UAE projects shortlisted for Royal Institute of British Architects' inaugural Middle East Award

Finalists balance innovation with cultural identity across the Gulf

Khor Kalba Turtle and Wildlife Sanctuary in Sharjah by Hopkins Architects is on the shortlist. Photo: Hopkins Architects

The Royal Institute of British Architects (Riba) has revealed 15 finalists for its first Middle East Award, highlighting projects that balance innovation with cultural identity across the Gulf.

The shortlist spans the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain, with entries from regional and international firms, including those based in the UK, US, Germany, Singapore and Japan. Together, the projects showcase how architecture is being used to respond to climate challenges, conserve biodiversity and create inclusive community spaces.

Notable entries from the UAE include the Khor Kalba Turtle and Wildlife Sanctuary in Sharjah, designed to support the rehabilitation of turtles and endangered birds, and the Buhais Geology Park Interpretive Centre, inspired by fossilised sea urchins.

Al Wasl Plaza in Dubai has been nominated under Design for Living. Pawan Singh / The National

Other highlights include the Al-Mujadilah Centre and Mosque for Women in Doha by Diller Scofidio + Renfro, the world’s first purpose-built women’s mosque, and King Salman Park in Riyadh, an ambitious regeneration of a former airport into the world’s largest urban park.

Adaptive reuse also features strongly on the shortlist, such as The Chedi Al Bait's The Serai Wing, Bait Khalid Bin Ibrahim in Sharjah, where two 1950s homes once owned by a pearl merchant have been transformed into a boutique hotel. Other projects draw on traditional Najdi architecture and climate-responsive design, including the Wadi Safar Experience Centre in Riyadh.

“The shortlist is a powerful reflection of a region in architectural renaissance, where cultural identity is alive, evolving and deeply embedded in contemporary form,” said Kerem Cengiz, chair of the jury.

Riba president Chris Williamson said the projects “stand out for their creativity, sustainability and human focus,” noting their role in shaping communities and addressing environmental realities.

Winners will be announced during Dubai Design Week on November 5, followed by a dedicated event on November 7.

The shortlist and the categories in which they have been recognised:

• Al Dana Amphitheatre by S/L Architects (Sakhir), Riba Member
• Al Wasl Plaza by Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture (Dubai), Design For Living
• World Food Waste Teahouse: Arabi-an by Mitsubishi Jisho Design (Dubai), Temporary Architecture
• Singapore Pavilion, World Expo 2020 by WOHA (Dubai), Temporary Architecture
• Terra – The Sustainability Pavilion Expo 2020 Dubai / Terra Expo City Dubai by Grimshaw, Desert INK, Buro Happold (Dubai), Sustainability and Resilience
• The Fold by Huna (Dubai), Design For Living
• The H Residence by tkdp (Dubai), Design For Living
• The Serai Wing, Bait Khalid Bin Ibrahim by ANARCHITECT (Sharjah), Adaptive Reuse
• Al-Mujadilah Centre and Mosque for Women conceived by Her Highness, Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, chairperson of Qatar Foundation, Designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro (Doha), Social Architecture
• Buhais Geology Park Interpretive Centre by Hopkins Architects (Al-Madam Plain), Riba Member
• Expo 2020 Thematic Districts by Hopkins Architects (Dubai), Riba Member
• Jafar Centre, Dubai College by Godwin Austen Johnson (Dubai), Sustainability and Resilience
• Khor Kalba Turtle and Wildlife Sanctuary by Hopkins Architects (Algurm), Riba Member
• King Salman Park by Gerber Architekten is leading a joint venture with two engineering partners, Buro Happold, and Setec (Riyadh), Future Projects
• Wadi Safar Experience Center by Dar Al Omran – Rasem Badran (Riyadh), Social Architecture