Knight Frank, a leading property agency and consultancy, said it has hired Alexandros Arvalis, a senior professional to strengthen the service line and expand the company’s reach in the Gulf region.

Arvalis joins Knight Frank as an associate partner to manage and expand the company’s valuation assignments in Saudi Arabia.

With more than eight years of valuation experience, Arvalis will help with client demands for property valuations in Saudi Arabia, particularly following the government’s effort to stimulate development through the introduction of a land tax in stages.

Arvalis is an experienced MRICS qualified valuer having worked at Savills, Emirates REIT, and JLL and also acts as a regular RICS APC Assessor in the UAE.

On Arvalis' appointment, Stefan Burch, the head of Knight Frank (Saudi Arabia), said: "His arrival underscores our commitment to this service line, and he brings with him considerable experience of having worked in the Saudi valuation market in both the commercial and residential sectors."

Accurate valuations and RICS best practice reports are even more important in the kingdom, especially in times where the need for diversification of the economy and the shift from oil-related activities become paramount, stated Burch.

Knight Frank is one of the top global companies in professional services with an established office in Riyadh.

"Having previously acquired considerable valuation experience in the region, our objective is to strengthen our professional valuation advisory presence there," he added.-TradeArabia News Service