DR. MOHAMED ABDELAZIZ METALLAOUI
Head of Heritage Department
Head of Heritage Department
Dr. Mohamed Abdelaziz Metallaoui is a Franco-Algerian architect with a Ph.D. in architecture, urban planning, landscape, and heritage from the Sorbonne University of Paris City. His Ph.D. research focused on architectural and garden heritage in Algeria. He is currently an associate researcher at the Laboratoires: Identités–Cultures–Territoires (EA 337) of the University of Paris and Ausonius (UMR 5607) of the University of Bordeaux, France, as well as the head of the Heritage Department of HMS AlUla.
During his academic career, he worked as a heritage curator for historical monuments and inventories at the Paris National Heritage Institute. He has published several scientific papers and participated in many international meetings on architecture and heritage, including those in Brazil, Italy, Morocco, and Egypt. His areas of expertise are multidisciplinary and include:
- Restoration of architectural and landscape heritage.
- Preparation of files for the classification of historic monuments and gardens.
- Inventory and historical monuments
- History of Architecture
- Earthen architecture
From 2019 to 2022, he worked as the director’s assistant at HCC Company, contributing to the AlUla Old Town conservation project in Saudi Arabia. In 2022, he joined HMS AlUla and established the HMS Heritage Department. He has since served as a director for various projects in AlUla, Khaybar, and Tayma in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with a primary focus on preserving their authenticity.