Ellerbe Becket,  a leader in architecture, engineering, interiors and the construction industry, has appointed Karim Khemakhem as its new interior design director for the Middle East office.

One of the oldest and largest global architecture firms, Ellerbe Becket, has designed the landmark Kingdom Centre in Saudi Arabia and is become a leading healthcare designer in the Gulf region

The company is presently working on projects such as University Hospital in Dubai’s Healthcare City and Sidra Medical and Research Center in Doha.

Khemakhem will establish and lead its new Middle East Interiors Practice from its Dubai office, said a company statement.

He will lead design development and implementation of interior architecture on current projects, as well as help Dubai managing director Alan Milligan with business development throughout the region,

Prior to accepting his new position, Khemakhem was as an interior project designer in the firm’s Minneapolis office.

“From the moment I expressed interest in going to Dubai I received great support and encouragement from Alan, Rick Lincicome (Ellerbe Becket CEO) and the rest of my colleagues,” said Khemakhem.

“I am excited to be joining a thriving office in Dubai and look forward to helping build our interiors practice in this region of the world,” he added.

"We’re moving aggressively to further develop our service offerings in the Middle East,” said Dennis Meyer, Ellerbe Becket’s Chief Marketing Officer.

Khemakhem is fluent in Arabic and is familiar with the culture, having been born in Tunisia and later living in Saudi Arabia.

He came to the US for college, earning a Bachelor of Science in Interior Design from the University of Minnesota. He began his career with Ellerbe Becket, working as an interior designer from 1998 – 2004. He returned to Ellerbe Becket in 2006.

He has worked for such prestigious clients as the Mayo Clinic in Rochester and the Khalifa Sports Medicine Hospital in Doha.

While the majority of his experience is in healthcare, Khemakhem says the lines are blurring between healthcare and other traditional building types.

For instance, on a large-scale project such as University Hospital in Dubai, there are corporate, education and even hospitality aspects to the facility.

“You realize very quickly that you are working on more than just a healthcare design,” he said.

An innovator since its founding in 1909, Ellerbe Becket is a leader in architecture, engineering, interiors and the construction industry, with office locations worldwide.-TradeArabia News Service