A consultant on urban planning, development and local governance.  A Co-founder and Partner at LUGARIT, where he is engaged in facilitating various dialogue, research, and policy projects for peace-building, recovery, development, and governance in the MENA region.  His professional and published research covers the institutional, financial and political aspects of the urban built environment; housing, land and property (HLP); and the war economy.  Formerly, he was the CEO of the Syria Trust for Development, and served on the boards of several NGO’s, public commissions and microfinance institutions.  In 2007, Mr. Hallaj was the recipient of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture as team leader of the Shibam Urban Development Project. He subsequently served on the master jury and steering committee of the award.  He is currently a member of the Syrian Constitutional Committee as part of the civil society delegation.

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An international development expert.  A Co-founder and Partner at LUGARIT, where he manages the think tank.  He is also a Principal at THΘHT, a boutique consultancy.  He consulted on a range of international cooperation programs, leading engagements with over 100 clients on initiatives in peacebuilding, gender mainstreaming, dialogue, civil society, urban development, housing, cultural heritage, natural resources, tourism, and communication strategies. Educated as an architect and an urban planner, Nihad was a Fulbright Scholar and holds a master’s degree from the University of Michigan, USA. 

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An international development expert.  A Co-founder and Director at LUGARIT, where he leads projects and publications focused on Syria and the Arab region.  His professional and research work covers civil society development, local governance, peace-building, conflict resolution, humanitarian aid, gender mainstreaming, facilitation, and training.  Since 2016, he has supported the UN Office of Special Envoy to Syria by facilitating the meetings of the Women Advisory Board and the Civil Society Support Room.  Previously, he was the CEO of the French NGO UOSSM, where he managed a coalition of humanitarian and medical organizations from the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Switzerland, and Turkey providing independent and impartial relief to victims of war in Syria.  Holds a PhD in Management, and post-doctoral studies from the Technical University in Berlin, Germany.

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A senior consultant specializing in research on humanitarian crises, displacement, and migration. Designed and led numerous applied research projects in conflict-affected countries across Africa and the Middle East, ranging from large-scale quantitative assessments to localized community-centred studies. She has collaborated with international organizations and civil society to inform policy and advocacy, with a particular focus on refugee protection and accountability to affected populations. Committed to ethical, participatory, and culturally sensitive research methodologies, she strives to amplify marginalized voices and foster meaningful community engagement. Ayah holds an M.Phil. from the University of Oxford and a BA from King’s College London.

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A senior consultant specializing in local governance, with over 15 years of experience across Syria’s diverse local contexts. Bashar combines institutional insight with community-level engagement, informed by his work with UNDP, ESCWA, Carter Center, CSSR, and leading civil society initiatives. His background spans public administration reform, early recovery, and peacebuilding, supported by a strong record in research, analysis, facilitation, program design and coordination. A former official at the Ministry of Local Administration and an active participant in expert forums, he brings nuanced contextual knowledge and an ability to connect grassroots dynamics with public sector processes. Bashar holds a Post-Graduate Degree in Public Administration and a Bachelor of Law.

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A senior researcher and project leader at the Bonn International Centre for Conflict Studies (BICC) in Germany.  Esther's current research focuses on differing local vs. Western conceptualisations of war, conflict resolution, reconciliation and peace. With a geographical focus on Syria and Iraq, her research also analyses the local impact of humanitarian, development and peacebuilding assistance and negotiations of power. She holds a PhD in Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Manchester.  She also teaches as an associate lecturer at the University of Bonn.

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A cultural heritage specialist and community development practitioner. Her work revolves around the convergence of academic research and field-based practice in the Near East, Arab, and Mediterranean regions. She has led national and transnational projects, with a primary focus on community development in conflict zones. Her expertise lies in addressing challenges like rural marginalization, gender inequality, environmental degradation, and exclusion through the development of methodologies involving local resource mobilization and understanding of governance policies. Her research interests extend to exploring the politics and people's interpretations of heritage and cultural identities.

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A senior consultant specialising in monitoring, evaluation, research and learning (MERL), technical assistance, governance, and stabilisation in fragile and conflict-affected contexts. Ezra has more than 12 years of experience leading multidisciplinary teams and managing research, evaluation, third-party monitoring, and programme design across the Middle East and North Africa. His work has supported initiatives across the region, focusing on accountability, community security, local governance, and social protection. His research examines decentralisation, informal local governance, authoritarian politics, community security, and development assistance in crisis settings. He is a Fellow at the Governance and Local Development Institute and serves on the advisory board of Middle East Law and Governance. Ezra holds a PhD in Political Science and Public Policy from the University of Guelph, an MA and BA in History from the University of Victoria, and a diploma in Modern Standard Arabic from the University of Jordan.

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An architect, urban planner, and researcher specializing in spatial data management and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). He serves as a research consultant at LUGARIT, where he works on urban planning, territorial development, and international cooperation. Jadd has collaborated with a range of international institutions - including UNESCO, the EU Delegation to Syria, UN-Women, and UN-Habitat - applying digital tools and participatory approaches to advance impact of development projects. He is also the co-founder of the Living Summer School, an Erasmus+ initiative promoting territorial innovation. In 2023, his work in Rouen, France, was awarded the Europan Prize in Architecture and Urban Planning.

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A senior consultant specialising in public policy, economic development, governance, and urban and regional planning. Mohamad has over 13 years of experience advising governments, multilateral agencies, think tanks, and consulting firms across the GCC and MENA. His work combines quantitative analysis, forecasting, econometric modelling, GIS, and policy design to support decision-making on labour economics, education, social protection, industrial development, livelihoods, and local governance. He has worked with clients and partners including FAO, UNDP, UN-Habitat, the Lebanese Center for Policy Studies, The Policy Initiative, and government entities in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Lebanon. His research covers urban development, housing, governance, local economies, youth, and gender. Mohamad holds a Master of Urban Planning from the University of Michigan and a Bachelor in Economics from the American University of Beirut.

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A social geographer, housing specialist, and urban planner working on urban development, housing strategies, social housing, informal settlements, local governance, municipal finance, land management, and land value capture. She has 25 years of experience across academia and consulting in the Middle East and Africa. She has worked for the World Bank Group, UN-Habitat, AFD, GIZ, UNHCR, NRC, and other partners on national housing strategies, urban policies, climate-smart urban planning, land and housing finance, refugee housing, and urban growth scenarios in Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Egypt, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, and Côte d’Ivoire. Her research focuses on housing, urban land tenure, property rights, decentralization, Syrian society, and territorial change, and includes several books and World Bank publications. She received World Bank VPU Team Awards for Innovation in 2019 and 2023, a Best Paper Award from CSAAR and the University of Dundee in 2010, and a Best Doctoral Dissertation Special Mention from the Syrian Studies Association in 2006. Myriam is an alumna of the École Normale Supérieure de Fontenay–Saint-Cloud, now part of ENS Lyon, and holds a PhD and a Master’s in Social Geography from the University of Tours.

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An urban development specialist and a civil engineer with 30 years of experience in Syria.  As a former Director of Aleppo City and its Old City, he brings deep knowledge and expertise in municipal systems, local governance, urban management, and infrastructure planning.  He has contributed to international cooperation projects with the GIZ and UNDP, focusing on participatory governance, public service delivery, and the rehabilitation of historic urban areas.  Nadeem holds a Diploma in Project Management and a Bachelor of Civil Engineering.   

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An international development expert at LUGARIT specializing in governance, capacity building, and facilitation, with over 16 years of experience across Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and Turkey.  A former NGO director and a hospital CEO during active conflict, he excels in organizational reform, community engagement, and multi-sectoral coordination.  He has managed 50+ projects/programs in humanitarian and development sectors, facilitated 1,000+ hours of dialogues, and delivered 5,000+ hours of training on Theory of Change, Project and Program Management (DPro), Social Network Analysis (SNA), leadership, mediation, facilitation, and strategic advocacy.  He currently represents PM4NGOs in Syria and supports the Türkiye-Middle East region.  Obidah holds a PhD from the University of Mersin, and an Executive Doctorate in Business Administration from the European Global School in Paris. 

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A senior consultant specializing in communications.  Ola comes from a multidisciplinary background spanning architecture, real estate, culinary arts, and creative communications. At LUGARIT, she supports the delivery of communications strategies across international development projects. Her expertise includes content production, digital media management, and stakeholder engagement for complex projects at the intersection of urban development and social impact.  Ola brings over 20 years of experience, having previously held roles in architecture and high-end real estate sales, and later transitioning into communications. A native Arabic speaker fluent in five dialects, with a good command of English, Ola combines cultural fluency with visual sensibility and strategic insight. She holds a Bachelor of Architecture and a Diploma in Urban Planning.

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An urban planner and researcher. Petra’s professional projects encompass spatial planning, urban design, and policy studies.  Her research spans topics such as land, property, planning, housing, public space, mobility, migration, and climate change.  Petra's work has been featured in numerous professional and academic publications.  She holds a BA and MA in Architecture from the Lebanese University, and a Master of Urban Design and Planning from the American University of Beirut.  Currently, she is pursuing her PhD at Sciences Po, Paris, focusing on state property and public domains.

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An architect and urban planner. Her work spans urban political economy, economic sociology, refugee crises, and housing, land, and property rights (HLP). She has collaborated with NGOs, think tanks, and consultancies on research projects exploring public space, urban violence, urban governance, transportation, and the spatial impact of war in Middle Eastern cities. Skilled in cartography and infographics, she brings strong analytical and communication skills to her work. Rouba holds a PhD in Urban Studies from Sciences Po in Paris, as well as Master’s degrees in Urban Planning and in Architecture from the Académie Libanaise des Beaux-Arts.

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A senior expert on social and political economy, finance, labor, and urban planning. President of the "Cercle des Economistes Arabes". Former Editor in Chief and General Manager of “Le Monde diplomatique éditions arabes”. Professor of political economy at the University of Paris Dauphine-PSL, Paris I Sorbonne and Saint Joseph, Beirut.  His professional experience includes managing companies in several sectors, from hi-tech to banking to economic research, and advising large companies, governments, the UN, and the World Bank Group.  He was also active with UN agencies for reconciliation and peace-building in Syria, and he created an NGO partnering with UNHCR for the high education of Syrian refugees.  Studied at Ecole Polytechnique and Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées , Postgraduate from the “Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales”, the “Institut National des Sciences et Techniques Nucléaires” and HEC Executive Management (CPA-HEC).

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A senior consultant specializing in economics and civil society dynamics, He brings extensive experience at the intersection of research, policy, and practice. His work spans political economy analysis, monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL), governance advisory, and applied research on Syria’s economic transition, administrative divisions, identity formation, blockchain technology, and the role of civil society in conflict and post-conflict settings. He has also co-founded and managed several Syrian civil society organizations, including NOL, Olive Branch, Farah, IMPACT, and Hams. Sohaib is currently pursuing a PhD in Comparative and International Political Economy at the Central European University, following a master’s in International Economics, a master’s in Political Science, and a bachelor’s in Economics and Politics.

A Research Assistant at LUGARIT, specializing in research on authoritarian regimes, decentralization, democracy, and democratization.  He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and International Relations from Istanbul University and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in the same field at Ibn Haldun University. Hasan has previous experience as a project assistant for Civilians for Justice and Peace.

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An Administrative and Research Assistant at LUGARIT, where he contributes to research and capacity-building projects. His research work focuses on qualitative methods, including desk research, field research, qualitative coding, and analysis. He is involved in projects addressing social cohesion, housing, land and property (HLP) issues, and post-conflict recovery in Syria. Ahmed also manages a specialized library of more than 6,000 books. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Altınbaş University.

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An Administrative & Research Assistant at LUGARIT with experience in project coordination and stakeholder engagement across civil society and peacebuilding initiatives. She previously worked with the Centre Vérité Justice, Equal Citizenship Center, and Free Press Unlimited, supporting dialogue, research, and programme implementation. Zeina holds a Bachelor’s degree in Law and preparing for entry to an MBA at Nantes University.

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