ABOUT | Fourie-Design

A former cum laude student and recipient of the Commonwealth Scholarship and a Master's graduate from McGill University in Montreal, Morné Fourie is a Real Estate Development professional, an Architect and Urban designer with twenty one years of experience in East Asia, the Middle East and North America.

Led numerous real estate development and design teams and commissions in the fields of master planning and architecture, specializing in the design and construction of new communities, urban renewal and urban regeneration.

As the Senior Vice President of development at the publicly listed Damac Holdings where he reported to the Chairman, managing his ultra luxury hospitality development in the Indian Ocean. He has also done two development pre-concepts for two Dubai based developments for Damac.

As the Vice President Urban Design and Masterplanning at DXB Entertainment/ Dubai Darks and Resorts, a entity created by Meraas Holdings, he managed the design of the entire urban district from concept to completion. Morné was part of the Meraas Holdings team who created DXBE, in his role as Vice President Urban Design and Planning at Meraas Holdings. This is a position he has held for ten years, since the inception of the group in early 2008 where he reported first to the CEO and later to the CCO and later the Chief Projects Officer. His last assignment for Meraas was as part of the North 25 team delivering the built to let housing precincts for Dubai Holdings.

Under his tenure at the Meraas entities, approximately 3000 Ha of land was master planned, islands were reclaimed and construction projects completed. He specifically quality controlled the delivery of all the real estate constructed by DXB and Meraas in the Dubai Parks Master plan, including Riverland, Lapita Mariott Hotel, Motiongate, Lego Land, Bollywood, Dubai Outlet Village, Area development in DPR, the HQ building, the parking and bus and taxi projects and the back of house plots.

Presented master plans to UAE ministers and rulers, including to Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, ruler of Dubai and Prime Minister and Vice President of the UAE, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Princess Haya of Jordan, HE Minister of Cabinet Affairs Mohammed Al Gargawi, HE Abdullah Al Habbai, HE Al Shaibani, Secretary General of the Executive Council.

Partook in the development of the Dubai 2020 master plan, working with the key players from DM and the Dubai Government, as well as the main decision takers of the major developers in Dubai to develop a post-crises growth plan for Dubai. He later assisted the Executive Council on the Dubai 2021 Plan.

Nationally and internationally addressed & chaired conferences and partook in panel discussions on his master planning and real estate development work in the UAE and China.

Co-judge at the Cityscape design competition 2008, and has presented at seminars at McGill University in Canada, lectured and guest lectured at the University of Pretoria and has presented a guest lecture and design workshop at the Canadian University of Dubai. Further tought the planning module for the Masters in Real Estate Development at Scottish Hariet Watt University.

Founding member of the DSCP (the Dubai Society for Construction Professionals, Al Moltaka), a forum for Dubai executives in the fields of Real Estate Development and Construction.

Joined the Urban Land Institute (ULI) in January 2008. Became Chairman of the School Advisory Board of the Dubai British School in 2017.

Managed the BUA, FAR, land use and other constraints on a vast array of land holdings by Meraas, negotiating the same with the Dubai Municipality and other stake holders, such as Trakhees.

Part of the Meraas Development team that evaluated development opportunities and set forth blue sky investment opportunities with in-house pre-concept master plans and feasibility studies.

Former Director of Urban Design of AECOM Abu Dhabi. In October 2006 started the EDAW AECOM Middle East office.

Masters degree in Architecture in McGill University in Montreal, Canada 1999- Commonwealth Scholar, B Arch University of Pretoria cum laude 1996, attended “EDAW- University” at Lake Tahoe in California in 2007.

Utilized the services and collaborated with SOM, KPF, AECOM, Martha Schwartz, Atkins, Nikken Sekkei, EDSA, Gensler, Arquitectonica, AEDAS, 10 Design, SAOTA, Rem Koolhaas, Dan Herman and Adrian Smith to name but a few consultants.

As an artist, Morné’s work has been exhibited in a gallery in the Alserkal Avenue in Dubai, and is permanently exhibited in the Lapita Marriot Hotel in Dubai.