Jihad Kiame is a Lebanese architect and urban planner, graduated from the Académie Libanaise des Beaux-arts, with over 24 years of experience in large-scale planning, urban design, and architectural projects. He currently serves as Associate Principal and Head of the Design Unit at Dar Al-Handasah’s Planning & Urban Design Department in Beirut. He chairs the department’s Design Review Committee and leads complex multidisciplinary projects across the MENA region and West Africa. Jihad co-founded OPAD (Office for Planning Architecture Design) and previously held senior roles at Ziad Akl & Partners, Eskan Bank Bahrain, and Parsons Brinckerhoff. He has advised public institutions and international agencies including UNDP, France Telecom, and Bahrain Housing Bank. He has also collaborated with NGOs to address the social and physical aftermath of the August 4, 2020 Beirut blast. Jihad has taught at ALBA since 2001, where he also helped expand the academic network and co-led award-winning student teams. He has led final-year studios in both architecture and urban design, focusing on inter-scalar and interdisciplinary synergies. His interests span data-informed planning, AI-assisted design, and strategic recovery of fragile territories.