The Royal Institute of British Architects last month (November) celebrated the best of the region’s new architecture by recognising nine winning projects of its inaugural RIBA Middle East Awards held during Dubai Design Week.

This year’s projects celebrate the architectural ambition and diversity of the Middle East. From inspiring new civic spaces to sustainable places for learning and community, the winning designs on display at Dubai Design District (d3) showed how architecture is reshaping the future of the built environment in the region, RIBA said.

The impact of architecture to redefine how people live and connect was central to the winners. Among them, the world’s first purpose-built women’s-only mosque – a groundbreaking landmark of equality and innovation located in Qatar.

Spanning the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, the awarded projects celebrate the breadth of architectural talent that is impacting the Middle East today.  Contributions from internationally acclaimed practices – including Diller Scofidio + Renfro (USA), Hopkins Architects (UK), and WOHA (Singapore) – as well as firms from Germany, Japan, and the UAE, underscore the region’s global reach and design prowess.

Kerem Cengiz, the Jury Chair for Middle East Awards, said: “The winning projects reflect an architectural language that is deeply rooted in the Middle East’s evolving identity, one defined by stewardship of heritage, climate consciousness, and social transformation.”

Dr Valerie Vaughan-Dick, RIBA’s Chief Executive Officer, commended the winners on their achievements stating that together, these projects, diverse in scale, method, and purpose, reflect the region’s thriving architectural ecosystem and affirm the Middle East’s growing significance in contemporary architectural discourse.

The winners of the RIBA Middle East Awards include:

•   Adaptive Reuse Winner:  The Serai Wing, Sharjah – Bait Khalid Bin Ibrahim by Anarchitect. The Serai Wing transforms two 1950s pearl-merchant homes into a serene boutique hotel, blending Sharjah’s rich past with contemporary comfort.

•   Design for Living Winner: Al Wasl Plaza, Dubai by Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill. Architecture Al Wasl Plaza, the centrerpiece of Expo 2020 Dubai, has evolved into a vibrant community hub at the heart of Expo City.

•   Future Project Winner: King Salman Park, Riyadh. Gerber Architekten is leading a joint venture with two engineering partners, Buro Happold, and Setec in transforming a former airport into the world’s largest urban park. King Salman Park introduces a vital green intervention to the heart of Riyadh.

RIBA MEMBER WINNERS

Accolades also went to the following projects designed by RIBA members:

•   Buhais Geology Park Interpretive Centre, Al-Madam Plain: Set within a protected desert landscape, Buhais Geology Park by Hopkins Architects brings the story of the earth to life through a series of striking, shell-like buildings inspired by fossilised sea urchins found on site.

•   Expo 2020 Thematic Districts, Dubai: Thematic Districts by Hopkins Architects   transformed the desert into a human-scaled, walkable city inspired by traditional Arab urbanism.

•   Social Architecture Winner: Al-Mujadilah Center and Mosque for Women, Doha – Conceived by Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro, is the world’s first purpose-built contemporary women’s mosque, designed to foster equality and community engagement.

•   Sustainability & Resilience Winner: Jafar Centre, Dubai College, Dubai by Godwin Austen Johnson is a purpose-built STEM facility enhancing collaborative, flexible, and inclusive learning.

TEMPORARY ARCHITECTURE WINNERS

• Singapore Pavilion, World Expo 2020, Dubai. Desinged by WOHA, the Singapore Pavilion transformed desert into a lush oasis of vertical gardens, achieving net-zero energy and water use with recyclable materials. Showcasing Singapore’s sustainability and biodiversity innovations, its sparks dialogue on climate resilience and sustainable living.

• World Food Waste Teahouse: Arabi-an, Dubai: By Mitsubishi Jisho Design. Fully biodegradable and climate-adaptive, the pavilion can be dismantled and relocated, showcasing circular design in a culturally meaningful context.

Lauding the winners, the Chris Williamson, RIBA President, said: “The projects recognised in the RIBA Middle East Awards show architecture’s growing influence in shaping how people live, learn, and come together across the region. They celebrate progress, not only in design and technology, but in how buildings can create opportunity, inclusivity, and lasting cultural value.”