AESG launches Structural Design and Engineering division
DUBAI, UAE, 30 March 2026: AESG said it has launched a dedicated Structural Design and Engineering division aimed at strengthening its fully integrated, multi-disciplinary consultancy platform across the Middle East. Making the announcement through a Press Release, AESG said the new division enhances its ability to deliver concept-to-construction engineering solutions embedded within its sustainability and cost consultancy expertise.
AESG said that by integrating structural engineering, commercial advisory and sustainability strategy from the earliest stages of project development, it enables clients to achieve design-to-budget outcomes, optimise embodied carbon and reduce downstream delivery risk. The company added that the new division is embedded within a broader engineering and advisory ecosystem that aligns engineering decisions with capital efficiency, procurement strategy, material availability, regulatory compliance and long-term asset performance.
AESG said the integrated approach enables structural solutions to be evaluated not only for technical robustness but also for whole-life value and commercial viability. The company added that the move comes as the increasing scale and complexity of projects in the region drive the need for delivery-aligned and commercially intelligent engineering.
Commenting on the launch, Saeed Al Abbar, CEO, AESG, said it reinforces the company’s commitment to integrated delivery across the full asset lifecycle. He said: “Our strength has always been in combining engineering, sustainability and cost intelligence into a single advisory platform. The addition of a dedicated Structural Design and Engineering division strengthens that model, allowing us to influence critical structural decisions at concept stage while protecting commercial outcomes and long-term asset value. Across the UAE and Saudi Arabia, projects are increasing in complexity and ambition. To deliver successfully, engineering strategies must be aligned with sustainability targets, procurement realities and financial objectives from day one. This integrated approach improves certainty, reduces risk and drives stronger project performance.”
AESG said the Structural Design and Engineering division will support clients across feasibility, concept design, detailed design, early contractor engagement and construction-stage advisory. The company added that by embedding structural strategy early and aligning it with cost modelling and sustainability analysis, it aims to reduce redesign risk, protect programme milestones and improve budget certainty.
AESG said the division will focus on optimising embodied carbon through material efficiency and alternative structural systems, aligning structural design with capital budgets and procurement strategies, accelerating delivery through modular and repeatable methodologies, enhancing durability and resilience in response to regional climatic conditions and improving whole-life asset performance and adaptability.
AESG said it has appointed Matthew Cross as Director of the new division. According to AESG, Cross has more than 25 years of experience in the built environment and previously held senior leadership roles at AECOM and Arcadis, overseeing large international and multidisciplinary teams and directing major projects across Saudi Arabia and the UAE. AESG said Cross holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) from Griffith University and is a Chartered Structural Engineer in Australia.
Cross said: “Developers today are operating with compressed delivery programmes and expecting increasingly sophisticated delivery models from initiation. Design-to-budget is no longer aspirational — it is a key metric at every stage. We are also seeing greater reliance on early works and structural packages to de-risk the critical path. By integrating well engineered structural solutions with cost consultancy and our inhouse multidiscipline engineering teams from the outset, we are helping clients make informed trade-offs that protect both programme and commercial performance.”
AESG said Gavin Lume has joined the company as Technical Director, bringing expertise in complex structural design and regional project delivery. AESG added that Lume holds a PhD from the University of Sydney and has led teams across the Middle East on major programmes including hyper-luxury Red Sea developments. AESG said his experience in structural dynamics has contributed to projects such as the Burj Khalifa and the Dubai Frame.
Lume said: “International developers entering the region can underestimate how local processes, procurement constraints and construction norms shape programme certainty and buildability. Integrating regional design, procurement and construction expertise early alongside the wider specialist disciplines enables holistic solutions that are coordinated and practical to deliver on site. This new division brings earlier clarity on the intent of the project, aligning the structural design with stakeholder expectations from the outset.”
AESG said that with the launch of its Structural Design and Engineering division, it reinforces its position as a fully integrated engineering and advisory partner capable of delivering commercially resilient, sustainability-led and delivery-ready developments across the Middle East.