Sidara (company)
| Company type | Private company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Engineering Consulting Project management |
| Founded | 1956 |
| Founder | Kamal A. Al-Shair |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Talal K. Shair (Chairman & CEO) |
| Services | Multi-disciplinary architecture and engineering consultancy |
| Website | sidaracollaborative |
Sidara, formerly Dar Group and Shair and Partners (Arabic: دار الهندسة), is a privately owned international consulting company active in engineering, architecture, planning, environmental consulting, project and construction management, facilities management, and economics, founded in 1956.
History
The company was established in November 1956, and given the Arabic name دار الهندسة Dar Al-Handasah meaning "the house of engineering". It was founded by Kamal Shair (1930–2008) and Dr. Nazih Taleb (1928–2020) and three fellow professors in Engineering from the American University of Beirut (AUB) Engineering School.[1]
In 1986, the company acquired the United States-based design firm of Perkins&Will[2] and, in 1989, it bought the United States-based consultancy firm of T. Y. Lin International.[3]
The company won the IStructE Award for Transportation Structures and the Supreme Award in 2006 for designing the Prai River Bridge in Penang, Malaysia.[4]
It acquired the UK-based engineering consultancy, Currie & Brown, in 2012.[5]
The company changed its name to Sidara in December 2023[6] and acquired the Aberdeen-based engineering firm, John Wood Group, in November 2025.[7]
Subsidiaries and affiliations
Sidara Group companies include Currie & Brown, Dar Al-Handasah, Perkins&Will, Penspen and T. Y. Lin International.[6]
Selected projects
- Prai River Bridge – Penang, Malaysia, completed in 2005[8]
- Jamaraat Bridge – Saudi Arabia, completed in 2007[9]
- Abraj Al-Bait Towers – Mecca, Saudi Arabia, completed in 2012[10]
- Lusail Sports Arena – Lusail, Qatar, completed in 2014[11]
- Haramain High Speed Railway – Saudi Arabia, completed in 2018[12]
- Katara Towers – Lusail, Qatar, completed in 2020[13]
- Al Bayt Stadium – Al Khor, Qatar, completed in 2021[14]
- Iconic Tower – New Administrative Capital, Egypt, completed in 2024[15]
References
- ^ "Dar Al-Handasah". Arab Center for Architecture. Retrieved 18 November 2025.
- ^ "Beirut-based engineering firm has designs on Perkins & Will". Chicago Tribune. 5 June 1985. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
- ^ "TYLin Launches New Brand to Unify Global Operations Under One Name". Business Wire. 16 March 2022. Retrieved 17 November 2025.
- ^ "IStructE - Structural Awards 2008". Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 2007-12-11.
- ^ "Middle East firm buys UK's historic Currie & Brown". Building. 23 May 2012. Retrieved 17 November 2025.
- ^ a b "Dar Group becomes Sidara". The Construction Index. 6 December 2023. Retrieved 18 November 2025.
- ^ Fraser, Douglas (17 November 2025). "Oil and gas giant Wood plc sold to Dubai engineering firm". BBC News. Retrieved 17 November 2025.
- ^ "Sungai Prai Bridge Penang Malaysia Expert witness". bridgelab. 28 March 2013. Retrieved 18 November 2025.
- ^ "Hajj 2021 explained: Jamarat Bridge". Arab News. 19 July 2021. Retrieved 18 November 2025.
- ^ "The Abraj Al-Bait Towers in Mecca, Saudi Arabia". architectism. Archived from the original on 4 September 2014.
- ^ "Lusail Sports Arena". Maffeis Engineering (in Italian). Retrieved 18 November 2025.
- ^ "Saudis kick up storm over Spanish group's high-speed desert rail project". El País. 6 February 2015. Retrieved 18 November 2025.
- ^ "Doha thrusts into the sky with the sword shaped hotel". Architect and Interiors India. 13 April 2023. Retrieved 18 November 2025.
- ^ "Qatar 2022 stadiums continue to take shape despite pandemic". thepeninsulaqatar.com. 4 January 2021. Retrieved 18 November 2025.
- ^ "Iconic Tower: Tallest skyscraper in Africa rises from the desert in Egypt's New Administrative Capital". The National. 2021-06-29. Retrieved 18 November 2025.