Project Director & PMC Expert

Paolo
Mazzara

Project Management Consultant Infrastructure & Cultural Projects
Middle East & Europe Concept to Completion
24+ Years of experience
$250M Current programme value
5 Countries operated
100+ Professionals led
Currently: Project Director — JAX District, Riyadh PMC for a $250M cultural district transformation aligned with Saudi Vision 2030 · Black Engineering · KSA
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Areas of expertise

Infrastructure &
Programme Delivery

Full-lifecycle PMC for ports, roads, airports, industrial cities and water management systems. Structured delivery from feasibility through commissioning across multi-country portfolios.

PMO Setup Risk Mgmt ISO 9001/14001 P6 · MSP

Contract Administration
& FIDIC

Expert in FIDIC-based contract frameworks for both owner and consultant sides. Experienced in claims management, dispute prevention and government authority regulatory compliance in GCC jurisdictions.

FIDIC Claims Procurement GCC Regulation

Stakeholder &
Government Liaison

Proven track record managing complex multi-stakeholder environments — from ministries and sovereign clients to international contractors and financial institutions across multicultural project contexts.

Vision 2030 Ministry Relations ESG Multicultural Teams
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Career

2025
Present

Project Director — JAX District Transformation

Black Engineering · Riyadh, KSA

Leading PMC for the $250M conversion of a 15-hectare industrial site into a premier cultural and creative hub for the Diriyah Biennale Foundation, Ministry of Culture. Full programme governance from masterplan to commissioning.

2022
2025

Project Director

DAM – Depuración de Aguas del Mediterráneo · Spain

Full P&L responsibility for a €100M+ integrated water services concession. Led organisational restructuring, established a formal PMO, and delivered 27% revenue growth despite adverse market conditions through operational optimisation.

2021
2022

Senior Project Manager

F&M Middle East Engineering · Oman

Managed a $130M+ multi-country infrastructure and industrial portfolio across Oman, KSA, and UAE. Grew regional project portfolio by 40%. Key projects: King Fahad Cultural Centre (Riyadh), Ibri and Mahas Industrial Cities, Oman Gate Tourism Development.

2015
2020

Senior Project Manager / Country Manager

RINA International Engineering · Oman & GCC

Built and scaled the GCC country office from the ground up — 25 professionals, operations in 3 countries within 3 years. Delivered 15+ major infrastructure projects ($150M+ portfolio) through the COVID-19 crisis. Achieved $170K revenue/employee ratio.

2001
2015

Early Career — Italy & Europe

COO, Ingegneri Mazzara · ENEL Hydro Research · Turin 2006 Olympics

Diverse early experience spanning family infrastructure business (COO), desalination research at ENEL Hydro (published work), and critical infrastructure works for the 2006 Turin Winter Olympics.

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About

I am an Italian civil engineer and Project Director with over two decades of experience delivering complex programmes across the Middle East and Europe. My career has been built at the intersection of technical rigour and organisational complexity — leading not just projects, but the structures, teams and client relationships that make them succeed.

In the GCC, I have operated at the senior level for over ten years, managing infrastructure portfolios for government authorities, sovereign clients and international developers. I understand the regulatory landscape, the contractual dynamics of FIDIC-based environments, and the particular demands of Vision 2030-aligned megaprojects.

My approach is straightforward: define the right structure, build the right team, and maintain relentless focus on delivery. I have done this at a $250M cultural district in Riyadh, a €100M water concession in Spain, and a 15-project portfolio spanning three GCC countries. The contexts change — the discipline does not.

Let's discuss
your next project.

Available for senior PMC roles, advisory engagements, and expert witness mandates across the GCC and internationally.