Building on nearly two decades of leadership at Palladium, Abdullah Alnabhan has assumed a broader mandate within GISI Consulting Group as Managing Partner Middle East. He will continue as Managing Director for Palladium in the Middle East while also guiding Hill International’s regional strategy as Managing Director.

Alnabhan has led Palladium’s Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) practice since 2015. Under his leadership, Palladium’s regional business has tripled in size, earning recognition as one of the top consulting firms in the Middle East.

“Our success is rooted in a co-creative approach with clients,” reflects Alnabhan on the growth within the region. “We make sure they own their content and capabilities long after our engagement ends. That’s what creates lasting impact.”

A Vision for Integrated Solutions

In his expanded role, Alnabhan will focus on finding places for Palladium and Hill International to collaborate and better meet the growing demand for integrated advisory and delivery services. “The Middle East is experiencing unprecedented development—megaprojects, smart cities, green energy initiatives. These projects require adaptive, interdisciplinary teams that can respond to fast-track schedules and resource constraints."

“By combining Palladium’s expertise in capital mobilisation and sustainability with Hill’s infrastructure delivery capabilities, we can offer clients a truly end-to-end solution,” he explains.

Part of this success will come from continued investment in local capability-building. He notes that Palladium’s Saudi office recently achieved over 65% Saudization, playing a critical role in the team’s shift towards local leadership.

“Our strength lies in marrying local insight with global resources. This approach ensures we deliver solutions that are both contextually relevant and globally competitive,” he says.

In his tenure with Palladium, Alnabhan has executed strategic programmes in agriculture, environmental sustainability, social development, and government competitiveness across Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Egypt, Canada, the U.S., and the U.K. In addition, his contributions have supported national development agendas, including Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and UAE’s 2031 Vision, reinforcing Palladium's reputation as a strategic force in regional transformation and laying a critical foundation for the collaborative work with Hill to come.

Looking Ahead

Alnabhan is already spearheading joint strategies between Palladium and Hill, aligning leadership and systems to support regional priorities such as Expo 2030 Riyadh, aviation infrastructure, and the 2034 FIFA World Cup in Saudi Arabia. “These projects are more than construction—they’re about shaping the future of economies and societies. Our role is to help governments and private clients turn these ambitions into reality,” he adds.

For Palladium’s CEO Sinéad Magill, the move makes sense. “As we look ahead to both the future of development and the needs of our clients in the Gulf region, bringing both our and Hill’s team together under Abdullah’s leadership is a brilliant shift.”

“This type of collaboration is exactly what we envisioned when we joined GISI Consulting Group and it’s a significant milestone for us and our sister companies. The GCC is an exciting and quickly growing region and I’m looking forward to seeing where he takes it.”