What Sidara does

Sidara is a Dubai-headquartered, family-owned global professional services collaborative founded in 1950 (originally as Dar Al-Handasah Consultants) and rebranded from Dar Group in March 2023. It operates through 17 specialist firms including Dar, Perkins&Will, Currie & Brown, TYLin, Penspen, Maffeis, Introba, Landrum & Brown, CopperTree Analytics and, as of March 2026, John Wood Group. Pre-acquisition headcount was approximately 19,000-20,000 professionals; the Wood transaction roughly tripled the workforce to 55,000+ across 300+ global locations, and the combined business has sat in the ENR Top 10 for design firms for 15 consecutive years.

The group serves enterprise energy operators and infrastructure clients including Shell, Woodside, NextDecade and Kellas Midstream alongside public-sector clients such as the Kenya Airports Authority and the Rwandan government (FIKA programme). Revenue is generated through project-based, multi-year professional services contracts, with disclosed engagements including a 10-year LNG services agreement with NextDecade, a two-year extension with Woodside valued at up to $65M and a 16-month Shell extension. Combined annual revenue post-acquisition exceeds $8.5B, with Wood contributing a ~$6.5B order book. Technology and analytics assets include the Para building analytics platform (UL Smart Systems-rated) and CopperTree Analytics (acquired March 2023).

The Wood transaction in March 2026 was financed with a $450M capital injection at a distressed purchase price of approximately £216-240M (~$265M) versus an originally discussed £1.5B offer. The acquisition inherits material balance-sheet and governance issues: a £13M FCA fine for inaccurate financial statements covering 2022-2024, projected 2025 negative free cash flow of $150-200M, and a leadership transition with Iain Torrens replacing CEO Ken Gilmartin. Group CTO Murali Selvaraj oversees technology direction, though no AI/ML-native product or research outputs are disclosed in the available data.

Name

Sidara

Legal name

Dar Al-Handasah Consultants Shair and Partners Holdings

Website

https://dargroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1950

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Sidara is a Dubai-headquartered, family-owned global collaborative of 17 professional services firms serving infrastructure, energy and public-sector clients across 300+ locations with 55,000+ professionals following the 2026 Wood acquisition.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Engineering and Design Consulting Services

NAICS

Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413), Engineering Services (541330), Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (541)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Strategy & Corporate Development Consulting (BPAHACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Construction Program Management (Multi-site/Portfolio) (IMAFAAAF), Infrastructure & Project Finance Advisory (BPAHADAO)

Keywords

• Engineering consulting services
• Built environment design
• Infrastructure project delivery
• Energy transition advisory
• Architecture and planning

Headquarters

HQ city

Dubai

HQ country

United Arab Emirates

HQ region

Middle East

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Engineering and Consulting Services: Professional services revenue from engineering design, consulting, and project delivery across built environment, energy, and infrastructure sectors. Services are project-based with contracts ranging from short-term engagements to multi-year maintenance and development programs.
2. Energy Transition Services: Wood Group brings ~$6.5 billion order book including energy transition capabilities, serving oil and gas, LNG, and emerging clean energy markets through long-term contracts with national oil companies and international energy majors.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Sidara is a global collaborative of 17+ specialist design, engineering, and consulting firms delivering integrated services across the built environment, energy transition, and infrastructure sectors. Its portfolio spans architecture (Perkins&Will), engineering (Dar, TYLin, Penspen, Maffeis, Wood), cost and project management (Currie & Brown), aviation consulting (Landrum & Brown), building analytics (CopperTree Analytics, Para platform), and multidisciplinary engineering (Introba), serving airports, hospitals, mobility, urban development, energy, and water projects worldwide.

Product overview

Sidara is a global collaborative of specialist design, engineering, and consulting firms, formerly known as Dar Group. The platform operates a 'house of specialist brands' model unifying 17 firms in the built environment sector. Core brands include Dar (flagship design/engineering consultancy), Wood (energy and materials engineering, acquired 2026), Perkins&Will (architecture), TYLin (infrastructure engineering), Currie & Brown (cost/project management), and Penspen (energy engineering). Digital and analytics offerings include CopperTree Analytics (acquired 2023) and the building analytics platform Para (world's first UL Smart Systems rating). Additional specialist firms include Introba, Maffeis, and Landrum & Brown. With over 55,000 professionals across 300+ locations generating $8.5+ billion in revenue, the collaborative serves complex projects in airports, hospitals, mobility, urban development, energy transition, and water assets. Sidara has maintained top-10 position in ENR Rankings for Top International Design Firms for 15 consecutive years.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Para: Building analytics platform that earned the world's first UL Smart Systems rating for smart building systems optimization.

Products and services

• Sidara Collaborative

Quantifiable outcome

• Combined entity generates $8.5 billion+ in revenue
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• FIKA RwandacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 June 2026Partnership for construction of 75-meter Kira Trail Suspension Bridge in Gasabo District, Rwanda. The bridge was constructed by a team of 14 construction experts over 15 days and provides safe year-round access for communities previously cut off during rainy seasons. Dar Rwanda stated the initiative falls under its corporate social responsibility health, safety, and environment policy.
• Kenya Airports AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 February 2026Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) commissioned Sidara to develop a masterplan for upgrading Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. The project aims to increase capacity from 7.5 million to 12 million passengers annually (first phase), with longer-term target of 22.3 million by 2029. Private cars will be barred from main terminal to free space for expansion.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• WSP Global: Canadian-headquartered global engineering professional services firm with ~80,000 professionals and similar built environment, transportation, and infrastructure consulting focus. Directly comparable in business model and end markets.
• AECOM: US-listed global infrastructure consulting firm with ~50,000 professionals delivering design, engineering, and program management services across transportation, water, energy, and built environment segments.
• Jacobs Solutions: US-listed professional services firm with deep overlap in energy transition, critical infrastructure, and advanced manufacturing, following its separation from CMS. Closely comparable to Sidara post-Wood acquisition.
• Stantec: Canadian engineering, architecture, and environmental consulting firm with similar built environment, water, and energy transition service lines and comparable global delivery model.
• Arcadis: Dutch-headquartered global design and consultancy firm focused on buildings, infrastructure, water, and environment, with comparable multi-disciplinary engineering consulting model.
• AtkinsRéalis: Canadian engineering services and nuclear major with similar end-market exposure across infrastructure, energy, and nuclear/transition projects; comparable professional services delivery model.
• Worley: Australian energy and resources engineering services firm highly comparable to Wood Group's energy business, with similar oil & gas, LNG, and energy transition project portfolios.
• Mott MacDonald: UK-headquartered employee-owned engineering, management, and development consultancy operating across infrastructure, energy, and built environment with similar multi-disciplinary professional services model.

Broad incumbents

• Bechtel: US-headquartered global engineering, construction, and project management firm, broader in scope including EPC delivery, but overlapping in large infrastructure and energy project advisory and design.
• Fluor Corporation: US-listed global engineering and construction firm serving energy, mining, infrastructure, and government markets with comparable oil & gas and energy transition project exposure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-dar-group
• Instagraminstagram.com/sidaracollaborative

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A3 records

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sidara