Fawaz Alharbi

Fawaz is an architect who believes in urban planning. He recently concluded a seven-year journey as the Senior Head of Master Planning at Jeddah Economic Company, with responsibility to oversee the urban planning and design activities. This included the Smart City program and other initiatives related to Jeddah Economic City development and Jeddah Tower, the world’s next tallest tower. He then joined the Public Investment Fund as a Director of Urban Planning, utilising his expertise in a broader, much more ambitious way.

Fawaz has over 20 years of practical experience which has allowed him to obtain a diverse range of skills in his varied design, planning, leadership, management and supervision roles. He was trained as an architect and urban planner, and has worked in both public and private sectors, which gave him the insight and know-how to bridge the gap between them.

Fawaz holds a B.S. Degree in Architecture from King Fahad University of Petroleum and Mineral, and a Master’s Degree from University of Cincinnati, USA, in Community Planning with a focus on Economic Development and Urban Design. He is currently pursuing a Postgraduate Diploma from MIT School of Management in Innovation, Strategy and Design Thinking. Fawaz is also a frequent keynote speaker on urbanism related topics ranging from Smart Cities, future mega projects and tourism to infrastructure.