Celebrating Our Success & Looking Ahead
Our recent events have been a resounding success, bringing together engaged audiences, fostering meaningful connections, and creating unforgettable experiences. From well-attended conferences to lively community gatherings. Building on this momentum, we continue to design future events that promise dynamic speakers, interactive sessions, and fresh opportunities for networking. Stay tuned for what’s next!
PAST EVENTS
BEGA | Aubrilam Experience Centre Open House
May 1, 2025 | Dubai Hills
In collaboration with BEGA | Aubrilam, IALD, Nulty+, and Delhom Acoustics, AIA Middle East hosted an evening of immersive design exploration at the BEGA | Aubrilam Experience Centre. Attendees enjoyed a guided tour focused on the acoustic design by Lois Delhom (Delhom Acoustics) and a compelling lecture by Paul Nulty, founder of Nulty+, on lighting design in the Middle East.
From Concept to Construction: AI’s Role in Architectural Execution
May 12 & 14, 2025 | German Jordanian University & The University of Jordan
AIA Middle East partnered with academic institutions to lead a two-day workshop exploring the evolving role of AI in architecture. Led by Dr. Deyala Tarawneh, the sessions offered students and young architects hands-on experiences with AI-powered tools—from generative design and BIM automation to predictive analytics. Participants gained practical insights into how AI bridges the gap between design vision and built reality.
Aia middle east lecture:Jese Reiser & Nanako Umemoto
May 13, 2025 | AECOM Dubai Office
In collaboration with AECOM Dubai and the American University of Sharjah, AIA Middle East hosted “Weaponized Craft,” a lecture by Jesse Reiser and Nanako Umemoto (Reiser+Umemoto). The talk examined the intersection of traditional craft and contemporary technology, spotlighting the O-14 tower in Dubai. Emphasizing craft as an exploratory ethos, the lecture offered a provocative lens on design’s cultural and ecological implications.
Seen through the lens of RUR’s ongoing project on urban transformation, our talk charts the long design gestation and ultimate building triumph of a series of public and private projects across the globe. From completion wins to speculative developments each project came with its own set of challenges: architectural, political and ecological. What Reiser+Umemoto learned from these projects was nothing short of late revelation on the centrality of craft and its surprising urban and cultural implications.
In short, craft has unexpectedly returned to the architect.
Migrating from the job site into the exploratory space of the design studio, craft takes on new unprecedented dimensions. No longer strictly limited by material realities, or the routines of normative practice, the architect is free to engage with a project across scales and mediums, craft is, for Reiser+Umemoto, less a set of concrete techniques than an exploratory ethos. This radical mode of thinking and working is an ongoing dance between centuries-old and cutting-edge technologies. A crafty engagement with technology is essential; eluding the twin traps of conservative handicraft and process-based techno-purism. The practice seeks to chart a radically aesthetic passage between the two as the most resonant way to advance culture and society.
Like the effectiveness of the itinerant smiths of old and Lockheed’s mid-century Skunk Works, which existed within larger machines: economic, political or otherwise, Reiser+Umemoto continue to leverage the vitality of independent thought beyond the constraints of convention, in service to the world.
DoWntown design Riyadh
May 20-23, 2025 | JAX District, Riyadh
AIA Middle East board members took the stage at the first high-quality design fair in Saudi Arabia to discuss “Design Excellence at Scale”.
Speakers included Sherif Anis (Co-founder & Executive Director, AIA Middle East and Senior Development Director, KAFD), Ryan Waltke (Secretary, AIA Middle East & Studio Director, Gensler), and Chucri Haddad (Past President & Director, AIA Middle East & Regional Director, DAR), who shared insights on leading transformative projects across the region.
The first high-quality design fair in Saudi Arabia and together with its strategic partner, the Architecture and Design Commission of the Ministry of Culture, it connected global design brands with Saudi Arabia’s creative community, offering access to original, high-quality design and limited-edition works from both international and regional studios. The event highlighted global-local collaboration and design innovation within the context of Vision 2030.
Downtown Design Riyadh
Downtown Design Riyadh
index 2025
May 27-29, 2025 | Dubai World Trade Centre
INDEX 2025 brought together global interior design professionals, connecting regional buyers with top-tier brands and manufacturers. The expansive venue offered an unmatched opportunity for business, trend discovery, and networking within the Middle East and North African markets. The sheer breadth and scale of INDEX provided one space to network, do business and learn the latest trends.
drawing cities with many hands: mixing skills to make places
May 29, 2025 | American University, Dubai
Speaker: Dr. Maryam Shafiei & Dr. Nabyl Chenaf
This seminar explored interdisciplinary approaches in urban design through recent student-led projects. Highlighting advanced tools and inclusive strategies, the lecture raised critical questions about agency and governance in shaping the urban environment.
UPCOMING EVENT
meaEc Buildtechxchange
June 17-19, 2025 | Conrad Dubai
Join us in Dubai for a timely dialogue on “Modular Construction & Urban Developments”. The program features leading voices including Li Ren (President, AIA Middle East), Amer Mneimneh (Prior + Partners), Ihab Ramlawi (DuPod), and Mohd Imran Shaikh (Ramboll).
We’re also proud to announce that AIA ME board member Dr. Bhakti More, Assoc. AIA, Chairperson & Professor at the School of Design & Architecture at Manipal Academy of Higher Education, will present on “Circular Economy in Construction – Rethinking Sustainability in the Built Environment.”
Don’t miss this chance to explore innovative ideas, connect with peers, and contribute to shaping the future of our built world.
More information HERE.
Registration HERE.
