Where Vision Meets Concrete, Steel, and Sand.
Walk through the streets of Riyadh, the mediaeval lanes of Jeddah, or the futuristic plan of NEOM, and you’ll see more than just building; you’ll see ambition realised.
Saudi Arabia is undergoing a once-in-a-century upheaval. Vision 2030, the Kingdom’s strategy for diversifying its economy and culture, is altering everything, from megacities like The Line to peaceful sustainable resorts in AlUla. And, at the centre of it all? Architecture firms translate these visions into skylines.
So, let’s explore the top 10 architecture firms driving this movement in 2024 — not just by their projects, but by how they think, design, and impact lives.
Top 10 Architecture Firms in Saudi Arabia – 2024
Below is the list of Top 10 Architecture Firms in Saudi Arabia – 2024. Let’s know about them.
1. Omrania: The Soul of Riyadh
Omrania: The Soul of Riyadh
Founded in 1973.
Signature projects include Kingdom Centre, King Salman Park, and KAFD Metro Station, with headquarters in Riyadh.
Omrania is not just Saudi Arabia’s oldest architectural practice, but also one of the most regarded. They’ve been shaping the appearance and feel of the capital for over 50 years. But they have never stood motionless.
They now lead some of the Kingdom’s most major urban green initiatives. King Salman Park, for example, is more than simply huge; it is a reimagining of what public space should be in a desert climate: green, inclusive, and smart.
Their style is subtle but exquisite. They think that design should feel natural and intuitive. A public library should not only contain knowledge, but also inspire curiosity.
Why does Omrania stand out?
Their profound appreciation for context—cultural, environmental, and social. They don’t only construct in Saudi Arabia. They prepare for it.
2. Dewan Architects + Engineers: The Urban Sculptors
Dewan Architects + Engineers: The Urban Sculptors
Founded in 1984.
Presence in Saudi: Signature projects involve many offices, including Riyadh and NEOM. NEOM Residential Hubs, Alula Cultural Village
Dewan has a bold personality. Their structures are more than just practical; they are experiences. From hospitality to homes, they combine elegance and liveability.
In Saudi Arabia, Dewan is a key actor in megaprojects like as NEOM and The Red Sea Project. Unlike companies that get buried in digital gimmicks, Dewan creates living communities that seem warm and human.
Consider desert-inspired colour palettes, shaded pathways that naturally decrease temperatures, and buildings that “breathe” via passive cooling systems.
Why they matter?
Dewan’s architects consider how we feel in a room, not simply how it appears in a brochure.
3. Zuhair Fayez Partnership: The Backbone Builders
Zuhair Fayez Partnership: The Backbone Builders
Founded in 1975.
Headquarters in Jeddah. Notable projects include the Ministry of Interior Headquarters, King Saud University, and over 3,000 public buildings.
Some companies design for Instagram. ZFP designs for generations.
For decades, they have overseen the Kingdom’s most critical infrastructure, including schools, government buildings, and hospitals. But they aren’t locked in the past. By 2024, they’ve incorporated smart technology, digital twins, and climate-adaptive designs into commonplace structures.
Their strength rests in size and dependability, without sacrificing spirit.
Real impact:
Millions of Saudis have likely used a ZFP-designed building without realising it. That’s quiet influence at its best.
Also read: Top 10 Graphic Design Agencies in Saudi Arabia
4. AE7 : The Futurists with a Human Heart
AE7 : The Futurists with a Human Heart
HQ is in Dubai and offices in Riyadh.
Signature projects include innovation districts, NEOM data centres, and smart housing.
AE7 is all about what comes next. They plan for future challenges such as climate adaption, technological integration, and post-carbon urbanisation. However, their cities lack a robotic quality. They feel alive.
Their Saudi portfolio is expanding rapidly, particularly in NEOM, where they are developing urban frameworks and infrastructure based on AI, renewable energy, and green technology.
Their work addresses questions such as:
How can we construct desert dwellings that control their own energy?
Can a neighbourhood develop into a self-sustaining ecosystem?
What we adore?
They make innovation invisible. Their structures are sophisticated, but don’t force it on you.
5. HKS Architects: The Experience Engineers
HKS Architects: The Experience Engineers
Founded in 1939 (USA).
Strong Saudi presence: Since the early 2000s, signature projects include MBS Stadium and Riyadh Healthcare City.
HKS is architecture’s blockbuster filmmaker. Large budgets. Large spaces. Big emotions.
In Saudi Arabia, stadiums that can house tens of thousands of people are designed to seem personal. Their healthcare initiatives aim to increase wellbeing rather than only treat sickness, with features such as daylight-optimized rooms and relaxing spatial movement.
They offer worldwide perspectives while carefully tailoring them to local demands.
Why they resonate?
Their work combines global polish with Saudi warmth, and their methodology always involves genuine user input.
6. Godwin Austen Johnson (GAJ): The Intimacy Experts
Godwin Austen Johnson (GAJ): The Intimacy Experts
Founded in 1989.
Saudi Reach: Jeddah, AlUla, and Riyadh. Signature Projects: Boutique Resorts, Schools, and Cultural Museums.
In an age of glass megatowers, GAJ provides something unique: subtlety. They specialise in situations where people whisper rather than yell.
Their Saudi designs are particularly stunning in AlUla, where they employ local stone, traditional shapes, and soft landscaping to create places that seem real.
GAJ is also noted for its educational architecture. The Kingdom’s school campuses are meant to promote learning rather than institutionalise it.
They approach building like storytelling, with each space presenting a tale rooted in its location and culture.
7. Aedas: The Skyline Shapers
Aedas: The Skyline Shapers
Founded in 2002, this global firm has a Saudi focus in Riyadh and Dammam. Their signature projects include high-rise skyscrapers and NEOM transit hubs.
If you’ve seen Saudi Arabia’s gleaming new business areas, chances are Aedas helped build them.
They are the go-to firm for mixed-use buildings, transit hubs and signature pieces. Their designs are sleek, modern, and clearly urban.
They are assisting in the design of vertical communities in NEOM and Riyadh that combine shopping, dwelling, and recreation into efficient buildings, reducing urban sprawl.
Style points:
If Apple created cities, they may resemble Aedas projects: clean, elegant, and stunning.
Also read: Top 10 Interior Design Companies in Saudi Arabia – 2024
8. Buro Happold: The Green Engineers
Buro Happold: The Green Engineers
Founded in 1976 (UK).
Presence in Saudi Arabia: Deep participation in Al Ula, Riyadh, and the Red Sea Project Focus: Eco-Design and Sustainable Infrastructure.
Buro Happold does more than only design structures; they also reshape ecosystems. Their work is supported by scientific evidence, not just creative vision.
They are highly interested in sustainable tourist architecture in AlUla, where they create with nature rather than against it. Their modular desert dwelling solutions are being praised as future examples of off-grid living.
Why it matters?
Saudi Arabia’s tough environment necessitates innovative, low-impact solutions, and Buro Happold delivers with style.
9. Dabbagh Architects: Storytellers of Faith and Culture
Dabbagh Architects: Storytellers of Faith and Culture
Founded by Sumaya Dabbagh.
Headquarters in Jeddah. Signature projects include Makkah Mosque, private mansions, and municipal spaces.
This tiny business possesses something that many larger firms desire: soul.
Sumaya Dabbagh was one of the first Saudi female architects to establish her own business, and it shows in her sensitive, identity-driven work. Their mosque designs, for example, are spiritual experiences rather than purely religious monuments.
Their newest civic spaces combine tradition and simplicity, frequently including local materials, handcrafted features, and narrative-driven architecture.
What they teach us?
Small studios may have a significant emotional impact.
10. Foster + Partners: The Giga-Project Gurus
Foster + Partners: The Giga-Project Gurus
Founded in 1967 (UK).
Signature projects include The Line (NEOM), Red Sea Airport, and AMAALA Masterplans.
When Saudi Arabia envisions the future, Foster + Partners designs it.
They are behind The Line, NEOM’s ambitious linear smart city that is only 200 meters wide and powered entirely by renewable energy. They’ve also transformed airports, resorts, and entire coastal areas to be carbon-neutral and design-forward.
Their architecture is global in form but frequently responds to the rhythms of the desert – wind, light, space, and stillness.
In short, no business better represents the scope and spectacle of Vision 2030 than Foster + Partners.
Each of these ten businesses provides a unique dialect of Saudi Arabia’s new architectural language. Some people keep traditions a secret. Others yell about innovation. Some aim for peace, while others want power. However, they are all constructing a nation that is committed to lead, not only economically, but also culturally and environmentally.
What is more exciting? This is not only about buildings. It focusses on how Saudis live, learn, worship, work, and dream. Architecture in Saudi Arabia is no longer merely a backdrop; it is becoming the stage.
So, whether you’re an aspiring architect, an inquisitive visitor, or someone who believes that space has the potential to revolutionise society, keep an eye on Saudi Arabia. The skyline represents merely the beginning.
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