Alvarez & Marsal Expands Middle East Real Estate, Travel, Hospitality, and Leisure Practice
Global professional services firm Alvarez & Marsal has expanded its Real Estate, Travel, Hospitality & Leisure (RTHL) practice in the Middle East to support major regional developments moving into delivery and operations
Alvarez & Marsal (A&M), a global professional services firm, has announced a significant expansion of its Real Estate, Travel, Hospitality & Leisure (RTHL) practice in the Middle East. This strategic move aims to strengthen the firm's capabilities as major destination and mixed-use developments across the region progress into their delivery and operational phases.
A&M has maintained a presence in the Middle East for over 20 years, with regional headquarters located in Riyadh and additional offices across Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar. The expanded RTHL team is designed to provide comprehensive support across the full real estate lifecycle, from initial strategy and investment planning to transactions, development, and execution. Their services cater to sovereign wealth funds, governments, investors, and leading developers involved in some of the Middle East’s largest and most complex real estate, tourism, and hospitality projects.
Focus on Execution and Performance
The expansion aligns with the continued substantial capital deployment into real estate, tourism, and hospitality sectors across the region. With many programmes transitioning from planning to active delivery and operations, there is a growing demand for expertise in execution, capital efficiency, asset performance, and achieving sustainable returns. This evolving landscape is creating a need for hands-on advisors capable of supporting ambitious growth plans and intervening when assets or projects require operational improvements, transformation, and accelerated delivery.
Yousef Wahbeh, Managing Director and Co-Head of RTHL for EMEA, leads the Middle East RTHL practice. He brings over 25 years of experience advising on major developments, transactions, and investment programmes both regionally and internationally. The team includes other senior professionals like Maya Whiteley, specialising in strategic concept to destination activation, and Saqib Saeed, formerly of Dubai Holding, who led direct real estate and hospitality investment for the group.
Integrated Global and Local Expertise
The Middle East team is integrated into A&M’s broader RTHL EMEA platform, offering support at corporate, portfolio, and asset levels. Their capabilities include corporate and portfolio strategy, market assessment, business planning, M&A deal advisory, development, transformation, and value realisation. This leverages A&M’s global RTHL expertise, along with specialists in restructuring, technology, tax and debt advisory, and interim management. This combination aims to provide clients with access to international best practices alongside deep regional experience.
Questions, answered
- What is the primary reason for Alvarez & Marsal's expansion in the Middle East?
- The expansion is driven by the need to support major destination and mixed-use developments across the Middle East as they advance from planning into their delivery and operational phases, requiring expertise in execution and performance.
- Where are Alvarez & Marsal's regional offices located in the Middle East?
- Alvarez & Marsal has its regional headquarters in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with additional offices across the UAE (including Dubai), Qatar, and the wider Middle East region.
- Who leads Alvarez & Marsal's Real Estate, Travel, Hospitality & Leisure (RTHL) practice in the Middle East?
- The Middle East RTHL practice is led by Yousef Wahbeh, who serves as Managing Director and Co-Head of RTHL for EMEA, bringing over 25 years of experience to the role.
- What kind of clients does the expanded RTHL practice serve in the region?
- The practice serves a diverse client base including sovereign wealth funds, governments, investors, and leading developers involved in large-scale real estate, tourism, and hospitality projects across the Middle East and Africa.
- What specific expertise does the expanded team bring to the Middle East market?
- The team offers expertise spanning the full real estate lifecycle, from corporate and portfolio strategy, market assessment, and business planning, through investment, M&A deal advisory, development, and transformation, to portfolio performance and value realisation.
This brief was summarised and rewritten by Gaia Living from public reporting. Figures and details reflect the original sources.