DUBAI, UAE, 10 October 2023: ALEC Engineering and Contracting LLC (ALEC), a part of the Investment Corporation of Dubai (ICD), announced the appointment of Barry Lewis as its new CEO and the transition of Kez Taylor, former CEO, into an advisory position on the board as a Non-Executive Director of ALEC. Making the announcement through a Press release, ALEC said that Lewis will lead ALEC’s growth strategy with a focus on diversification into construction-adjacent lines of business, further penetration across the GCC region, including into Saudi Arabia, and expansion into new geographies.  

Commenting on the change in leadership, Khalifa Al Daboos, Deputy CEO, ICD, said:  “Under Taylor’s leadership, ALEC has firmly established itself as one of the leading players in the region’s construction sector. With Barry Lewis as CEO, ALEC will be led through its next phase of growth, marking a new and significant milestone in ALEC’s journey.”

“Having worked closely with Taylor for over two decades and having expertly led ALEC’s operations, Lewis has proven himself a competent leader with a strong reputation in the industry. As CEO, I am confident that Lewis will take the company from strength to strength, maximising ALEC’s value proposition to our clients and distinguishing the group as the leading provider of world-class construction and related services in the region.” 

ALEC further said it has been on a steady upward growth trajectory in recent years, and the company has recently been awarded major projects, including the Wynn Resort in Ras Al Khaimah, and has achieved a year-to-date growth in revenue of 25%. The company further said that the current work is at a record level of over AED20 billion. To effectively deliver its impressive pipeline of projects, the company said, it continues to expand its workforce of over 22,000 employees. In addition, ALEC said the CEO transition plan has been in place for over four years, during which Barry Lewis has played a vital role in enabling these successes and will now lead the company through its “next golden phase.”

In the months ahead, ALEC said, Lewis will focus on overseeing three company-defining initiatives currently in progress — ALEC’s focused expansion into Saudi Arabia; the continued diversification and growth of its business in areas such as modular and data centre solutions; and enhancing activities at TARGET, the recently acquired subsidiary, as a leader in the Energy, Oil & Gas and Marine Industries.  

Outlining his longer-term strategies, ALEC said Lewis highlighted his intentions to develop greater synergies between the Group’s multiple industry-leading lines of business to create highly comprehensive and compelling value for clients. Furthermore, ALEC said, Lewis aims to nurture the company’s culture and make further investments into its people development, innovation and the adoption of digital technologies — three areas which he believes give ALEC the definitive edge when it comes to attracting the industry’s best talent and delivering key iconic projects in the region.