An Urban Planner at heart coming from an urban tribe in the core City of Muscat. Carrying on
the family legacy by delving into the field of urban planning since a young age at the finest
urban planning schools in the United States of America and South Korea. Mahmood’s expertise
in the field amplified with his exposure to more than 27 nations around the world and research
publications focuses on Oman urban history, traditional planning practices, planning policies
and governance, and post-oil economy. Academically, He is the recipient of Karl B. Lohmann
Award for Departmental Excellence at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2018 and a
visiting Professor at the GUtech in Oman making him one of the youngest professors in Urban &
Regional Planning. Professionally, Mahmood holds professional certifications such as LEED GA,
IBDL International Certified Coach, APA Certification, and Illinois leadership Certificate
accompanied by work experience with international and local organizations at different
managerial levels that puts him among the few accredited Omani planning experts at a young
age. Mahmood was a core team member at the Oman National Spatial Strategy (ONSS) for
nearly 5 years Leading the infrastructure & Energy team and reviewing national and regional
strategies. Mahmood is the Co-founder of Oman Think Urban, the Managing Director of Ruwi
Group, and a founding Board member of Future City Council based in Canada.