Meet the women architects of AD100 2026. Each brings a distinct approach to how buildings can respond to culture, climate and community. Their practices span different scales and styles, but together they reflect the depth and maturity of architectural thinking across the Middle East today.
Tessa Sakhi
It has been quite the year for Venice-based Lebanese designer Tessa Sakhi, who, after enjoying a slow-paced renovation of her charming apartment in a historic canal-side building, has fully thrown herself into what brings her the greatest pleasure: creating objects, spaces and experiences that open room for cross-cultural dialogue. Fresh off curating her first show for We Design Beirut in October 2025 (it focused on her passion for glass craft), she is working on two residential projects in Lebanon and recently launched a new collection for Fragmenta: Titled Blooming (In)carnations, born from discarded stone fragments reimagined as architectural furniture. Lebanon, Italy; tessasakhi.com
Syn Architects
This Riyadh practice, led by Sara Alissa and Nojoud Alsudairi, champions ecologically responsible design with a keen awareness of nature, materiality and adaptive re-use. All three are prominently on view in their Shamalat Cultural Center in Diriyah, Riyadh, a transformation of an old mud house into a vibrant cultural hub housing a gallery, artist residency and workshop space. Riyadh stone, laid in a minimalist style on top of the old structure, gives it a playful yet sensitive character. Saudi Arabia; syn.sa
Sumaya Dabbagh
For Saudi architect Sumaya Dabbagh, architecture is “a living practice – one that connects people to place and spirit.” The recently unveiled Al Ain Museum stands as a defining moment for her RIBA Chartered studio, reflecting years of research into cultural memory and continuity. Since its founding in 2008, Dabbagh Architects has reshaped the Gulf’s architectural language with projects such as the Mleiha Archaeological Centre and Gargash Mosque, both Aga Khan Award nominees. “These cultural projects,” Dabbagh says, “are our way of shaping memory and meaning through architecture.” United Arab Emirates; dabbagharchitects.com
Sarah Alhomaidah and Duia Abushanab
Sarah Alhomaidah and Dunia Abushanab founded Studio Nama in 2021 with the aim of bringing a fresh perspective to Kuwait’s architecture scene: the name “Nama” is derived from the Arabic word for growth, reflecting their mission to create spaces that evolve meaningfully over time. They take a holistic approach, embracing architecture, interiors and landscape design, and have recently graduated from residential to commercial spaces with their Matchbox restaurant in JACC, Kuwait City. Its eclectic interior is inspired by Persian cuisine. Kuwait; studionama.com
Ghalia Korban and Jade Daniel
Based in Abu Dhabi, Ghalia Korban and Jade Daniel's studio, shell+core is causing a stir with its spaces that are “people-focused, locally inspired and constantly evolving”. Cafes and retail stores are at the core of its practice: it has just completed Abu Dhabi café-restaurant ZOI, whose industrial-chic interior features layered block walls and exposed concrete. The duo is also responsible for the robust look of ETHR Clubhaus in Abu Dhabi, and for the city’s Super Classic bakery, a playful concept that explores colour and texture. United Arab Emirates; @shellandcore.uae
Shahira Fahmy
“The most audible voice in any project is the materiality,” says Shahira Fahmy, the Egyptian architect celebrated for her eco-hotel Dar Tantora Lodge, built on old ruins in AlUla. Materiality also defined her Nakhla installation for Ithra’s Khoos Initiative in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, earlier this year: a lacelike structure in woven palm leaf, it merged craft, light and form. Fahmy has recently restored the 1960s Bergidyll Hotel in the Swiss Alps, famously associated with the Bond movie Goldfinger. Her “gentle renewal” preserves the venue’s midcentury character. Egypt; Sfahmy.com
Salwa Samargandi
As founder of SAL Architects, Saudi Arabia’s Salwa Samargandi raises awareness of her country’s heritage by regenerating its historic sites, often in AlUla. Her practice has recently acquired a more contemporary slant: witness her design for the AlUla South Gas Station, a minimal, geometric structure inspired by Nabatean architecture; and her launch of The Lab by SAL, a research hub for innovation “that allows community integration and exploration”. Samargandi is also restoring the Arabian Market in AlUla’s old town. Saudi Arabia; @sal_architects
Salima Naji
By restoring traditional vernacular architecture using local materials and knowledge, Moroccan architect and anthropologist Salima Naji offers a contemporary perspective on her country’s heritage – a process she describes as “paleo-innovation”. She collaborates with local masons to develop earth-friendly construction methods, giving old buildings new life by adapting their functions. Recently, she has been reconstructing an earthquake-damaged school in the village of Setti Fatma near Marrakech; the masons working on the project are parents of the pupils. This year, Naji has also received the prestigious Global Award for Sustainable Architecture. Morocco; salimanaji.com
See the Full AD100 2026 Honourees List
Rania Hamed
Rania Hamed’s architecture and interiors, created with her Dubai and Montreal-based studio VSHD, have a Zen-like simplicity; her influences include Japanese design, traditional Arabic housing and Brutalism. The Meld, a new Dubai concept store that combines fashion, design, and a coffee shop, was designed “to feel intentionally unpolished” and open to change, with a paper-like linoleum backdrop. Another recent opening is Moon Slice, a Dubai pizzeria with wooden panelling, white accents and carved-stone friezes. United Arab Emirates, Canada; vshd.net
Lina Ghotmeh
Whether it is the all-wood Bahrain pavilion at the Expo 2025 in Osaka, transforming a historic residence in Bukhara, Uzbekistan, into a future-facing museum or designing Qatar’s permanent outpost at the Giardini della Biennale in Venice, Paris-based Lebanese architect Lina Ghotmeh’s work demonstrates how preservation and progress go hand-in-hand. Her latest win – an archaeological dig-inspired reimagining of the British Museum’s Western Range galleries – shifts the dial on creativity rooted in a human-centric approach, but also for inclusivity and broader representation in the museum world, which, still, remains quite conservative. Lebanon, France; linaghotmeh.com
Sarah Hejazin
Sarah Hejazin leads the environmentally responsive design is the passion of New York and Amman-based studio FADAA, alongside Bisher Tabbaa. This year, it has completed the Al Ameed Shmeisani Park in Amman, which addresses the city’s lack of green spaces. Detailed climate analysis was used to create adaptable microclimates, while modular buildings for sports and community activities can be easily disassembled at the end of their lifespan. Also in Amman, coffee boutique 73 by Al Ameed reimagines rammed-earth architecture in a modern setting. United States, Jordan; fadaa.space
Chacha Atallah
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Working at the intersection of architecture, interior design, objects and curation, Tunisian architect Chacha Atallah is what you’d call a true multidisciplinarian. Having recently completed the Selma Ferriani gallery in Tunis, which used indigenous building techniques and materials, and launched her design gallery Bardo Collections, Atallah is currently renovating a striking 19th-century residence in the heart of the medina of Tunis, which will give pride of place to Tunisian and African artists, and working on the redevelopment of the landscaped park of Carthage. Tunisia, France; chachaatallah.com
Aziza Chaouni
What most excites Moroccan architect Aziza Chaouni today is scaling up her design ideas from small, experimental projects to larger, more impactful works. The rehabilitation and adaptive reuse of the Old Fourah Bay College in Sierra Leone is a case in point, through which the architect is preserving the region’s oldest university; part of her ambition to expand exchange between Morocco and West Africa. Also in the pipeline are ecotourism projects commissioned by the Moroccan government in the Souss-Massa region, as well as the restoration of the former British Embassy in Rabat’s Medina in partnership with the publishing art house, Kulte. Morocco; azizachaouniprojects.com
Shahad Alazzaz
Led by Riyadh-based architect Shahad Alazzaz, Azaz Architects is reshaping Saudi Arabia’s design landscape with its narrative approach. “It’s no longer about having the large mansion, but the more thoughtful home,” says Alazzaz. Her “Wa ssl” residence in Alwaseel (the name means “connection” in Arabic) is a series of low-level masses that offer “continuous discovery”. Warm and textural, they merge with the landscape. Equally tactile is Japanese “speakeasy” Kimyona, inspired by photography and darkrooms, which mixes back-lit glass bricks and Chinese roof tiles. Saudi Arabia; azazarchitects.com
Aline Asmar D’Amman
Asmar d’Amman’s cross-disciplinary approach combines architecture, art direction and scenography. Having recently debuted furniture at Milan’s Galleria Rossana Orlandi, she is currently designing the Orient Express Palazzo Donà Giovannelli hotel in Venice, set in a 15th-century palazzo; it opens next year. She describes the project as “a life-changing experience… permeated with echoes of the past, and staged with timeless elegance and creative nowness”. Also coming soon is Dream of the Desert, Saudi Arabia’s first luxury train, travelling from Riyadh to heritage sites. France, Lebanon; cultureinarchitecture.com
Abeer Seikaly
Jordanian-Palestinian creative Abeer Seikaly describes herself as “an interdisciplinary thinker and maker” who centres Bedouin practices and handmaking. This year, her Weaving a Home mobile shelter, inspired by Bedouin textile architecture, has been granted a US patent. She has also been exploring palm-based crafts: her installation Tirhal: To Al-Ahsa, created for Ithra’s Eternal Crafts exhibition in Saudi Arabia, combined video, photography and woven palm-fronds, reflecting on the palm tree as material and metaphor – “a living ecology of endurance and exchange”. Jordan, United Arab Emirates; abeerseikaly.com
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