Chairman and Principal Design Architect
With over 40 years’ experience, Samir is Diar Consult’s Chairman and Design Principal with considerable experience across a wide variety of project types. An architect, urban designer and town planner, Samir has a wealth of experience in working internationally having consulted in many cities including Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Baghdad, Erbil, Pune, Doha, Riyadh, Tunis, London and Paris.
- British
- Born in Kirkuk, Iraq, in 1954 to Armenian parents
- Schooled in Baghdad College High School, Iraq, 1966–1972
- BScArch from Baghdad University, Iraq, 1977
- Diploma in Urban Design from Polytechnic of Central London, 1981
- Diploma in Planning from Architectural Association, London, 1981
- Covell Matthews Partnership International, London, 1977-1979
- Tibbalds Partnership, London, 1980-1981
- Makiya Associates, London, 1981-1986
- Established Diar Consult, UAE, 1988 and continues to serve as its Chairman and Design Principal
Prior to establishing Diar Consult in 1988, Samir was a freelance architectural and planning consultant for international firms and consortia including Covell Matthews Partnership International (London), Tibbalds Partnership (London), and Makiya Associates (London).
In the five years at Makiya Associates, Samir worked as a Principal Design Architect to Professor Mohamed Saleh Makiya, a distinguished and prominent Iraqi Architect and a pillar of Arab Architecture. At Makiya Associates’ London and Dubai offices, Samir devoted his design skills and expertise to the specific environment and development needs of the Arab Islamic region and in 1985 the practice was awarded the “Arab Cities Organization Award” for the best Arab architectural practice.
As Founder and Chairman of Diar Consult, Samir led the firm to be amongst the leading consultancy firms in the Arabian Gulf region, in the fields of architecture, urban design and interior design, with several national and international design awards and nominations to its credit.
Samir has partnered with many reputed international firms and also provides client representation services to a number of Clients, directing their private developments and investments as well as participating in disputes resolution. In addition, he has been an Adjunct Faculty at the School of Architecture in the Canadian University Dubai and a visiting lecturer at The National University of Architecture and Construction of Armenia (NUACA), in Yerevan.