Omar Abdulaziz Hallaj is an architect and development consultant. Mr. Hallaj has served as the CEO of the Syria Trust for Development, a non-governmental foundation providing a framework for a variety of community based developmental initiatives in Syria. Previously, he worked as the Team Leader for the German Technical Cooperation Project for the Development of Historic Cities in Yemen (GIZ). Also, he was a partner in Suradec, a consortium for urban development and urban heritage planning in Aleppo, Syria. His professional work closely concentrated on linking institutional, social and economic development concerns to the production of the built environment.

He graduated from the University of Texas in 1989 and obtained a Masters of Architecture from the same university in 1992. Mr. Hallaj has researched, published and lectured on a variety of issues related to the history, economics and development policies in the Muslim world and Arab region. His work experience includes serving on commissions and management boards for a variety of public and private bodies dealing with urban development and conservation issues, developing administrative and legal frameworks for heritage conservation, microfinance, and involving private and non-governmental efforts in urban and local development. In 2007 Mr. Hallaj was a recipient of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture for his role as Team Leader for the Yemeni-German Shibam Urban Development Project. Subsequently, he served as a member of the Award’s Master Jury in its 2010 cycle.