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Owner-side development leadership across MENA

Investors, family offices, and landowners engage me to run development with discipline. Transparent governance. Controls that hold. Reporting you can act on. From first underwriting to final handover.

  • One owner-side lead who keeps the project accountable
  • Budget and schedule managed by facts, not hope
  • A board-ready lens on risk, progress, and the decisions that matter
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Ahmad Khalaf - Strategic Real Estate Development Services

What I’m typically asked to fix

If you are using the bullet points format, or questions format, use this version.

Loss of control when payment checks are weak

Stalled developments that leak value without a clear recovery plan.

Uncontrolled change orders

Delays from slow approvals, poor sequencing, and unclear ownership

Murky vendor selection that serves others, not you

Changing project scope and drifting budgets

Investors, family offices, and landowners bring me in to run their projects with discipline. Transparent governance. Strong controls. Actionable reporting from underwriting to handover.

I work with:

  • GCC and MENA family offices committed to achieving higher yields,
  • Entrepreneurial HNWIs who want to move from passive to active real estate development and investment,
  • Landowners eager to optimize their property value,
  • Real Estate Investos seeking to lock in tested development and investment discipline.
  • Cross-border investors who need reliable local execution in MENA.

Owner-side mandate, defined in the engagement letter. No contractor commissions or referral fees. No undisclosed third-party incentives. Recommendations documented with risks and tradeoffs

 
Work Image

How we work

Control Diagnostic:

You share the documents and context. I show you what’s missing, what’s risky, and what actually matters.

Owner Control Map:

You receive a concise, decision-ready map:

  • How to mitigate key market risks that expose you.
  • How to enforce critical decision-making.
  • How to control budget gaps and schedule changes.
  • How to implement the fastest path to stable execution.

Weekly executive meetings.

Monthly reports your board can trust.

Engagement options

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IC Level Decision Package

(Pre-commit)

Use this before you buy land, sign a JV, hire a contractor, or commit capital.

Deliverables

  • Investment thesis and positioning
  • Underwriting model with downside cases
  • Cost plan at the right level for the decision being made
  • Approvals and delivery roadmap (critical path and dependencies)
  • Procurement strategy (what to appoint, when, and why)
  • Risk register + control plan
  • Decision memo + decision meeting

You get answers in 10 to 21 days. No waiting. No drift.

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Owner-side Development COO for live projects

Best for projects in design, tender, or construction. When the stakes are high.

Scope

  • Governance: decisions, cadence, escalation paths
  • Budget control: baseline, rolling forecast, variance narrative
  • Change control: approvals, time/cost impact before commitment
  • Procurement: tender oversight, bid leveling, recommendations
  • Schedule: critical-path ownership, recovery planning
  • Payments: milestone definition + certification logic + audit trail

Reporting: weekly executive note + monthly board pack

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Payment Controls

(Progress-based releases)

For owners who want disciplined milestone payments—and less payment risk.

Deliverables

  • Milestones written in inspectable terms
  • Certification checklist and documentation standard
  • Variation workflow (no extras without approval + impact)
  • Payment readiness protocol and evidence trail

Available as a standalone module or as part of OwnerRep OS.

Claim your strategy call

Procurement & Team Selection

(Conflict-screened shortlists)

For first-time developers and family offices who want delivery they can trust.

Deliverables

  • Longlist + shortlist aligned to your project type.
  • Tender kit and bid instructions. Bid comparisons to ensure fair, like-for-like evaluations.
  • Capability verification + reference checks

A recommendation memo outlining tradeoffs and key contract points to secure

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RescueOps

(Stalled project turnaround)

For projects stuck in delay, over budget, or losing contractor trust. When quality slips, RescueOps steps in.

Deliverables

  • Forensic scan (progress truthing, payments, scope, claims posture)
  • Recovery plan (schedule, procurement, governance reset)
  • Controls reset (change, payment, reporting, documentation)

Support through negotiation and stabilization (with your appointed counsel)

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Commercial structure You can depend on

Support across the real estate development and investment value chain

  • Fixed-scope packs (decision/procurement/diagnostic)
  • Monthly retainers (live governance)
  • Retainer + performance alignment (when baselines support it)

You get a written proposal after the Control Diagnostic. No surprises. No hidden terms.

Claim your strategy call
Icon

IC Level Decision Package

(Pre-commit)

Use this before you buy land, sign a JV, hire a contractor, or commit capital.

Deliverables

  • Investment thesis and positioning
  • Underwriting model with downside cases
  • Cost plan at the right level for the decision being made
  • Approvals and delivery roadmap (critical path and dependencies)
  • Procurement strategy (what to appoint, when, and why)
  • Risk register + control plan
  • Decision memo + decision meeting

You get answers in 10 to 21 days. No waiting. No drift.

Claim your strategy call

Owner-side Development COO for live projects

Best for projects in design, tender, or construction. When the stakes are high.

Scope

  • Governance: decisions, cadence, escalation paths
  • Budget control: baseline, rolling forecast, variance narrative
  • Change control: approvals, time/cost impact before commitment
  • Procurement: tender oversight, bid leveling, recommendations
  • Schedule: critical-path ownership, recovery planning
  • Payments: milestone definition + certification logic + audit trail

Reporting: weekly executive note + monthly board pack

Claim your strategy call

Payment Controls

(Progress-based releases)

For owners who want disciplined milestone payments—and less payment risk.

Deliverables
  • Milestones written in inspectable terms
  • Certification checklist and documentation standard
  • Variation workflow (no extras without approval + impact)
  • Payment readiness protocol and evidence trail
Available as a standalone module or as part of OwnerRep OS.
Claim your strategy call

Procurement & Team Selection

(Conflict-screened shortlists)

For first-time developers and family offices who want delivery they can trust.

Deliverables

  • Longlist + shortlist aligned to your project type.
  • Tender kit and bid instructions. Bid comparisons to ensure fair, like-for-like evaluations.
  • Capability verification + reference checks

A recommendation memo outlining tradeoffs and key contract points to secure

Claim your strategy call

RescueOps

(Stalled project turnaround)

For projects stuck in delay, over budget, or losing contractor trust. When quality slips, RescueOps steps in.

Deliverables

  • Forensic scan (progress truthing, payments, scope, claims posture)
  • Recovery plan (schedule, procurement, governance reset)
  • Controls reset (change, payment, reporting, documentation)

Support through negotiation and stabilization (with your appointed counsel)

Claim your strategy call

Commercial structure You can depend on

Support across the real estate development and investment value chain

  • Fixed-scope packs (decision/procurement/diagnostic)
  • Monthly retainers (live governance)
  • Retainer + performance alignment (when baselines support it)

You get a written proposal after the Control Diagnostic. No surprises. No hidden terms.

Claim your strategy call

From Macro Vision to Unflinching Execution

Joanne Sawicki
I have had the pleasure of working alongside Ahmed on numerous large projects over the past 15 years. He has an incredibly sharp mind and is able to translate vision into executable strategy. He looks beyond assets and seeks to create lasting societal value. He sees the entire value chain: public policy, regulatory gaps, market velocity, and capital alignment. Somehow, he manages to keep the momentum going amongst all the stakeholders (government ministers, investors, etc.) to create a successful, completed project that everyone is proud to have been involved in.He quickly sees both the macro opportunity and the micro risk. Whether assessing a PPP model in the Gulf or structuring an investment strategy for sovereign-scale portfolios.Ahmed is strategic, totally trustworthy, and unflinching in his execution. He's frequently being asked by Institutions and Family Offices to reframe how they think about their assets.
Joanne Sawicki - Managing Partner/Non-Exec Board Director/ Strategic Advisor/Wellness/Digital Health/Circular Economy/NGOs ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

What you gain​

Stronger topline

Segment and positioning clarified to support pricing and absorption

Lower CAPEX

Value decisions made early; fewer redesigns, fewer costly variations

Lower OPEX

Operationally realistic specs and systems; less “overbuild” baked into the asset

No guesswork.

Scope, budget, and schedule baselined early

No Surprisess

Drift surfaced early, with disciplined change control.

Evidence-led decisions

Payments and progress tied to inspectable milestones

Execution-Ready Deals

Dr Sami Al Araji
I worked with Ahmad Khalaf as a counterparty on several significant, complex, multi-sector, multi-phase investment negotiations. What stood out was not only his commercial judgment, but his discipline: he came with explicit assumptions, decision gates, and documentation you could actually work with, risk framing, phasing logic, and a credible path from concept to delivery. He managed scope, timing, and commercial terms without noise, and he kept discussions anchored to facts and execution reality. The result was faster alignment, fewer open loops, and agreements that were more bankable and implementable. Ahmad is direct, well-prepared, and consistently focused on outcomes.
H.E. Dr. Sami Al Alraji - Baghadad ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
people-work

Proof you can verify

Before you hire me, what proof can you verify?

Before you commit, I’ll show you what “control” looks like in practice—through redacted, decision-grade materials you can review.
  • A sample Owner Control Map (risks, decisions, control gaps, fastest stabilization path).
  • A sample monthly board pack (one-page executive summary + supporting appendix).
  • A sample milestone payment gate package (milestone definitions, certification checklist, evidence standards)
  • A sample change-order discipline set (variation log, approval workflow, impact note before commitment).
  • A sample tender + bid leveling format (apples-to-apples comparison + recommendation memo structure).
  • The measurement framework I use (baseline KPIs and how to track them: budget variance, schedule variance, change-order rate, claims exposure, cash release vs progress).
  • Client references available on request, subject to permission and confidentiality.
  • An engagement letter that locks conflict policy (no commissions / no referral fees) and defines scope, cadence, and deliverables clearly.

What does that mean?

You’ll see the complete owner-side control system: real, redacted, decision-ready deliverables; so you can commit with clarity, not assumptions.

Jadawi Al Riyami
The first thing Ahmad did was a diagnostic that surfaced the real exposures: scope gaps, contract weak points, and where cash could get ahead of progress. The Control Map was practical: clear decisions, deadlines, and who owned what. We stopped debating and started executing.
Jadawi Al Riami - Oman ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

You’re not looking for a bigger logo.

You’re looking for control, continuity, and depth; without slow handoffs or diluted ownership.

With Me

  • I lead the work end-to-end. You don’t get “sold” seniority and “served” juniors.
  • One owner for decisions, controls, and reporting. Clear responsibility.
  • Lean cadence. Fast decisions. Fewer moving parts.
  • Work is documented in decision-grade artifacts (control map, board pack, registers). If anything changes, continuity stays intact.
  • Fewer hands on sensitive information. Tight access. Clear boundaries.
  • A vetted bench of specialists is brought in only when needed, with your approval and under NDA.
  • You pay for governance and outcomes, not internal overhead.

With Them

  • Senior leads the pitch, then delivery often shifts across layers, teams, and juniors.
  • Ownership is spread across teams and workstreams, which can blur responsibility.
  • More layers. More coordination. More time spent aligning internally.
  • Continuity depends on staffing stability and handoffs; churn can reset context and momentum.
  • You may not control who lands on the workstream or how long they stay.
  • More people touch the workstream by default; access expands as teams and reviewers rotate in.
  • You pay for internal layers and overhead that don’t materially change the outcome.
Managing Director, Family Office Platform (confidential)
“We considered a global firm. What we needed, though, was senior ownership and speed. Ahmad led the work personally and brought in specialists only when needed. No handoffs, no dilution—just clear accountability.”
Managing Director, Family Office Platform (confidential)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Quiet Control

Can an external advisor be discreet; and still move the project faster and more efficient?

We were cautious about sharing sensitive partner and deal information outside the office.

Ahmad set a tight, NDA-first process with controlled access and decision-grade reporting, so we could move quickly without unnecessary exposure.

The work clarified the target segment and positioning early, tightened CAPEX/OPEX decisions, and strengthened the project’s return profile.

CFO, GCC Investment Group (name withheld)

Rated 5 out of 5
Quiet Control

Not another layer: the owner’s control system

You already have an architect, a PMC, and a contractor.
My job is to make the whole system run with discipline; so progress is provable, decisions are clear, and payments are earned.

What I do

  • Align the team around a single scope baseline, decision gates, and an escalation path.
  • Run budget truth: baseline, rolling forecast, variance, & change-order discipline.
  • Protect cash: define milestones in terms of inspectable deliverables, establish evidence standards, and assess payment readiness.
  • Own schedule control: critical path, look-ahead planning, and recovery actions when reality drifts.
  • Deliver board-ready reporting: what’s true, what’s next, what’s at risk, and what you need to decide.

What I don’t do

  • I don’t replace your architect, PMC, or contractor; I govern the handoffs between them.
  • I don’t sell referrals or take commissions; you get conflict-clean recommendations.
  • I don’t add bureaucracy; I introduce lean, practical, decision-focused controls that increase efficiency, reduce cost, and protect returns.
  • I don’t take over your relationships; you stay the decision-maker.
  • I don’t let decisions happen “in the hallway”; primary scope, cost, or timeline changes go through a clear approval path.
United Arab Emirates Real Estate
“We already had the architect, the PMC, and the contractor in place. Ahmad didn’t replace anyone—he tightened the handoffs and put discipline around scope, change orders, and payments. The project got calmer overnight, and decisions stopped bouncing between parties.”
GCFO, GCC Investment Group (name withheld)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Expertise Behind the Framework

This process is built on 17 years and $30B of direct experience. Meet Ahmad Khalaf.

About Ahmad

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Real Estate Development Game Plan - Ahmad Khalaf - Strategic Real Estate Development Advisory