With nearly three decades of experience in the real estate sector, Hisham Moussa, CEO of Alargan Towell Investment (ATI), is a veteran with his fingers trained on the pulse of the architectural development of the country, the region and the world. He is confident of witnessing a spurt of growth in the sector, and is poised to expand the company’s operations within and outside the country with his team.
As he puts it: “I am blessed with a great team at ATI, and together we are hopeful and optimistic about the general market conditions in Oman. I am hoping to expand our company’s operations within Oman and beyond. Oman is well positioned for further economic prosperity as it enjoys wise leadership and a strong will and desire to diversify its economy.”
An Architect with 29 years of professional experience and exposure to global real estate development and management, construction and projects, as well as architectural design management, Moussa has mastered the real estate industry; but he is modest enough to admit that he gets inspired by the ideas emanating from young entrepreneurs.
Calling ATI a pioneer in the field of developing affordable housing and communities, he reflects on his long tenure in the sector that has helped him create housing opportunities for clients from different walks of life. Before joining ATI, he was the Development Director of Emaar Misr, the Egyptian subsidiary of the UAE based Emaar PJSC. Explaining his role there, he states, “At Emaar, my primary focus was real estate development management and strategy implementation for Emaar’s mega mixed use, hospitality, commercial and residential projects in Egypt, and also participating in corporate development and target setting activities. I actively supported the successful IPO offering for Emaar Misr’s capital increase.”
He was the senior head of engineering of Contrack international, a multinational contracting company and a subsidiary of Orascom Construction industries, before Emaar. Contrack is the Egyptian based construction conglomerate, undertaking large scale construction projects in Egypt.
Talking about his early days, Moussa points out that he graduated from Ain Shams University in Cairo and that, alongside, he completed a Real Estate Executive Development Program from the American University in Cairo (AUC) and the National University of Singapore (NUS), Department of Real Estate. He followed that with an MBA from the University of Management and Technology (UMT), Virginia, USA, and is currently enrolled in an MSc programme in Real Estate Development and Management from Heriot Watt University, UK.
He is also a Chartered Member of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), an International associate of both the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC), in addition to being an active member of FIABCI, the International Real Estate Federation.
Moussa is married and has three children. Talking about his children’s diverse interests, he says, “My eldest daughter is currently studying interior and product design in Florence, Italy, with one more year to go; my middle daughter is going to college this year to study Business and Marketing; and my youngest son, who is 12 years old, just finished Year Six in one of the British international schools in Cairo.
“They are my joy and pride and I love spending time with them whenever possible,” he muses.
Up Close & Personal With Hisham Moussa
The home I grew up in… I was born in Cairo, Egypt, brought up in Prague and Vienna as a teenager, before settling down in Egypt for college and the beginning of my career as an architect.
When I was a child I wanted to… To become an airline pilot; to travel and to explore different parts of the world.
The moment that changed me forever… Having my first child, as it transformed me into a more responsible person.
My greatest inspirations… Are the success stories of young entrepreneurs who come up with bright ideas and who make the impossible possible with hard work and dedication; it is a message I try to spread within my team.
My hero… Was my late father, who was an intellectual with great passion and appreciation for culture, arts and science, which he passed on to me and, as a result, I became a better person.
If I could change one thing about myself… By normal standards, I am considered a workaholic, therefore, I would change my work habits to have more time for myself and for my family.
I dream of… First class and five star around-the-world journeys.
What I see when I look in the mirror… A person who is young at heart, and who has led an exciting and interesting life thus far.
It’s not fashionable but I like… Listening to old Arabic songs from the 60s, 70s and 80s.
My greatest regret… I have no regrets yet – a lot to be thankful for.
You may not know it, but I’m no good at… Faking to please others.
You may not know it, but I’m very good at… Making a juicy cheese and mushroom omelet.
If I have time to myself… I would spend it doing more reading and perfecting painting and professional photography.
My house is… A cozy apartment with a nice marina view – I love the ocean.
My favourite haunt/holiday destination… Continental Europe, specially Prague and Paris, where culture and art come together in a unique blend.
My favourite weekend spot in Oman… Damaniyat Islands, where you find abundance of natural beauty above and below the ocean, as well as Jabal Shams and Jabal Akhdar, as I love the outdoors and camping.
I will not leave my house without… Two mobile phones, my IPad, ID and credit cards, business cards and sunglasses.
Five things I like about Oman… Amazing people, nature, food, the culture and heritage, and the relaxed atmosphere.
A book that changed me… ‘The One Thing’ by Gary Keller which reveals the power of focusing on your ‘one thing’.
On top of my wish/bucket list is… To go on a lavish cruise touring different ports.
My success mantra is… ‘Winners are not people who never fail, but people who never quit!’
In 10 years’ time, I hope to be… Happily retired with lots of stories to tell.
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