UAE projects are among the winners of the first Royal Institute of British Architects' Middle East Awards, recognised for innovation in design, sustainability and cultural relevance.
Announced before a ceremony on Friday, during Dubai Design Week, the RIBA awards highlight nine projects across the Middle East.
Al Wasl Plaza in Dubai, by Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture, received the Design for Living award. The central feature of Expo 2020 Dubai, the domed structure has evolved into a year-round community hub at Expo City, hosting light shows, concerts and cultural events beneath its 360-degree trellis.
The Jafar Centre at Dubai College, designed by Godwin Austen Johnson, was recognised in the Sustainability and Resilience category. The purpose-built Stem (science, technology, engineering and maths) facility replaces underused space on the school’s Al Sufouh campus and is designed to achieve LEED Gold certification, which recognises excellence in sustainable design and operation. Prioritising natural light, acoustics and energy efficiency, the compact vertical building aims to support collaborative and inclusive learning.
Two more UAE projects were honoured in the RIBA Member category. The Buhais Geology Park Interpretive Centre in Al Madam, Sharjah, designed by Hopkins Architects, uses fossil-inspired, shell-like forms that blend into the desert terrain, guiding visitors through the region’s geological history. Hopkins Architects also won for the Expo 2020 Thematic Districts, which transformed the desert site into a walkable, human-scaled city inspired by traditional Arab urbanism and designed for adaptive reuse.
In Sharjah, The Serai Wing by ANARCHITECT won the Adaptive Reuse award. The project converted two 1950s pearl merchant homes into a boutique hotel, balancing the restoration of the original structures with contemporary design to revive part of the emirate’s historic fabric.
Across the wider region, other winners reflected similar ambitions in social and environmental transformation. In Doha, Al-Mujadilah Centre and Mosque for Women, conceived by Sheikha Moza bint Nasser and designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro, received the Social Architecture award. The world’s first purpose-built women’s mosque combines spaces for prayer, education and community engagement under an undulating roof illuminated by more than 5,000 light wells.
In Saudi Arabia, King Salman Park in Riyadh won the Future Project award. Designed by Gerber Architekten in collaboration with Buro Happold and Setec, the redevelopment of a former airport into the world’s largest urban park is part of Saudi Vision 2030, introducing a major green space to the city.
Two projects were recognised in Temporary Architecture: the Singapore Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai by WOHA, which achieved net-zero energy and water use, and World Food Waste Teahouse: Arabi-an by Mitsubishi Jisho Design, a biodegradable structure made from tea leaves and dried fruit that explores circular design.
Kerem Cengiz, jury chair for the Middle East Awards, said the winners reflected “an architectural language deeply rooted in the region’s evolving identity”.
Chris Williamson, RIBA president, added: “They celebrate progress, not only in design and technology, but in how buildings can create opportunity, inclusivity and lasting cultural value.”
The winning projects will be celebrated at a public event on Friday evening at Atrium 6, Dubai Design District (d3).
