project control framework governing cost, schedule, risk, and quality across all infrastructure disciplines within NEOM's Industrial City mega project and mixed-use real estate development for the Public Investment Fund (PIF), serving as the primary assurance lead for scope, budget, and schedule adherence, setting standardized policies and procedures.
• Directed Financial Performance & Controls: Led commercial strategy for variations and claims, securing over SAR 75M in revenue and time extensions. Implemented Earned Value Management (EVM), driving 10-15% budget savings through rigorous cost control.
• Conduct project health checks and assurance reviews across the portfolio, identifying delivery, commercial, cost, schedule and governance risks while recommending corrective actions to senior management.
• Led Executive Stakeholder Engagement: Acted as a primary interface with NEOM senior leadership, presenting strategic dashboards and performance analyses to inform executive decision-making and ensure continuous alignment on project progress.
• Managed integrated project schedules, action trackers, and executive dashboards.
• Championed Talent Development: Mentored the project controls team, fostering a culture of excellence and knowledge sharing to build sustainable delivery capability.

Directed end-to-end project controls for the strategic SAR 1 billion King Salman Airbase design-and-build project for the Saudi Ministry of Defence.
• Orchestrated Integrated Project Controls: Led all planning, scheduling, and cost control, integrating sub-schedules to create a single source of truth for management and client reporting.
• Managed Project Recovery & Compliance: Monitored baseline vs. actual performance, identified critical delays, and developed actionable recovery plans to bring the project back on track while ensuring compliance with client specifications.
• Steered Fiscal Management & Reporting: Developed the project budget, managed cost-to-complete forecasts, and conducted profitability analysis. Chaired weekly progress meetings with all stakeholders to resolve issues and ensure accountability.

Managed the project controls function and oversaw governance for a SAR 4.2 billion portfolio of housing complexes for the Saudi Ministry of Interior, leading a team of 22 professionals.
• Delivered Mega-Project Portfolio: Held full project controls accountability for three concurrent housing complexes (2, 700 units), ensuring integrated delivery across planning, cost, risk, and change management.
• Lead client, consultant, contractors and teams on all PMO and controls matters.
• Drove Financial Value & Continuous Improvement: Secured time extensions and claims valued at over SAR 100M. Implemented procurement and productivity initiatives that drove 10-20% budget savings, demonstrating a record of continuous improvement.
• Developed PMO reporting standards, procedures, and governance documentation.
• Developed Work Breakdown Structures (WBS), project coding structures, resource-loaded schedules, & progress measurement systems to support cost & schedule control.
• Led Digital Transformation & Standardisation: Championed the digitisation of PM workflows and reporting, enhancing data transparency for the Board. Built a high-performance department from the ground up, implementing standardised EVM procedures.
• Supported commissioning, testing, handover and project close-out planning while ensuring completion documentation complied with contractual requirements.
• Collaborated with site management and EHS teams to enforce safety and quality standards, contributing to a record of zero major accidents and ensuring alignment with client and regulatory specifications.

Managed planning and cost control for a diverse portfolio of Aramco and TOTAL oil & gas projects with a combined value exceeding SAR 3 billion.
• Managed Complex Multi-Project Portfolios: Directed all planning, scheduling, and cost control activities for multiple simultaneous mega-projects in the Jubail Refinery and pipelines.
• Protected Profitability & Client Liaison: Played a key role in securing over SAR 100M in claims and time extensions. Served as the primary client interface with Aramco and TOTAL, resolving issues and aligning on progress reporting.

Directed controls for international design-build projects, including planning, cost control, and led proposal development, securing over $85M in new projects.

Led a team of 15; won over $150M in projects, including Tripoli Airport, Dubai Metro, and Abu Dhabi Crude Oil Pipeline, by developing a new estimation system that increased bid success by 30%.

Direct Project Management Experience: End-to-end ownership of a $6M telecom infrastructure program, improving profitability by 25% and leading a team of 22.

Successfully designed over 70 steel structure projects (aircraft hangars, malls, industrial buildings, manufacturing facilities) valued over $100M.

Executed the Saida Compound project (24 residential buildings, $12M)