ABOUT US
About ARC Advisory
Based in Dubai, UAE, we serve a variety of clients such as government agencies, real estate developers, and non-profits, across the region and globally. Our passion lies in high-impact projects that use arts & culture as a platform to generate social capital.
Our Approach
We believe in delivering tailored solutions to clients, and therefore we ensure that the project team is tailored for the task at hand. We hand-pick every team member from an extensive network of subject experts and industry specialists, drawing from decades of experience both in-house and in advisory capacities.
Our Experience
We believe in the power of cultural and creative spaces and how they have the power to transform communities. Our expertise is placemaking has been demonstrated in the context cultural districts, mixed-use developments, museums, performance spaces, multi-disciplinary spaces, parks, and heritage sites.
Navid Niknejad, Founder
Navid specializes in developing and delivering the future of culture, on a national scale, and effectively generating social capital through the platform of arts. Through his career he has been able to marry several areas of expertise, such as strategy, culture and development into a unique niche.
Prior to founding ARC Advisory he was the Arts & Culture Director for two giga-projects which are integral parts of of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030; AMAALA and The Red Sea Project. Therein he oversaw the development of 19 cultural capital projects valued at USD 2 billion+.
His in-industry pragmatism is complemented by his analytical nature and his extensive management consulting experience with Strategy& (PwC) and EFESO. During this time Navid worked on several high-impact initiatives with government and non-government clients with a strong focus on culture related projects.
A visual artist, Navid has had his artwork exhibited internationally in various solo and group exhibitions. It is this nuanced understanding of the needs of creative communities and their potential that gives him a unique perspective when leading his projects.
Arnaud Morand
Arnaud Morand is an expert in cultural and creative industries, digital projects, and curatorial practices, with a focus in the Middle East region. Currently based between Saudi and France, he is Head of Creation and Innovation for the French Agency for AlUla development (Afalula), where he is supporting the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) in the implementation of its cultural programming strategy and the development of its cultural assets. He recently co-curated the first AlUla Artist Residency and is onboard several regional and international cultural initiatives as a board member, advisor and independent curator.
In 2022, he co-curated Noor Riyadh festival, a citywide annual festival of light and art with more than 150 artists.
He previously worked in Abu Dhabi as a cultural attaché for France. He supervised the opening of Louvre Abu Dhabi and curated a two-year interdisciplinary program co-produced by the Abu Dhabi Ministry of Culture and Youth and the French Institute. This focused on themes such as contemporary creation and artificial intelligence and included artists and cultural organizations such as Mohammed Bourouissa, Zineb Sedira, Mourad Merzouki, Gauthier Capuçon, Bartabas, the Paris National Opera, Sorbonne University, the Arab World Institute, Abu Dhabi Art, and the Sharjah Art Foundation. Before that, he was in charge of strategic development at the Centre Pompidou in Paris and led partnerships at the Gaîté lyrique, the French institution dedicated to post-internet art.
He holds a Master’s degree in public affairs and cultural project management from Sciences Po Paris and UC Berkeley, and a Master’s degree in sociology from Grenoble Pierre Mendès France University. He obtained a diploma with honours as a pianist from the French National Conservatory of Music and Dance, and studied ballet and contemporary dance there as well.
Arnaud was decorated Knight of the Order of Arts & Letters of the French Republic in January 2021
Diana Segantini
Diana is a Swiss/Norwegian citizen who specialized in Arab-Islamic Studies at L'Orientale University and holds a Masters in International Relations from IUHEI in Geneva. Diana started her professional career in the art and documentary film scene, as well as gaining extensive experience working in different countries serving the UN, various NGOs and more extensively in the Middle East as a delegate for the International Red Cross ICRC for 4 years. Fluent in Arabic and 9 other languages, she has become an expert on the Arab region and in intercultural issues.
In 2008, she founded Segantini Unlimited, an agency specialized in cultural mediation and international cultural productions such as art exhibitions, where she also curates her family’s cultural heritage, being the great-granddaughter of the painter Giovanni Segantini. Mandated by the Global Ethic Foundation of Prof. Hans Küng, she led major intercultural and interreligious projects around the world linked to education, academic debates, documentary films and book publications.
Diana has also led women’s empowerment programs in Saudi Arabia and the rest of the GCC. For 6 years, she was Head of Arts & Culture for Swiss TV and radio RSI and a Member of the RSI Board, producing music concerts and over 100 feature and documentary films, acclaimed at various international Festivals.
Since 2019 she has contributed to Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 through several projects; in 2019 she was appointed Chief Heritage & Culture Officer at Diriyah Gate Development Authority in Saudi Arabia, responsible for this UNESCO Heritage Site, building up several cultural institutions such as museums, academies and an Art District. Then she served as Senior Director for Arts & Culture at AMAALA and as a Partner for Culture & Communication at AEON Strategy, a firm specialized in true sustainability.
Currently she is an independent Advisor for Arts&Culture, media, film & communication/PR, foundations, philanthropy and sustainability; as well as a Consultant to Art Basel and a curator and art advisor at large.
Based in Lugano, Switzerland Diana is married and has two children.