Aurecon makes two key Middle East appointments

Global engineering and infrastructure advisory company, Aurecon, has appointed Rui Baptista as aviation director – terminals, and Paul Drayton as tall buildings leader in the Middle East to address the rapid growth of the region’s aviation and built environment sectors.

“The Middle East’s construction sector continues to lead the world in terms of design, scale, and pace of development,” said  Ermis Marques , regional director for Aurecon in the Middle East. “With Baptista and Drayton on our team, Aurecon can better help clients bring their bold dreams to life.”

Baptista brings significant global experience to Aurecon’s terminals business across all project stages from concept through delivery. An expert in large-scale projects and having worked on significant developments across the globe, including airports in Cyprus, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, the UK, Africa, and Bahrain, Baptista has also led the site team for delivering the world’s largest airport terminal building in Istanbul.

In his role at Aurecon, Baptista will help clients develop simple and efficient designs; improve key processes; apply digital solutions to minimise delays; and help clients maximise non-aviation revenue while respecting the local environment.

“What is happening in the Middle East is very exciting — the significant growth in passenger volume provides us with opportunities to explore future-ready options in terminal design,” Baptista said. “From ‘flying fields’ to 21st-century aero-cities, the aim of providing infrastructure for modern airport terminals is to bring ‘sense of place’ to the terminal, providing passengers with a unique experience.”

Drayton is a highly-experienced, tall buildings expert who will bring new leadership to Aurecon’s established Tall Buildings practice. He has three decades of experience, designing and constructing projects of all sizes and complexity, both internationally and in the Middle East.

As the tall buildings leader, he will work closely with clients to create holistic design and engineering that incorporates new developments in material sciences and construction methods to produce optimal tall building solutions.

“There is growing appetite for super-tall structures in the Middle East and these developments are becoming synonymous with the new regional identity that is forming here,” Drayton said. “I look forward to working with my colleagues at Aurecon and our clients to develop and design world-leading legacy structures in this region.”