[Dubai- 20 September, 2016] His Excellency Hesham Abdullah Al Qassim, CEO of Wasl, has won the Property CEO of the Year award at the CEO Middle East Awards 2016. The prestigious accolade was awarded in recognition of the outstanding performance made both by him and the company he leads. Organised by ITP Publishing and held in conjunction with popular business publication CEO Middle East, this year’s awards were the programme’s tenth edition, with the ceremony held yesterday at the Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeira Beach.
Hesham Al Qassim’s Property CEO of the Year award publically acknowledges the tremendous role he has played in growing, developing and diversifying Wasl’s real estate and property portfolio, as well his leadership and direction in project development and overall business growth. In the eight years since he was appointed as CEO, Al Qassim has been the instrumental driving force that has transformed the group from its previous incarnation as the Dubai Real Estate Corporation (DREC), to a world-class asset management company and one of the region’s most highly-regarded property development and management organisations.
Moreover, Hesham Al Qassim’s exemplary execution of ’s business model has resulted in the company owning and managing more than 40,000 residential units across Dubai, including community malls that host more than 400 retail units and 5,500 industrial plots in 27 zones across different parts of the city. Under his stewardship, the company has successfully launched four huge projects: 1, Gate, Tower and Nad Al Hammar Gardens – all of which were inaugurated by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
Upon receiving his award Al Qassim said: “The real estate market in Dubai has, over the past few years, proved how it is rapidly becoming one of the best in the world, even during challenging times. I am delighted to see that the property market has developed to become a vital component of the flourishing and diverse Dubai economy. To this end, at we are striving towards the core objectives of the ‘Dubai Plan 2021’ to make Dubai one of the world’s best cities to visit, work and live in.”
Furthermore, under Al Qassim’s guidance, the company conducted research which identified a market demand for quality mid-range hotels, with the openings of 2 Hyatt Place and 2 Hilton Garden Inn hotels tailored from these insights, with another 15 hotels containing 4,500 rooms, 80% of which are mid-range, benchmarked to be completed over a period of time. The completion of all of these hotels will add to the company’s portfolio of 14 hotels and 5,500 rooms that all aim to provide a premium hospitality experience to their guests. This research also uncovered the need to cater to the middle-income segment of the Dubai real estate market, and led to the launch of affordable housing projects such as oasis II in Muhaisnah - a gated community of 23 residential buildings comprising of 1,244 units.
Al Qassim added: “This award demonstrates how everyone at successfully pulls together to achieve strong and effective results. The continuous hard work, commitment and dedication from everyone at our organisation has brought it to a level where it now sets a regional benchmark for high quality services, not only in the real estate, property and asset management sectors, but also in hospitality, customer service and numerous other fields.”
The CEO Middle East Awards 2016 features various categories that recognise creativity, innovation and achievement accomplished by leaders from across the business sectors in the Middle East. The awards are based on specific criteria and selection mechanisms employed by the specialists and experts who form the judging committee. Winners in each category are carefully chosen from hundreds of potential candidates in recognition of the exceptional contributions made in their respective fields.
