The talents inducted into our 2025 AD100 Hall of Fame have reimagined what it means to be a designer in the Middle East and Africa. From Beirut to Cairo and Paris to Jordan, these designers have created projects that are positively impacting their communities and bringing diverse voices into the fold, be it at their own studios or the creatives they collaborate with on headline-grabbing projects.
Meet the AD100 Hall of Fame's 2025 inductees.
Aline Asmar D’Amman
As a regular collaborator of the late Karl Lagerfeld, architect Aline Asmar d’Amman has close links with fashion. She maintains a strong relationship with Chanel, and has recently created Le Petit Salon, a private events space, at Le19M, the brand’s hub for craftsmanship outside Paris. It’s furnished with designs made by artisans working in the building. In Venice, Asmar d’Amman is restoring Palazzo Donà Giovannelli as the new Orient Express Hotel. “I’m driven by the conviction that beauty can change the world, or at least make us change worlds,” she says. Her latest, an art- and design-filled pied-à-terre in the French capital, is an ode to Paris' magical light. “I was so happy to be invited to revive a forgotten terrace flat in an iconic Haussmannian building. It feels so special when you return a space to its rightful glory.” Whens she is not designing mega homes and exhibition scenographies, she is uplifting regional talent : She recently served as jury member for the Van Cleef & Arpels Emergent Designer Prize 2024 and championed Abu Dhabi Designer Hajar Al Tenaiji's fantastical winning design: a kite inspired a the traditional Emirati dhow. France, Lebanon; cultureinarchitecture.com
Bokja
“Craftsmanship has always been, and will continue to be, our focus,” says Huda Baroudi, who cofounded Bokja alongside Maria Hibri in 2000. “We strive to keep it alive, while collaborating with artisans to find new approaches.” Combining vibrant fabrics and diverse techniques is the key that makes the Beirut-based collective’s pieces so recognisable. Commissions come from across the globe, with fantastical works making an appearance in Egyptian talent Azza Fahmy’s new high jewellery boutique in Riyadh, and a tapestry inspired by Beirut’s public gardens adorning London’s Meat The Fish restaurant. Hibri adds: “Each Bokja piece becomes a vessel, bringing to the surface issues of a local identity – and its impermanence.” Lebanon; bokja.com
Don Tanani
Cairo gallery Don Tanani, founded by Alia and Tamara El Tanani, champions a modern design language that channels Egyptian heritage and craft. It creates limited-edition pieces by local designers, including lead talent Lina Alorabi. Wood is its signature material: witness the new oak armoire from the Duality collection, inspired by the sun god Ra, which is inlaid with mother-of-pearl, and the DT Lifestyle accessories collection, which features a vase inspired by Tutankhamun’s funeral mask. In 2025, it will launch the DT2 collection, which explores how “moments of cultural collision” shaped Ancient Egyptian art and design. Egypt; dontanani.com
Lina Ghotmeh
Viewing architecture as a tool to shape a better future for all, Lina Ghotmeh’s buildings are sensitive to history and materials, deploying sustainable finishes and craft techniques. She’s widely known for her work with Hermès, notably its Ateliers Hermès workshop in Normandy, and the 2023 Serpentine Pavilion in London, which was inspired by the French concept of convivial dining. Next, she will create a contemporary art museum in AlUla, arranged as a series of garden pavilions in the desert. Lebanon, France; linaghotmeh.com
Sahel AlHiyari
Jordanian architect Sahel AlHiyari’s work is characterised by simplicity and clean lines. “It evokes an archetypal presence that permeates its apparent abstraction, giving rise to transcendent qualities that surpass temporal trends,” he says. His recently completed B.Kanaan Residence in Amman pays tribute to Jordan’s early Modernist architecture with its monumental geometric volumes, which are clad in hand-chiselled barrel stone. Inside, soaring double-height spaces celebrate local craftsmanship and feature hand-chiselled gypsum wall panelling. Jordan; sahelalhiyari.com
Shahira Fahmy
“The most audible voice in any project is the materiality,” says the Egypt-born architect Shahira Fahmy, “and when you are working on a historic site, your job quite literally becomes that of someone translating the past.” At the forefront of regenerating AlUla Old Town, a 12th-century mud-brick settlement in Saudi Arabia, she delivered Dar Tantora Lodge, an eco-hotel built on old ruins, earlier this year. Up next is a private residence, also in AlUla, which intertwines original mud-brick foundations with the knowledge of local artisans and builders to bring a traditional home back to life. Egypt; Sfahmy.com
Zeina Aboukheir
Italian-Lebanese designer Zeina Aboukheir has dedicated decades to creating an authentic oasis of slow living in Egypt, combining her vision for a holistic Nabatean village with an ever-growing network of craftspeople, artists and local design brands. Her passion project, the iconic Al Moudira Hotel in Luxor caught the eye of a whizzy entrepreneur, who charged her with turning her design eye to renovating a series of apartments in downtown Cairo which promise to bring renewed lustre to a downtown skyscraper which was once the tallest building in the Middle East. Cairo; @moudira_hotel
See the Full AD100 2025 Winners List
The AD100 Hall of Fame: Class of 2024
Read on to find out who made the for AD Middle East's debut AD100 Hall of Fame last year.
Abboud Malak
This Dubai designer’s practice, Studio M, embraces architecture, interior design and furniture design, creating “original, innovative and enduring spaces”. Malak focuses on immersive design that enhances wellbeing: his 1960s-inspired interior for the new Uchi Japanese restaurant in Dubai is a case in point, with its sensual rosewood and walnut veneers, emerald quartzite panelling and whisky-inspired colour palette. Another recent design is a group of Brazilian Modernist-inspired penthouses for the One Palm at Jumeirah development by Omniyat. United Arab Emirates
studiom.co
AGi Architects
Led by Harvard-educated architects Joaquín Pérez-Goicoechea and Nasser B. Abulhasan, AGi reinterprets Mediterranean architecture from a modern perspective, “in search of an understanding between Islamic culture and Western lifestyles”. Standout new designs include Pixel House in Kuwait, whose “pixelated” ceramic-and-aluminium lattice façade filters light while enhancing privacy; and Archipelago Villa in Madrid, conceived as a series of islands with a “ribbon” roof. Coming next? A new hospital and a retail complex, both in Kuwait. Kuwait, Spain; agi-architects.com
Aljoud Lootah
“My work often revolves around reflecting Emirati traditions through minimalistic forms,” says this designer, whose pieces are crafted from refined materials such as porcelain and camel leather. Recently, she has produced 60 of her Takya sofas, influenced by the low cushions used in the traditional majlis, for the Presidential Palace in Abu Dhabi; she has also created a hand-embroidered wall installation for the new Vacheron Constantin watch showroom in Dubai Mall and is working on her 10th-anniversary collection. United Arab Emirates; aljoudlootah.com
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Annabel Karim Kassar
Having produced works that range from factories in Chengdu to a golf club in Ajman, Annabel’s creative process hints at the cultural influences of the many countries she’s resided and worked in. With a multispecialty practice, this architect is not afraid of taking risks by transforming tradition and memory into contemporary design. “Quality impresses me,” she says. “I aim to strike the perfect balance between bold minimalism and traditional craftsmanship, to which I am extremely attached.” Lebanon; annabelkassar.com
David/Nicolas
Following their most ambitious work to date – a contemporary reimagining of Casa di Fantasia, the iconic Italian designer Gio Ponti’s famed Milan apartment – Beirut-based creatives David Raffoul and Nicolas Moussallem are working on a new furniture collection for Carpenters Workshop Gallery, a Miami apartment, and a luxury boutique interior in Dubai. “You have to keep creating,” says Raffoul, who refers to their style as ‘future vintage’. “We use our projects as a means of communicating our vision of beauty to the world and reintegrating our history into the now.” Lebanon, France; davidandnicolas.com
Foster + Partners
The global architecture and urban design firm’s practice is rooted in an optimistic view of the future. “It is about focusing on the fundamental principles of performance, of ‘doing more with less’, the pursuit of sustainability and beauty, a continuous tradition of questioning and challenging, when possible, innovating or reinventing a building type,” says Gerard Evenden, Head of Studio, Foster + Partners. Having delivered several high-profile buildings in the region (Lusail Stadium in Qatar, House of Wisdom in Sharjah, and National Bank of Kuwait HQ in Kuwait City to name a few), the firm will soon be adding two more monumental projects to the list: the world’s first “fully immersive” marine life centre on Saudi’s Red Sea coastline (welcoming visitors in 2024) and Zayed National Museum in Abu Dhabi (set to open in 2025). United Kingdom; fosterandpartners.com
Francis Kéré
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Burkinabe-German architect Francis Kéré’s work balances design and social commitment, making him the first African architect to win the Pritzker Prize for Architecture in 2022. His buildings showcase innovative ways of using local resources and vernacular techniques and are often hailed for their sustainable and collaborative approach. His designs for the Benin National Parliament and the Goethe Institute in Dakar are currently under construction. Also in the pipeline is an agriculture campus in AlUla, Saudi Arabia, and the mausoleum for Burkinabé revolutionary Thomas Sankara. Burkina Faso, Germany; kerearchitecture.com
Gregory Gatserelia
This studio’s projects boast refined materiality and a strong focus on art, a field in which Gatserelia is an expert curator. A recent apartment on the 29th floor of a Beirut tower is as much art gallery as residence, while another bold space in Paris has panoramic views of the Eiffel Tower. Gatserelia is also co-founder of The Great Design Disaster, which crafts bespoke furniture. Future projects are a global affair, happening everywhere from Dubai to Switzerland. Lebanon; gregorygatserelia.com
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Nada Debs
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“I want to keep doing work that gives a voice to those who are keeping our culture alive,” says Nada Debs. The Lebanese product designer works with a raft of artisan communities – from weavers to marquetry specialists – to create contemporary objects that illuminate her cross-cultural vision. Debs’ latest project is particularly close to her heart: a collaboration with Pakistani marble inlay atelier Studio Lél, which focuses on empowering marginalised craftspeople. “It is an opportunity to show the beauty of craftsmanship in different cultures and what can be achieved when we come together,” she adds. Lebanon, United Arab Emirates; nadadebs.com
Pallavi Dean
Pallavi Dean has a rare talent for melding function and form in a way that makes for a seamless user experience, while also being perfect for the Instagram age. Embracing innovation (think generative AI) while prioritising local production, Dean’s design firm, Roar, recently completed the Ajman Executive Council Building, a landmark project scheduled to open in the first quarter of next year. “It’s a design that is particularly close to my heart due to my upbringing in the Emirate,” explains the designer. United Arab Emirates; designbyroar.com
Rabih Geha
“Beirut, with its mix of cultures and layers of history, has always been by my creative north star,” says Rabih Geha, the Lebanon-based architect who has recently delivered a slew of hospitality projects across the Middle East – from Doha to Dubai. Now, the studio is developing high-end residential projects in Lebanon and is set to expand into the UK and Nigeria with two dynamic restaurants. In each country, Geha is looking to harness the positive power of design: “While we are in the business of creating beauty, our real role is to bring optimism.” Lebanon; rabihgeha.com
X Architects
Dubai duo Ahmed Al-Ali and Farid Esmaeil translate Arab culture into sustainable contemporary architecture using innovations such as 3D printing, virtual reality and AI. “We follow an adaptive approach, merging high tech with low tech to bridge the gap between tradition and the future,” they say. Recently they have restored several historical buildings, including Bait Mohammed Bin Khalifa House in Al Ain, the home of Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa, which is now a cultural venue. United Arab Emirates;
x-architects.com
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