Mott MacDonald has appointed Rick Hopper as Managing Director of its Middle East business and Jonathan Looker as Divisional General Manager for Saudi Arabia. 

 

The changes respond to growing client demand for world class engineering consultancy and strategic advice in the region and follow Paul Hilton’s appointment as Managing Director for Mott MacDonald’s Middle East, South Asia and international development. 

 

Hopper will be responsible for providing strategic leadership to Mott MacDonald’s Middle East business, overseeing a growing portfolio of projects in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. He will focus on developing strong relationships with a select list of clients to ensure we continue to win and deliver high-value projects across the Middle East. 

 

Having led Mott MacDonald’s Saudi Arabia business since 2023, Hopper has overseen a period of significant growth, establishing the firm’s new operations in the Kingdom and playing an integral role in key wins including as City Infrastructure Engineer on THE LINE at NEOM. 

 

Hopper will be supported by Looker, who takes over from him as divisional general manager for Saudi Arabia. Hopper and Looker will both be based in Riyadh. 

 

Looker has extensive leadership and management experience at Mott MacDonald over the past 20 years, most recently as development director for the Middle East with responsibility for driving strategy and growth across the region. His leadership and vision will be vital for the successful delivery of Mott MacDonald’s work related to Saudi giga projects as well as recruiting and developing talent and securing new work in the buildings, transport, water and energy markets, said a statement. 

 

Hopper said: "The Middle East’s bold ambitions demand world-class engineering solutions and highly skilled and talented people to bring them to life. I look forward to leading our business and working with our clients across the region to deliver transformative projects that drive sustainable economic growth, social value and environmental stewardship.”

 

Jonathan said: “Saudi Vision 2030 provides an opportunity to drive sustainable development in this fast-changing market. I’m eager to build a dynamic, locally rooted team that combines global expertise with deep regional insight. This not only allows us to deliver exceptional value across Saudi Arabia but also to bring new ideas and momentum back to our wider global business.” - TradeArabia News Service