Planning and Architecture Office (PAO)

What Planning and Architecture Office (PAO) does

Planning and Architecture Office (PAO) is a privately-held, founder-led professional design consultancy based in El-Mohandseen, Giza, Egypt, established in 2003 by Dr. Aboulfetouh S. Shalaby and Dr. Mohie edeen S. Shalaby. The firm delivers integrated services across four lines: Urban Planning & Design (master planning, strategic planning, environmental and eco-industrial planning, urban design, urban renewal); Landscape Planning and Architecture (landscape planning, hardscape/softscape design, site grading); Architecture and Interior Design (public/private building design, residential and office interiors); and Project Management & Supervision (site management, construction supervision, feasibility studies). There are no disclosed proprietary technology platforms — PAO's "technology" is its in-house team of urban planners, designers, architects, and consultants supported by the founders' academic research at Cairo University's Faculty of Urban and Regional Planning and Cardiff University PhDs.

The firm's revenue model is project-based professional services consulting, with engagements initiated through direct relationships with clients rather than intermediaries. PAO serves two segments: a primary Government and Public Sector segment (Egyptian Ministry of Housing and its General Organisation of Physical Planning, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Culture / National Organisation for Urban Harmony, plus Saudi Arabian municipalities in Madinah and Holy Makkah via partner consultancies), and a secondary Private Sector segment serving developers of commercial, industrial, cultural, and residential properties. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and appears to be negotiated on a per-project basis. PAO reports a current headcount of 5 employees and operates with minimal digital marketing, relying on its website portfolio and the founders' academic and professional network for new business development.

Name

Planning and Architecture Office (PAO)

Legal name

Planning and Architecture Office

Website

https://pao-eg.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Planning and Architecture Office (PAO) is a Giza, Egypt-based professional consultancy founded in 2003 that delivers urban planning, landscape architecture, building design, and project management services to Egyptian government ministries, Saudi Arabian municipalities, and private-sector clients across the Middle East.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Urban Planning and Architectural Design Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131), Landscape Architectural Services (54132), Interior Design Services (541410), Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413)

akta.pro primary industry

Program & Project Management (PMO) Consulting (BPAHACAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Infrastructure Planning, Capital Programs & Project Delivery Offices (PMOs) (BPAIALAJ)

Keywords

• Urban planning services
• Architectural design consulting
• Landscape architecture
• Master planning consulting
• Urban design services

Headquarters

HQ city

Giza

HQ country

Egypt

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Services Consultancy: PAO generates revenue through project-based consulting engagements for urban planning, landscape architecture, and architectural design services. Services are delivered across the project lifecycle from planning through construction supervision.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

PAO is a professional design consultancy that delivers urban planning and design, landscape planning and architecture, architecture and interior design, and project management and supervision services. The firm works with government agencies and private developers across Egypt and the Middle East to take projects from master planning and feasibility through construction supervision, operating as a one-stop, full-lifecycle planning and architectural services group.

Product overview

PAO is a comprehensive professional one-stop, life-cycle services consultancy group offering four integrated service lines: Urban Planning & Design Services (master planning, strategic planning, environmental planning, urban design), Landscape Planning and Architecture Services (landscape planning, hardscape/softscape design, site grading), Architecture and Interior Design Services (architectural design of public/private buildings, interior design), and Project Management and Supervision Services (site management, construction supervision, feasibility studies). The firm serves diverse clients across Egypt and the Middle East, with a portfolio spanning city planning, urban design complexes, landscape of green corridors, commercial, industrial, cultural facilities, and residential/office interiors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Urban Planning & Design Services Comprehensive urban planning offering covering master planning, strategic master planning, environmental planning, eco-industrial planning, urban design, urban process studies, and urban renewal and conservation. Designed for government agencies and private developers undertaking city- and district-scale planning in Egypt and the Middle East.
• Landscape Planning and Architecture Services Landscape planning, hard and softscape design, and site grading for urban and suburban environments. Aimed at government, municipal, and private-sector clients that need landscape design integrated with broader planning or development projects.
• Architecture and Interior Design Services Architectural design of public and private buildings combined with interior design services for residential and office buildings. Targets private developers, corporate clients, and public-sector owners of commercial, industrial, cultural, residential, and office projects.
• Project Management and Supervision Services Site management, construction supervision, and feasibility studies delivered alongside the firm's planning and design work to oversee project delivery from planning through completion. Targeted at the same government and private-sector clients that commission PAO's planning and design services.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Office of Ahmad Farid Mostafa, Consultancies on Architecture, Planning and EngineeringminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative relationship for providing urban planning and design consulting services to Madinah and Holy Makkah Municipalities in Saudi Arabia.
• Dar El-Rahmah Consultancy OfficeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner consultancy office for urban planning and design projects in Makkah Municipality and Saudi Arabia, including detailed planning of Asfan City and Asfan Industrial Zone.
• Omranioun, Planners, Architects and DevelopersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner for urban planning and design consulting services to municipalities in Saudi Arabia.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Dar Al-Handasah (Shair and Partners): Beirut-headquartered global architecture, engineering, and planning consultancy with deep MENA roots and a strong urban planning and design practice. Comparable to PAO in service breadth across planning, landscape, and architecture, but operates at vastly larger scale across the Middle East, Africa, and globally.
• AECOM: Global infrastructure consulting firm with major urban planning, landscape architecture, and design practices serving MENA governments and developers on mega-projects. Comparable to PAO in offering integrated planning-design-PMO services, but at global scale with thousands of professionals versus PAO's five.
• Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM): Global architecture, urban planning, and engineering firm with a long-standing Middle East practice including master planning and city-scale design work. Comparable to PAO in cross-disciplinary urban and architectural design, though operating at much larger scale and on higher-profile mega-projects.
• Perkins&Will: Global architecture and urban design firm with significant Middle East and North Africa project portfolio spanning master planning, healthcare, education, and commercial design. Comparable to PAO in cross-disciplinary urban planning and architectural services, but at global scale.
• Foster + Partners: British global architecture and urban design firm with marquee MENA projects including master plans for major Gulf cities. Comparable to PAO in city-scale urban design and architectural services, though focused on signature commissions rather than government policy-level planning.
• HOK: Global architecture, engineering, and planning firm with active urban design and master planning practice serving Middle East clients. Comparable to PAO in offering integrated planning, landscape, and architectural services, but at much larger scale with established regional offices.

Direct peers

• Dar Group: Multi-disciplinary architecture, engineering, and planning consultancy with regional Middle East heritage and integrated urban planning-to-PMO capabilities. Closely comparable to PAO in service mix and regional focus, though operating globally with significantly larger headcount.
• Omrania & Associates: Saudi Arabia-based architecture, planning, and engineering consultancy offering urban design, master planning, landscape, and architectural services across the Kingdom. Comparable to PAO in delivering culturally-attuned planning and design in Saudi Arabia (the same geography where PAO's Madinah/Makkah work sits), though with broader regional reach.

Regional players

• EGYECON Consultants: Egyptian architecture, urban planning, and engineering consultancy providing master planning and design services across Egypt and the wider region. Closely comparable to PAO as an Egypt-rooted multi-disciplinary planning and design firm serving government and private developers.

Emerging players

• Benoy: International architecture, master planning, and interior design firm with significant Middle East presence and integrated urban design-to-interiors capability. Comparable to PAO in one-stop planning-architecture-interiors offering, though operating at larger scale with established Gulf offices.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Planning and Architecture Office (PAO)