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Qatari urban planner working at the intersection of policy, design, regulation, and long-term urban transformation. Currently leading the General Planning Section as well as the Urban Studio & Lab (Studio 18) at the Ministry of Municipality, where our work focuses on shaping planning policies, reviewing strategic development proposals, and supporting the implementation of national urban priorities. My experience spans zoning, master planning, design regulation, heritage-sensitive development, open space planning, and the translation of broad policy ambitions into practical planning tools. Educated at Cornell University’s College of Architecture, Art, and Planning, I approach urban planning as both a technical and cultural practice. Beyond my public-sector role, I write about the built environment, urban change, and the spatial histories of Qatar and the Gulf through Cities From Salt, a blog for reflecting on how cities are shaped by policy, memory, climate, identity, and everyday life. Through my work and writing, I aim to contribute to more livable, resilient, and contextually grounded urban environments in Qatar and the wider region.
• Spearheading the transformation of Studio 18 into an active urban lab, developing a new structural framework to support innovation, experimentation, and interdisciplinary collaboration in urban planning. • Organizing and facilitating sector-wide meetings and workshops, fostering dialogue and knowledge exchange across departments and planning disciplines. • Designing and managing engagement programs for high school and university interns, providing hands-on experience in urban planning, design thinking, and policy analysis. • Promoting urban literacy and planning awareness, positioning Studio 18 as a hub for civic engagement, planning education, and policy outreach within the Ministry. • Curating collaborative projects and initiatives that bridge technical planning work with public participation, education, and creative urban experimentation.
• Overseeing the implementation of the Qatar National Development Framework (QNDF) and its key policy actions, ensuring alignment with national urban growth and sustainability goals. Including supervising national strategies derived from the QNDF, including the Qatar National Housing Strategy and the National Open Spaces & Recreational Facilities Strategy. • Leading coordination with the Qatar Olympic Committee on behalf of the Urban Planning Sector for Qatar’s bid to host the 2036 Summer Olympics, aligning spatial planning priorities with global event requirements. • Reviewing and advising on sectoral strategies developed by other government entities with urban implications, such as Qatar Tourism’s Asset Masterplan. • Serving as the Ministry’s resident expert on heritage sites, ensuring integration of cultural preservation and adaptive reuse within urban development policies. • Providing strategic policy guidance that bridges urban planning, sustainability, and sectoral priorities to support the national vision and cross-agency initiatives
• Leading a team of 9 urban planners and architects in updating the zoning map for the entire State of Qatar, ensuring compliance with updated planning regulations and zoning codes. • Streamlined the review process for master planned projects, enhancing the efficiency and accuracy of approvals and adherence to updated zoning and planning standards. • Enhanced spatial data management through the integration of advanced GIS technologies in master planned applications and mega projects resulting in more effective and timely decision-making processes for urban planning and significantly accelerated the processing of application requests. • Developed and implemented updated planning regulations and zoning codes, aligning them with the latest urban development strategies and national growth objectives, including codes relevant to the implementation of solar panels on roofs. • Coordinated cross-departmental collaboration to ensure comprehensive and cohesive updates to state-wide zoning and planning standards. • Lead the taskforce responsible for Doha Municpality’s application for the Second Cycle of the Global Award for Sustainable Development in Cities (Shanghai Award)
Prepared a scenic resource inventory for the Town of Marlborough listing the most important land parcels to preserve. The inventory includes a set of criteria in which parcels were ranked on including its ecological; historical; accessibility; and cultural value. GIS software was used to then rank each parcel individually on this scale to highlight areas that were deemed important to preserve. This inventory provides a guide for the municipality and residents on the process of preserving and acknowledging the scenic resources of the town and enhance the agricultural tourism industry. The inventory includes a list of potential conservation actions and funds that would allow for the conservation of these land parcels.
Coordinated with the Campus Planning Office and Tompkins County to transform a parking lot into a pop-up park and plaza with a team of planners, landscape architects, and architects. I assisted in raising over a thousand US Dollars through local grants and programs. This was an effort to revitalize one of Cornell’s most historic sites, the Andrew D. White gate. During this project, we employed a tactical urbanist intervention at the gate and built it into a temporary pop-up park with musical performances, food trucks, furniture, and art exhibitions in the space. We collected data on seating patterns in the park, conducted an area assessment survey on the design of the site, and our observations on the interactions people had with the space with the campus planning office.
Worked on developing a comprehensive guide on Tactical Placemaking in Tompkins County for the beautification committee in the City of Ithaca. The townships and villages of Tompkins County were heavily surveyed and studied. The team would search for problems that community members face in their townships and design possible solutions that are affordable and achievable. These solutions are included in the guide in an effort to promote tactical urbanism as a tool for the residents of Tompkins County to improve the area and beautify it.