MENA Projects Take the Spotlight on the WAF 2026 Shortlist
MENA's leading architects and designers have earned places on the World Architecture Festival 2026 shortlist, with projects spanning culture, hospitality, housing and more.
The World Architecture Festival (WAF) has announced the shortlist for its 2026 awards, bringing together 416 projects from across the globe that will compete at the annual festival in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, from November 18–20. Known for its live judging format, shortlisted architects present their projects directly to international juries, with winners selected through a series of public critiques.
This year’s shortlist offers a snapshot of the ideas shaping contemporary architecture, spanning four main programmes: Completed Buildings, Future Projects, Interiors and Landscape. The categories cover everything from cultural institutions, hospitality and housing to adaptive reuse, workplaces, infrastructure and experimental proposals.
For the MENA region, the shortlist reflects the diversity of architectural approaches emerging, from projects about local heritage and climate-responsive design to ambitious new developments transforming cities.
Here are the MENA projects that made the cut:
Al-Ahly Stadium
Cairo, Egypt
Designed By Gensler
AlRajhi Medicine
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Designed By DAR
Kuwait Passenger Station - KNRR
Kuwait City, Kuwait
Designed By UMM Uludag Architecture
Landscape for Res. Villa for Mr. Saeed Al Ghurair
Dubai, UAE
Designed By Naga Architects
Diriyah Art Futures
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Designed By Schiattarella Associati
Madarah
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Designed By FourArchitects Engineering Consulting Company Mahawer
Studio F+A
Dubai, UAE
Designed By Fahed+Architects
Modern Mosque
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Designed By Yodezeen
Pukka Walk
New Administrative Capital, Egypt
Designed By Lab59 Architects
Khalid Bin Sultan City
Sharjah, UAE
Designed By tkdp | Tariq Khayyat Design Partners
Jeddah Central District
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Designed By SWA Group
Zayed National Museum
Abu Dhabi, UAE
Designed By Foster + Partners
Search and Rescue (SAR) in Grand Faw Port Eastern Breakwater
Iraq
Designed By Naga Architects
National Bank of Kuwait Children's Hospital
Sabah Medical Area, Kuwait
Designed By Gulf Consult
King Salman Energy Park
Abqaiq, Saudi Arabia
Designed By Saudi Arabian Parsons
Islamic Complex
Saudi Arabia
Designed By YBA
Ministry of Culture
Damascus, Syria
Designed By Mohanad Barakat
