Construction & Real Estate

Desert Architecture MENA Forum 2027

Desert Architecture MENA Forum 2027 brings together architects, urban planners, developers, government representatives, and industry leaders to explore the future of sustainable and climate-responsive design in arid environments. Across two days, attendees will engage in presentations and panel discussions on resilient urban development, heritage preservatio…

Visit the official siteSponsorship open
43Speakers
10Sponsors
2Exhibitors
29On the bill · sessions
50Companies · in total
§I

Speakers

Programmed at Desert, in alphabetical order.
Abdulaziz Alazem
Managing Director · DTS Arabia
Abdullatif Al Jasmi
Director of Cultural Heritage Protection · Qatar Museum
Abdul Traboulsi
Area Manager · Engineering Contracting Co. LLC
Ahmed Tawakol
Landscape & Urban Design Director · U+A
Ala Hason
Principal & Director of the MENA Region · HKS
Alina Valcarce
Founder & Design Director · Valcarce Architects
Amil Alhasan
ME Architecture Lead · Arup
Anees Backer
Managing Director · Priedemann
Arthi Balasubramanian
Senior Architect · Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi)
Asma Al Khuraisat
City Beautification Chief Specialist · Dubai Municipality
Bassel Omara
Design Principal · Valcarce Architects
Bruno Gomes
Director of Concept Design · Dewan Architects + Engineers
Dario Perego
Head of Design hospitality · Azizi Developments
Dennis Jacob
Head of the Department for Specifications UAE & Qatar · Asian Paints Arabia
Dr. Karsten Pfeffer
Co – Founder · Unidome Group
Dr. Nahed Chakouf
Assistant Professor · Zayed University
Farid Esmaeil
Founding Partner and Principal Architect · X Architects
Giovanni Zambri
Managing Director · Smith Tait
Gokul Vasudevan
Senior Project Architect / Head of Sustainability | Associate · Killa Design
Hani Bisada
Design Director Landscape · Cracknell
Irina Tadello
Business Development Manager · Priedemann Façade Experts
Isabelle McKinnon
Director of Architecture and Design · Gerber Architekten International
§II

Sponsors

The houses behind the program. Tiers as disclosed.
BegerColor Partner
CBBronze Sponsor
CracknellLandscape Partner
Desert BoardSilver Sponsor
DOWdiBronze Sponsor
GDSFHDesign Partner
RIBAGold Sponsor
Saint-GobainSustainable Materials Partner
UNIDOMESilver Sponsor
VivaACP Partner
§III

Agenda

Selected from 29 sessions on the bill.
  • 08:00 – 09:00

    Registration, Coffee Break and Networking

  • 09:00 – 09:05

    Welcome Remarks by Great Minds Events Management

  • 09:00 – 09:30

    Registration and Networking

  • 09:05 – 09:15

    Opening Remarks by Conference Chairman

  • 09.15-10.00

    Opening Panel Discussion: Adaptive Reuse and Regeneration Preserving the Past Designing the Future

    Revitalizing existing structures through innovative restoration techniques that extend their life and reduce environmental impact; Reimagining heritage buildings with contemporary …

  • 09:30 – 09:35

    Opening Remarks by Conference Chairman

  • 09:35 – 10:20

    Panel Discussion: From Sand to Skyline-Shaping a New Architectural Identity for the Desert Century

    Reimagining desert architecture as a fusion of cultural legacy, modern innovation, and environmental intelligence. Redefining regional identity through design approaches that respo…

  • 10:00-10:20

    Presentation- Safeguarding a National Treasure: Preserving Heritage Assets for Future Generations

    Learning from Desert Ecologies by translating natural systems, climate patterns, and indigenous knowledge into resilient architectural strategies. Designing Human-Centred Urban Env…

  • 10.20-10.35

    Presentation: Making the Future a Better Place: Lessons from Desert Heritage in an Age of Innovation

Intermission
Part the Second · For the Buyer

What does it mean when 50 companies show up, and 1 bet on three roles at once?

50 companies. one are betting more than once.

The numbers below are derived from the speakers, sponsors, and exhibitors on this page, cross-referenced into one ledger. They are the only thing here that 10times.com cannot tell you.

Who's in the room
1All threespeak · spons · exh
9Sponsoringsponsor only
2Exhibitingexhibitor only
38Companies Speakingspeaker only

The Triple-Threat

Cracknell

Speakers by seniority

65% of the speakers carry senior titles: C-suite, Founder, VP, or Director-level.

  • C-suite25%
  • Founder / Owner716%
  • Director / Head of1944%
  • Manager / Lead716%
  • Engineer · IC512%
  • Other roles37%

Of 43 on the bill · classified by free-text title

Most-represented companies
  1. 01CracknellSp·L1V
  2. 02BegerSp·C
  3. 03CBSp·B
  4. 04Desert BoardSp·S
  5. 05DOWdiSp·B
  6. 06GDSFHSp·D
  7. 07RIBASp·G
  8. 08Saint-GobainSp·S
  9. 09UNIDOMESp·S
  10. 10VivaSp·A
  11. 11DephinaEx
  12. 12Dewan Architects + Engineers2V
  13. 13Gerber Architekten International2V
  14. 14KurarayEx
Sponsors by tier
acp partner1
10% of 10
bronze sponsor2
20% of 10
color partner1
10% of 10
design partner1
10% of 10
gold sponsor1
10% of 10
landscape partner1
10% of 10
silver sponsor2
20% of 10
sustainable materials partner1
10% of 10