Multidisciplinary design consultancy Khatib & Alami (K&A) has taken an important step forward to support its ambitious plans for international growth after changing the jurisdiction of its holding company from Lebanon to Singapore.

The change of jurisdiction for K&A Holding, which owns all the group’s subsidiaries, means it is now subject to Singapore’s globally respected judicial system and strong corporate governance practices. The decision also provides the company with direct access to international capital markets, putting it at the heart of a growing ecosystem of engineering, construction, technology and financial services companies.

“Singapore is a vibrant and sophisticated financial centre which is underpinned by strong and transparent corporate and legal frameworks,” says Dr Najib Khatib, K&A’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “It therefore provides an ideal platform from which to drive our strategy for business transformation and long-term growth.”

The South East Asian city-state’s outstanding reputation as a robust commercial environment, with high standards of market regulation, has sustained its emergence as a leading global financial centre and a hub for infrastructure project development and financing. Singapore ranks second among 190 economies in the World Bank’s annual Ease of Doing Business report, and has ranked among the top three economies in the report for the past 12 consecutive years.

“At a time when there is a global trend towards the private financing of major infrastructure projects, not least across the Middle East and North Africa region, our presence in Singapore puts us in an excellent position to assist clients as they engage with the investor community,” adds Dr Khatib. “This will both complement and strengthen our activities across our core markets, while supporting our entry into new geographies.”

K&A has 32 offices and more than 5,000 staff, comprising architects, engineers, planners, technical specialists and project managers. The company is among the top 10 international consultancy firms in the Middle East region, according to rankings by respected industry journal Engineering News Record (ENR).