Kareem Ibrahim

Kareem Ibrahim is an Egyptian architect and urban researcher who graduated from Cairo University in 1995. In 1997, he worked on UNDP’s Historic Cairo Rehabilitation Project. He then worked for Aga Khan Cultural Services-Egypt as the Built Environment Coordinator (1997-2010) of the Darb al‑Ahmar project, one of Cairo’s most ambitious urban revitalisation programmes. Between 2010 and 2017, he worked as Senior Development Manager for one of Cairo's largest real estate development projects. He also worked as a consultant with a range of international development agencies, including: UNESCO, UNHCR, UN Women, UN-Habitat, AFD, EIB, GIZ, and the British Museum to develop and implement various projects in areas of urban conservation and revitalization, participatory urban development, upgrading of informal areas, gender-sensitive urban design, placemaking and development of urban policies. In Cairo in 2009, he co-founded Takween Integrated Community Development as a pioneering social enterprise that addresses issues of community engagement, bottom-up development and tactical urbanism through integrated and multidisciplinary approaches in areas of urban design and action/policy research. Mr Ibrahim is also co-leader of TADAMUN: The Cairo Urban Solidarity Initiative (an initiative of Takween and American University in Washington DC) aimed at encouraging citizens to claim their right to the city and its democratic management. Currently, he is the Director of the "Rediscovering Esna's Cultural Heritage Assets" Project –aiming at the revitalization of the city centre of one of Upper Egypt's historic cities. The project is implemented in partnership with the Government of Egypt and funded by USAID/Egypt.