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Bruno Bento

Associate Director - Design | Architecture & Urbanism | Large-Scale Built Environment
18.2 yrs experienceArchitecture & Planning
Apr 2026

The move

MoveNEOM → Mace
TitleSenior Design Manager → Associate Director - Design
LocationNEOM → Abu Dhabi
Career arcRecent arrival
Cross-border moveYes · Neom → United Arab Emirates
Native languagePortuguese
Years in UAE8.0
Total experience18.2 years
Mace headcount5,001-10,000 employees
Mace industryConstruction
Mace HQLondon
Mace founded1990
Mace typePrivately Held

Career arc

  1. Associate Director - DesignApr 2026 — Present
    Mace· Abu Dhabi Emirate, United Arab Emirates· Full-time
  2. Senior Design ManagerJul 2023 — Apr 2026
    NEOM· NEOM· Full-time
  3. Senior Design Manager (Parsons PMC)Aug 2022 — Jul 2023
    NEOM· NEOM· Full-time
  4. Project / Senior Design Manager (Freelancer)Jun 2021 — Jul 2022
    · Dubai, United Arab Emirates· Freelance
  5. Senior ArchitectMar 2020 — May 2021
    NEOM· Eastern, Saudi Arabia· Full-time
  6. Project LeadJan 2019 — Mar 2020
    SALFO & ASSOCIATES SA.· Dubai, United Arab Emirates· Full-time
  7. Senior Architect / AssociateOct 2015 — Nov 2018
    RMJM· Dubai· Full-time
  8. Senior ArchitectApr 2014 — Sep 2015
    Sobha Group· Dubai
  9. Project ArchitectMar 2013 — Apr 2014
    Whitespace Architect· Dubai
  10. Founder / Principal ArchitectMar 2008 — Feb 2013
    bbento arquitectos· Coimbra Area, Portugal
  11. ArchitectSep 2007 — Mar 2008
    plarq—· Coimbra Area, Portugal

Education

Languages

  • English · Full professional
  • Spanish · Full professional
  • Portuguese · Native or bilingual

Top skills

Client-Side LeadershipClient/Consultant InterfaceIFC/Issued Deliverable OversightInterface ManagementGiga Projects (NEOM)Cross-functional Team Leadership

About

Architect and design leader with 20+ years of experience shaping complex architecture, urbanism, and large-scale built environment projects across the Middle East and Europe.My career spans client-side, PMC, and consultancy roles — giving me a rare cross-perspective on how great design gets made, protected, and delivered. I’ve led design guardianship at NEOM across Oxagon and THE LINE Design Group, and previously delivered award-winning projects including Gate Avenue DIFC and Dubai Creek Harbour Tower.Currently Associate Director - Design Management at Mace Consult, driving design leadership and guardianship across a high-profile portfolio of complex built environment projects — aligning multidisciplinary consultants and senior stakeholders around bold, resolved outcomes within robust gove

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