Who we are
When someone chooses a home, they place an extraordinary amount of trust in the people behind it. Alya is built to earn that trust, combining institutional ownership and governance with the discipline to deliver.
Global expertise. Local conviction.
Alya is anchored by Brookfield and Lunate, two of the world's most established alternative investment managers, bringing global development discipline together with deep regional relationships.
Brookfield is a $1T leading global investment firm that owns, operates and invests in high-quality assets and businesses across infrastructure, energy, private equity, real estate and credit worldwide.
Lunate is an independent global investment firm with more than $125B in assets under management, headquartered in Abu Dhabi. With a core focus on private markets, it is also active across the broader asset management spectrum.
Leadership
The team on the ground
Otto Dreyer
Chief Executive Officer & Senior Executive Officer
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Otto Dreyer is the Chief Executive Officer of the Firm and is authorised by the DFSA to perform the Senior Executive Officer function. He is a senior real estate development executive with over 20 years of international experience leading large-scale, mixed-use, residential, hospitality, and destination developments across the Middle East, Europe, Africa, and the UK.
Prior to joining Alya Residential Development, he served as Head of Real Estate Development at Shuaa Capital and Chief Development Officer at Northacre, where he led end-to-end development strategy, capital origination, and delivery of complex, high-value projects.
Shadi Hasbini
Chief Development Officer
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Shadi Hasbini is the Chief Development Officer and a senior real estate development executive with over 25 years of international experience leading large-scale mixed-use, residential, hospitality, and waterfront developments across the UAE and GCC.
Prior to joining Alya Residential Development, he served as Executive Director at Aldar PJSC, where he led multi-billion-dirham masterplans, strategic land acquisitions, and joint venture partnerships across Dubai and the Northern Emirates.
Our Board
INSTITUTIONALLY GOVERNED
Brookfield
Jad Ellawn
Managing Partner, Regional Head of the Middle East
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Jad Ellawn is Managing Partner and Regional Head of the Middle East at Brookfield, overseeing the firm’s regional activities. He leads the Middle East Partners strategy and has been instrumental in major investments, including ICD Brookfield and approximately 2 million square feet of mixed-use assets with Dubai Holding. Mr. Ellawn joined Brookfield in 2018 after senior roles in private equity at a top international investment bank.
Dev Santani
Managing Partner, Private Equity
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Dev Santani is Managing Partner in Brookfield’s Private Equity Group, overseeing Brookfield Special Investments and leading private credit initiatives across India, the Middle East, and Asia Pacific. He has managed 26 residential real estate projects totaling approximately 25 million square feet in India. Mr. Santani joined Brookfield in 2014 after working at AIG Global Real Estate.
Rob Devereux
CEO of BGRE, Middle East
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Rob Devereux is CEO of BGRE in the Middle East, where he is responsible for overseeing the portfolio across the region, including ICD Brookfield, a joint venture partnership with the Investment Corporation of Dubai.
Rob joined BGRE in 2014 and played a key role in the joint venture’s first major investment, ICD Brookfield Place, a 1.5 million-square-foot office tower located within the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). Prior to joining BGRE, Rob spent 10 years with Multiplex, serving as a Director across Dubai, India, and Sydney.
Rob holds a Bachelor of Science (Honours) degree in Construction Management and a Postgraduate Diploma in Property Development and Management from the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.
Lunate
Khalifa Al Suwaidi
Managing Partner
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Khalifa Al Suwaidi is Managing Partner at Lunate, where he oversees fund investments, partnerships and strategy, and serves on the Investment Committee, Supervisory Committee and Board. With over 23 years of experience in investment management and strategic leadership, Khalifa has held senior positions across some of Abu Dhabi’s leading investment institutions. Previously, he served as CEO of Abu Dhabi Growth Fund, overseeing more than $35 billion in assets, and Group Chief Investment Officer at ADQ. He has also held senior roles at Mubadala Investment Company and Abu Dhabi National Chemical Company.
Murtaza Hussain
Managing Partner
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Murtaza Hussain is Managing Partner at Lunate, where he oversees direct and co-investments, and serves on the Investment Committee, Supervisory Committee and Board. With over 20 years of experience in investment management, mergers and acquisitions, and alternative investments, Murtaza brings extensive expertise in identifying and delivering strategic investment opportunities. Previously, he served as Chief Investment Officer at ADQ, where he managed over $25 billion in M&A and alternative investments. Earlier in his career, he was a senior member of a global emerging markets private equity firm.
Joseph Cha
Senior Partner
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Joseph Cha is Senior Partner at Lunate, bringing over 24 years of international investment experience across sovereign wealth funds, private equity and investment banking. Prior to joining Lunate, Joseph served as Chief Investment Officer at Abu Dhabi Growth Fund and Managing Director at South Korea’s sovereign wealth fund. He previously held positions as Vice President at Carlyle Buyout Group and Senior Associate in the Investment Banking Division at Goldman Sachs.
Residences
Every place, its own answer
Alya builds in places people want to be. Every project responds to the character of its site, its city and its community, always designed to global standards, and carrying the same fingerprint of enduring quality.
