Nadia Akil, who headed Kuwait-based United Projects for Aviation Services Company (UPAC) during more than a decade of expansion in commercial real estate and facilities management, has been named Chief Executive Officer of Reem Mall, Abu Dhabi’s massive new retail, leisure and entertainment destination, effective 1 January 2025.
Prior to her appointment, Akil helped lead the completion of Reem Mall as CEO of UPAC, an Agility subsidiary and co investor in the group that developed the $1.3 billion mega-mall.
“Reem Mall is a must-visit for tourists and residents alike as one of the region’s unique and most exciting family destinations. It offers a wide variety of leisure and entertainment and experiences,” Akil said. “It’s a perfect fit with the growing number of world-class attractions – concerts, cultural events, F1 racing, sports and more – that make the UAE one of the best tourism destinations in the world.”
Reem Mall features more than 400 retail outlets and 80 food and beverage locations. Its 185,000 SQM of gross leasable area includes the region’s first fully integrated omnichannel retail eco-system with digital, e-commerce, and logistics capabilities. It brings together consumer and retail services and ensures a seamless customer experience with a mobile app that offers hands-free shopping, in-mall navigation, smart parking, and more.
Home to the largest Snow Park in the UAE, Snow Abu Dhabi, Reem Mall officially opened its doors in February 2023, and celebrated its formal opening this past May.
The mall was developed by Al Farwaniya Property Developments (AFPD), a partnership between Agility Global, UPAC and National Real Estate Company (NREC).
At UPAC, Akil oversaw management of the company’s various government concessions at Kuwait International Airport, and most recently lead its expansion into the entertainment and leisure sector, having been recently awarded a 17-year contract by the Touristic Enterprises Company (TEC) to manage and operate the Al Messilah Beach, a 70,000+ SQM beachfront multi-use facility, set to become the new and upcoming ‘must visit’ family destination in Kuwait.
Before her appointment as UPAC chief executive in 2012, Akil served in a variety of roles at Agility over a duration of 6 years. Prior to joining Agility, she worked for Citigroup in London. In 2024, Forbes Middle East named her one of the 100 most powerful businesswomen in the region.
Hamad Mallallah, currently UPAC VP of Operations, will succeed Akil as UPAC CEO, effective from 1 January 2025.