Name: Yu Tao
Designation: President and CEO
Company: China State Construction Engineering Corporation Middle East (CSCEC ME)
Category: Contracting Giants
Yu Tao serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer of China State Construction Engineering Corporation (Middle East), where he has been at the helm since 2004. Under his visionary leadership, CSCEC Middle East has grown into one of the region’s most prominent construction companies, employing over 10,000 professionals and playing a significant role in shaping the Gulf’s modern infrastructure.
With full responsibility for the company’s operations across the UAE and the wider Gulf region, Tao has strategically reinforced CSCEC’s footprint in the United Arab Emirates while actively driving expansion into key markets such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, and Eastern Europe. This forward-looking approach led to the company’s joint venture win in June 2022 for a major drill and blast tunneling contract in Saudi Arabia’s NEOM project, one of the world’s most ambitious urban developments.
CSCEC Middle East, under Tao’s stewardship, is currently involved in delivering landmark projects including the new headquarters of the Central Bank of Kuwait and the iconic Al-Hikma Tower in the UAE, further cementing its reputation for engineering excellence and large-scale execution.
Prior to his current role, Tao held several senior leadership positions within the CSCEC global network. He was Deputy Managing Director at China Construction (South Pacific) Development Company in Singapore, overseeing operations across Southeast Asia. Between 2007 and 2010, he also served as Vice-President for Overseas Operations at the Group’s international arm.
Tao’s academic credentials include a Master of Science in Project Management from the National University of Singapore and a degree in Civil Engineering from the Chongqing Civil Engineering Institute in China. His technical expertise, combined with a strategic global outlook, continues to guide CSCEC Middle East toward long-term growth, regional leadership, and engineering innovation across diverse markets.
