Jones Lang LaSalle, the real estate investment and advisory firm, has announced the appointment of Colin Dowall as its new regional director and head of property and asset management services for the Middle East and North African (MENA) region.

In a statement, JLL said that Dowall is taking over from Graham Howat, who has moved back to the UK to join JLL’s City of London Property Asset Management team as regional director.

Having recently moved to Dubai from China, where he led JLL’s premium asset group – specialising in property management consultancy in tall and supertall mixed-use buildings and developments – Dowall will be tasked with leading the firm’s property management operation services, while also overseeing the development of an international-standard property management service.

With 20 years of experience – 10 of them in China – Dowall is well versed in setting up and leading regional teams of retail and mixed-use management specialists. He has consulted on a number of mixed-use developments in the Asia-Pacific Region.

“Drawing on the experience of our dynamic property and asset management services teams across Mena I will continue working with the team to build our regional capabilities while focussing on creating an even more sustainable business going forward,” said Dowall about his new role.

“We will continue advising on new developments while also tapping into growing opportunities with existing developments, building on the growth achieved under Graham’s strategic leadership,” he added.