International development, South Asia, Middle East and Africa

International development

Our focus is on donor funded development projects that are frequently challenging for many reasons.

We do our best work to achieve the greatest value – for funders and recipients alike – when all parties are committed, funding is secure and the scope is clear.

Doug Wilson

In 2023 we were particularly pleased to win our first prime contracts with USAID, the USA’s international development agency. The first of these is an early childhood education programme in Djibouti, East Africa, called Jouer pour Apprendre (Play to Learn). The programme supports the aim of Djibouti’s government to provide a preparatory year before entry into primary education for all five-year-olds by 2030.

The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) appointed us to its flagship £100M Green Cities and Infrastructure programme. We are the infrastructure partner in an alliance with accountancy firm PWC that will advance sustainable urban development in cities across Africa and Asia. The programme spans transport, energy, the built environment and climate change, and we will provide diverse disciplinary inputs and solutions, including those hosted on our Moata digital platform.

Our health team are playing a key role in strengthening laboratory capacity across Africa and South Asia to tackle antimicrobial resistance head-on. The UK aid funded Fleming Fund, managed by Mott MacDonald since 2016, is reinforcing infection control and improving laboratory testing of harmful bacteria in animals and humans. This is a critical part of our work to improve global health security and a significant area of expertise for our business.

Middle East

Across the Middle East we are experiencing a shift in focus as countries including the UAE and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia seek to broaden their economic base for lasting prosperity. In the UAE we have advisory and design roles on major commercial and residential building projects for several of the country’s leading developers.

Developer Aldar appointed us as lead designer for a luxury residential complex on Abu Dhabi’s Yas Island. It will consist of three high rise towers alongside the new Yas Park – for which we are also lead designer. The project is rooted in the principles of biophilic design, connecting occupants to nature by incorporating natural materials into the building, providing connectivity between interior and exterior environments, and using natural light and ventilation.

We opened a new office in Riyadh in 2023 to make our advisory, design and management capabilities available to clients for Saudi Arabia’s extraordinary programme of infrastructure and buildings projects, set out in its Vision 2030 plan. Our multidisciplinary breadth and depth, and ability to draw together world leading skills from across the globe, are perfectly aligned with the country’s needs.

The demographic profile of our Middle East business has changed decisively, with local nationals and women making up a growing share of our staff.

Over the past year, the demographic profile of our Middle East business has changed decisively, with local nationals and women making up a growing share of our staff. This is important for our own sustainability in the region, operating as an inclusive employer and providing opportunities for professional development everywhere we operate.

India

We have two areas of focus in India.

Over recent years we have built a global design centre with about 1000 staff. Their vast range of design, engineering and digital expertise supports Mott MacDonald teams across the world. Our global design centre contributed to 518 projects in 2023.

We also enable inward investment projects for multinationals setting up new facilities in India, specialising in technical advisory, engineering design and project management for global clients. In 2023 we worked on projects for several major industrial companies and global brands, including Coca-Cola.