Abdulrahman Ahmed Nasser Alsayel

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Summary

Abdulrhman has over 13 years of experience in academic research, university teaching, professional practice, and advisory work in inclusive and sustainable urban and regional planning. His research interests focus on the sustainability of the built environment, city humanization, inclusive urban policies, community engagement, place branding, and placemaking. He seeks to develop approaches that bridge theoretical inquiry with applied urban practice.

He holds a Ph.D. in Urban Development, Governance, Place Branding, and Inclusive Urban Prosperity Dynamics from the Institute for Housing and Urban Studies (IHS) at Erasmus University Rotterdam (The Netherlands). He also earned a Master’s degree in Sustainable Planning and Environmental Policy from Cardiff University (United Kingdom). He serves as a faculty member in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning at the College of Architecture and Planning, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University.

His professional trajectory has been shaped by his role as a consultant within international development programs, including UN-Habitat and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), where he contributed to the development and implementation of participatory urban methodologies and analytical frameworks supporting urban transformation, particularly within the context of the Future Saudi Cities Program and related urban development initiatives. He has also served as Director of Research and Studies across several urban platforms and initiatives, leading strategic studies and analytical frameworks that integrate academic research with institutional practice and translate knowledge into actionable policy tools.

In addition to his advisory and academic work, he is an active researcher and author. He contributed to the World Bank publication Greater Than Parts: A Metropolitan Opportunity and co-authored a chapter titled Metropolitan Dammam: City of Mega-Projects. His work has been recognized through several academic distinctions, including the Best Scientific Paper Award at the International Place Branding Association Conference in France (2022). In 2025, he received the Prince Abdulaziz bin Ayyaf Award for Best PhD Dissertation in Humanizing Cities for his doctoral research on humanizing city branding policies and their role in urban transformation.

Publications

Journal Articles

Alsayel, A., Fransen, J., de Jong, M., & Almatar, K. M. (2025). Riyadh: King of gigaprojects – Can Riyadh’s dramatic place rebranding realize path-breaking and profound urban transformations? Cities, 163, 106022.
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Alsayel, A., de Jong, M., & Fransen, J. (2025). Cultural and institutional determinants in city-branding practices: Evidence from three Saudi cities. Urban Studies.
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Alsayel, A., Fransen, J., & de Jong, M. (2023). City branding in a multi-level governance context: Comparing branding performance across five institutional models for urban development in Saudi Arabia. Journal of Place Management and Development, 16(2), 267–290.
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Alsayel, A., de Jong, M., & Fransen, J. (2022). Can creative cities be inclusive too? Cities, 128, 103786.
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Abdellatif, M. A., Alshihri, F., & Alsayel, A. A. (2014). Measuring the applicability of the green city concept: A study of views of samples from residents, high school students and city officials. Emirates Journal for Engineering Research, 19(2), 11–28.
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Book Chapters

Alsayel, A. (2025). Governance models. In Encyclopedia of City and Place Branding (pp. 168–172). Edward Elgar.
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AbouKorin, A. A., Alsayel, A., & Abdelfattah, H. M. K. (2020). Metropolitan Dammam: City of mega-projects. In S. Mehrotra, L. L. Lewis, M. Orloff, & B. Olberding (Eds.), Greater Than Parts: A Metropolitan Opportunity (Vol. II). World Bank.
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Theses

Alsayel, A. (2024). From oil to identity: Place branding for urban transformation in a top-down society – A case study of Saudi Arabia (Doctoral dissertation, Erasmus University Rotterdam).
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Alsayel, A. (2016). Online participatory platforms as a tool for effective interaction of public participation with urban development of Saudi Arabia (Master’s thesis, Cardiff University).
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Reports

Benmokhtar, E., Alsayel, A. A., Mwai, A., Elhefnawi, A., Thomas, D., Lavagna, G., & Saud, R. A. (2017). The state of women and youth in Saudi cities. UN-HABITAT.
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Qualifications

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Urban Development and Governance (2018 - 2024)

Erasmus University, Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS), Netherlands
Research focus: Abdulrahman explored how cities can redefine themselves to attract new audiences. His research focused on using place branding to enhance sustainable urban development, attract global investments, and improve residents' quality of life. Through his in-depth analysis, he revealed the challenges cities face in balancing progress with cultural preservation, emphasizing innovation and social equity in urban planning within various governance contexts. His work addressed balancing creativity and inclusiveness in city branding, the impact of multi-level governance models on place branding performance, and the application of place branding methodologies in centralized systems, along with understanding rapid transformations in rebranding strategies.

Master’s in Sustainability, Planning and Environmental Policy (Merit) (2015 - 2016)

Cardiff University, UK
Research focus: During his master's studies, Abdulrahman became well-versed in sustainable planning concepts through a comprehensive program that covered topics such as environmental management, theories and principles of sustainable development, and planning for sustainability. He also delved into debates on eco-city planning and development and sustainable transport policies. These concepts enabled him to integrate sustainability principles into urban planning to address contemporary environmental challenges. In his thesis, he explored how digital participatory platforms can enhance public interaction with urban development in Saudi Arabia, highlighting the importance of modern technology in achieving sustainable development through effective public participation. His research demonstrated his ability to employ smart city concepts to facilitate community participation, thereby enhancing the quality of life in urban areas.

Bachelor’s in Urban and Regional Planning (Top of Class) (2008 - 2012)

Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal University, Saudi Arabia
Research focus: During his bachelor's studies, Abdulrahman delved into various crucial areas such as urban management, urban economics, transportation planning, environmental planning, urban design, and regional planning. These subjects enabled him to develop a comprehensive understanding of the challenges in urban planning and effective strategies to address them across different spatial levels. In his graduation project, "Transforming Al-Khobar into a Green City," he focused on applying sustainable planning principles to redesign the city in ways that support environmental sustainability and enhance the quality of life for residents. The project highlighted strategies to reduce carbon emissions and increase green spaces while preserving cultural heritage. This project showcased his ability to translate academic theories into practical applications, emphasizing the importance of integrated and sustainable planning in achieving urban development goals.

Research