Al Farwaniya, the developer of Abu Dhabi’s upcoming retail, entertainment and leisure destination Reem Mall, has appointed James Duncan as the group's new chief projects officer.

Duncan is commissioned with leading the extensive programme that will develop the capital’s next retail project which will be home to more than 450 retailers including 85 restaurants, hypermarket, cinema, an array of edutainment and entertainment anchors, as well as the world’s largest indoor snow park upon completion.  

A civil and structural engineer leveraging more than 35 years in the construction industry, Duncan has worked as a project and development management professional, leading the delivery of major projects in the UK, France and the Middle East across a broad spectrum of sectors.

His combined experience in large-scale retail malls, residential, hospitality, public sector and mixed-use complexes makes him a valuable asset to the more than $1-billion Reem Mall project.

Prior to joining Al Farwaniya and Reem Mall, Duncan’s previous roles include chief development officer at Emaar, senior vice president at Hill International, as well as vice president (project management) at Majid Al Futtaim Group, heading the development of projects across the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region.

He boasts extensive experience in retail schemes and multi-billion-dollar projects in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Cairo and Damascus.

His new role will witness Duncan lead the budgetary and delivery programme for Reem Mall, currently under development in partnership with Kuwait-based NREC and UPAC.-TradeArabia News Service