With more than 25 years of experience in the built environment, Beshara brings deep expertise in infrastructure and urban development, and a global view of what it takes to turn ambition into sustainable growth.
We spoke with Beshara about what it takes to turn long-term ambition into sustainable growth, the lessons that can be applied across global markets, and how Sidara’s model of connected specialist expertise can help clients navigate an increasingly complex built environment.
When it comes to the built environment as a catalyst for growth, what can the rest of the world learn from the Middle East's approach in recent decades?
I’ve spent much of my career working across the Middle East. The one thing that stands out to me is the sheer importance of having an ambitious vision. The region's remarkable transformation has been driven by strategic, long-term plans that look decades ahead rather than focusing on quarterly targets, or short-term outcomes. That’s what makes the place so special. With the right vision in place, investment, planning and delivery all move in the same direction. That alignment makes the difference between delivering meaningful change at pace and allowing ambition to stall.
You mention ambition as being central to the success. How specifically can a mindset shift help other global markets deliver at scale?
Mindset is just as important as any investment strategy. If we are to make the progress our world deserves, then we need to think big. A key focus of mine is to always encourage leaders to step back and think more strategically about the future they want to create. Just as importantly, the most successful programs take an integrated view. Infrastructure, energy and urban development must be thought of as one big interconnected system. We must recognize that lasting growth comes from how all these elements work together, not just from standalone projects. Get this right, and we create the conditions for sustained success.
When investing in the future through infrastructure and development, how can we ensure economic growth and sustainability remain in balance?
Sustainability is absolutely critical. For me, it is as much about environmental outcomes as it is about ensuring that the investments we make today continue to generate value for people, communities and economies well into the future. I've seen that growth is most successful when it develops at the right pace. Investing in infrastructure matters, but so does investing in talent, skills and capabilities to support and sustain that growth over the long-term.
“Infrastructure, energy and urban development must be thought of as one big interconnected system.”
How was Sidara designed to help clients turn long-term ambition into delivery?
I think what makes Sidara unique is that it was built with a very deliberate purpose. Rather than creating a single global brand, we have brought together leading specialist firms that can collectively help clients tackle increasingly complex challenges in infrastructure, energy and the built environment. From my perspective, the rationale is simple. Growth depends on the quality of the places and systems that support it, and no single discipline can deliver that alone. By bringing together complementary expertise under one group, we can help clients translate ambition into practical, integrated solutions and ultimately into better long-term outcomes. At the same time, this allows our clients to focus on what they do best, while we bring together the expertise needed to help turn their ambitions into long-term prosperity.
What advantages does Sidara's model create for clients that are difficult to replicate in a traditional consultancy structure?
Our group structure works due to the sheer depth of expertise within each of the businesses that make up Sidara. Every firm has earned its reputation through decades of experience in specific sectors, markets and geographies, developing a level of specialization that can be difficult to replicate within a single, consolidated organization. For clients, that means access to experts who understand the nuances of their particular challenge, whether that's a sector, a region or a type of program. At the same time, those specialists can draw on the wider experience of the group, combining deep local knowledge with insights, innovation and lessons learned from across the world. That combination of specialist depth and global reach is, for me, one of the key strengths of our model.
We hear a lot about growth, but when it comes to our work, what does that actually mean and why is the ambition of our clients so pivotal to achieving it?
Personally, I think all too often the conversation around growth can sometimes be too transactional. Growth is more than just financial markets or numbers on a spreadsheet. It’s about the things people rely on every day. The transport networks that connect communities, the schools and hospitals that support society, the water and energy networks that enable economies to thrive, and the quality of the air people breathe and the environment in which they live. That's why our clients' ambition is so important. Their vision creates the foundations for opportunity, prosperity and long-term social impact, turning investment in the built environment into a catalyst for sustainable growth. Ultimately, that is why I’m so proud of our industry: the work we do has the power to improve lives and create lasting opportunity.
“Growth is more than just financial markets or numbers on a spreadsheet. It’s about the things people rely on every day.”
“Our clients' vision creates the foundations for opportunity, prosperity and long-term social impact, turning investment in the built environment into a catalyst for sustainable growth.”
More about the Speaker
Beshara Wakim
Beshara Wakim brings more than 25 years of experience across planning, urban development, transportation, water and wastewater, and buildings. Alongside his role on Sidara’s Board of Directors, he serves on the Audit Committee and is a Partner at Dar, where his responsibilities span business strategy, operations management and professional services across Kuwait, Türkiye and Central Asia.
He also contributes to the wider industry conversation, most recently speaking with Turkish publication Oksijen alongside Dar’s Partner for Sustainability Balsam Nehme about growth and investment, climate change and the future of the built environment.
