2026
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The Landscape Middle East Awards has grown into the region’s most established and respected platform dedicated to landscape architecture, public realm design, green infrastructure, and environmental resilience. What began as an awardsled initiative has evolved into a broader industry forum, reflecting how landscape architecture now sits at the centre of urban development, climate response, and community wellbeing across the Middle East.The proposed 2026 edition represents a natural next chapter. It brings the platform to a region internationally recognised for its commitment to culture, education, heritage, and thoughtful urban development—values that closely align with the evolving role of landscape architecture in shaping liveable, resilient cities.Since its inception, the Landscape Middle East Awards has been successfully delivered across multiple major regional cities, including Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and locations across Saudi Arabia. Each edition has attracted a growing and increasingly international audience of landscape architects, urban designers, developers, contractors, government representatives, academics, and industry suppliers.Over the years, the platform has:• Recognized hundreds of award-winning projects, organizations, and professionals• Hosted thousands of industry participants across conferences, exhibitions, and awards evenings• Built long-term partnerships with professional bodies, academic institutions, and government stakeholders• Developed a strong reputation for credibility, relevance, and industry trustRecent editions have demonstrated consistent growth in attendance, geographic reach, and depth of discussion, positioning Landscape Middle East not simply as an awards program, but as a regional reference point for landscape and urban discourse.INTRODUCTIONBUILT ON PROVEN HISTORYPage 3
The central theme for the 2026 edition is “Green Infrastructure and Urban Development.”Across the Middle East, cities are expanding at an unprecedented scale and speed. In this context, landscape architecture has become critical infrastructure, supporting climate resilience, water management, biodiversity, public health, mobility, and social cohesion.The 2026 program will explore how green infrastructure is being planned, delivered, and maintained as an integral part of urban development. It will examine the relationships among landscape, transport corridors, residential districts, cultural precincts, waterfronts, and public spaces, highlighting how landscape thinking influences long-term urban performance rather than short-term visual impact.This theme provides an ideal framework for meaningful discussion across diverse regional contexts, reflecting shared challenges and opportunities in contemporary urban development.Landscape Middle East Awards 2026 is being developed as a more collaborative, industry-shaped platform. While the exhibition, conference, and awards structure remain familiar, the intent is to deepen engagement and ensure the program genuinely reflects the priorities of today’s landscape and urban development sector.A core committee of landscape professionals, representing design, delivery, academia, consultancy, and the public sector, will actively shape the event’s structure, themes, and content. This approach ensures that discussions, case studies, and awards categories are grounded in real practice, real challenges, and real opportunities facing the region.The result is an event that moves beyond observation and towards participation, giving greater voice to practitioners, sponsors, and partners alike.Hosting the Landscape Middle East Awards 2026 offers a unique opportunity for a city or region to position itself at the forefront of professional dialogue on landscape, sustainability, and urban development. As the platform continues to evolve, each host location becomes an active contributor to shaping the regional conversation around how cities grow, adapt, and serve their communities.The Awards provide a high-profile setting to showcase leadership in areas such as green infrastructure, education, cultural identity, and long-term urban quality. By hosting the event, a city aligns itself with a respected industry platform that brings together designers, policymakers, developers, academics, and practitioners—creating visibility, engagement, and lasting professional impact.Beyond the event itself, hosting Landscape Middle East Awards 2026 reinforces a commitment to sustainable development, community wellbeing, and knowledge exchange. It positions the host city as a forward-looking environment—one that values thoughtful planning, resilient landscapes, and the role of design in shaping liveable, future-ready urban environments across the Middle East.THEME FOR 2026VISION FOR 2026VALUE-DRIVENGREEN INFRASTRUCTUREAND URBAN DEVELOPMENTAN INDUSTRY-LED EVOLUTIONWHY HOST THIS EVENT IN 2026Page 4
Page 5MUSAFFAH REVITALISATION AND DEVELOPMENT PLAN2025 CLIMATE RESILIENCE & REGENERATION AWARD WINNER
A key pillar of the Landscape Middle East platform is its long-term commitment to education, professional development, and the future of the landscape industry. This commitment was formally strengthened in 2025 with the launch of the Landscape Middle East Scholarship, introduced in association with the American University of Beirut.The scholarship was established to support emerging talent in landscape architecture and related disciplines, recognising that the continued growth and maturity of the industry depends on investing in the next generation of designers, thinkers, and leaders. It reflects a belief that excellence in landscape architecture is built not only through projects and practice, but through education, research, and opportunity.Through this initiative, Landscape Middle East aims to:• Encourage academic excellence and innovation• Support students demonstrating strong potential and commitment to the profession• Strengthen the link between education and professional practice• Contribute to the long-term development of the regional landscape sectorThe partnership with the American University of Beirut—a respected institution with a long-standing reputation for academic rigour and regional influence—underscores the seriousness of this commitment. It positions the scholarship as more than a symbolic gesture, embedding it within a recognised academic framework and aligning it with international standards of education and research.Looking ahead to 2026 and beyond, the Landscape Middle East Scholarship will continue to evolve as a core component of the platform’s legacy. It complements the introduction of expanded Student and Academic Awards, reinforcing a clear message: the industry is not only celebrating its achievements today, but actively investing in its future.By supporting students and emerging professionals, Landscape Middle East is helping to ensure that the region’s landscape architecture sector continues to grow with depth, integrity, and leadership—well beyond a single event or edition.SUPPORTING THE NEXT GENERATIONThe Landscape Middle East ScholarshipPage 6
Inclusive design has become a defining responsibility of contemporary landscape architecture, and Landscape Middle East has made this principle a clear and ongoing commitment across its platform.This commitment has been shaped in close association with Michael Haddad, an internationally recognised accessibility advocate whose work and lived experience have brought powerful clarity to the conversation around inclusion in the built and natural environment. Through his involvement with Landscape Middle East, the platform has actively expanded dialogue around accessibility, mobility, dignity, and equal participation in public space.In response, Landscape Middle East formally launched the Accessibility in Landscape Initiative, positioning inclusive landscape design not as a specialist topic, but as a fundamental design responsibility. The initiative focuses on the needs of people with physical disabilities, sensory impairments, cognitive challenges, the elderly, and other user groups often overlooked in conventional public realm planning.The initiative promotes a shift away from compliance-driven thinking toward human-centred, experience-led design, encouraging professionals to consider how landscapes are navigated, felt, and used by people of all abilities. It emphasises that accessibility should be embedded at the earliest stages of planning and design—rather than added as an afterthought.Through conference programming, panel discussions, awards recognition, and ongoing content, Landscape Middle East continues to advocate for landscapes that are not only beautiful and sustainable, but equitable and welcoming. Inclusive landscapes are framed as places that support independence, social connection, mental wellbeing, and community belonging.As part of the 2026 programme, accessibility and inclusion will remain a visible and integrated theme—reinforcing the message that successful urban development is measured not just by scale or aesthetics, but by how well it serves the full spectrum of society.By championing inclusive landscapes, Landscape Middle East affirms its role as a platform that reflects the evolving social responsibilities of the profession—helping shape cities that work for everyone, without exception.OUR COMMITMENTTO INCLUSIVE LANDSCAPESPage 7
Landscape Middle East is not conceived as a once-ayear event, but as a continuous, year-round platform supporting industry dialogue, learning, and professional growth. To reinforce this commitment, the organisation delivers an annual programme of monthly webinars, designed to sustain momentum, deepen engagement, and extend the impact of the Awards well beyond the event dates.The 2026 monthly webinar series functions as a structured thought leadership and knowledge-sharing initiative, bringing together regional and international experts across landscape architecture, urban development, sustainability, green infrastructure, technology, and policy. Each session is curated to address current challenges, emerging trends, and practical insights relevant to professionals working across design, delivery, academia, and governance.Importantly, the programme balances strategic thought leadership with practical training and professional development. Topics range from high-level discussions on climate resilience, urban ecosystems, and public realm strategy, to more technical sessions covering materials, maintenance, performance measurement, digital tools, and implementation challenges. This ensures relevance for both senior decision-makers and emerging professionals.The webinar series also plays a key role in industry engagement and inclusivity, offering accessible learning opportunities to professionals who may not always be able to attend in-person events. Students, young practitioners, and regional participants are actively encouraged to engage—supporting the broader goals of education, mentorship, and talent development across the Middle East.For partners and supporters, the webinar programme provides ongoing visibility and meaningful association with professional advancement, positioning Landscape Middle East as a trusted convenor of dialogue rather than a single-event organiser.By maintaining a consistent, high-quality programme of monthly engagement, Landscape Middle East reinforces its role as a living platform—one that listens, responds, and evolves with the industry, while continuously contributing to the growth, relevance, and credibility of the landscape profession across the region.At the heart of the platform sits Landscape Middle East Magazine, the region’s longest-running and most established publication dedicated exclusively to landscape architecture, public realm, and urban environmental design. Founded in 2007, the magazine has played a central role in shaping industry awareness, dialogue, and professional identity across the Middle East for nearly two decades.As a supporting pillar of the Landscape Middle East Awards, the magazine functions as a year-round communication and engagement tool, extending the reach and impact of the event well beyond the exhibition halls and conference rooms. Through its editorial coverage, interviews, project features, and thought leadership articles, the magazine builds sustained awareness around the Awards, the host location, and the broader themes being explored each year.In the lead-up to the 2026 edition, the magazine will actively promote the event by:• Showcasing shortlisted projects and award categories• Highlighting speakers, contributors, and industry partners• Publishing thought leadership aligned with the 2026 theme Green Infrastructure and Urban DevelopmentProfiling key initiatives such as the Scholarship Programme and Accessibility in Landscape InitiativePost-event, the magazine continues the narrative—documenting outcomes, sharing insights from discussions, and capturing the legacy of the host location’s involvement.Beyond event promotion, Landscape Middle East Magazine serves as a trusted industry reference point. Its readership includes senior professionals, government stakeholders, developers, consultants, academics, and students across the GCC and wider Middle East. This reach ensures that key messages, ideas, and achievements are communicated consistently and credibly to the audiences that matter most.For partners and supporters, the magazine offers long-term visibility and alignment with a respected industry voice—reinforcing the host city or region’s role in supporting professional excellence, education, and sustainable urban development.By integrating the magazine into the Awards ecosystem, Landscape Middle East ensures that the conversation does not begin and end with a single event, but continues throughout the year—strengthening industry awareness, encouraging engagement, and amplifying impact across the region.CONVERSATIONS THAT SHAPE THE REGIONLANDSCAPE MIDDLE EAST MAGAZINE2026 WEBINAR SERIESINDUSTRY VOICE AND VISIBILITYPage 8
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Landscape Middle East is built on strong, long-standing relationships with leading international and regional professional associations, ensuring that the platform is aligned with global standards while remaining grounded in regional context and practice.Central to this network is the International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA), the world’s recognised authority representing the landscape architecture profession internationally. Through its association with IFLA, Landscape Middle East connects regional discourse to global thinking—supporting knowledge exchange, professional advocacy, and the advancement of landscape architecture as a critical discipline in addressing climate, urbanisation, and social wellbeing.At a regional level, Landscape Middle East works closely with professional bodies dedicated to strengthening the profession within specific national and regional contexts. This includes collaboration with the Saudi Society of Landscape Architecture (SSLA), supporting the rapid growth and professionalisation of the landscape sector within the Kingdom, and contributing to dialogue around education, practice standards, and industry development.The platform also maintains relationships with organisations such as the Oman Society of Landscape Architects (OSLA) and the European Society of Landscape Architecture (ESLA), reinforcing cross-regional collaboration and sharing perspectives across diverse environmental, cultural, and regulatory contexts.In parallel, Landscape Middle East works in association with the World Green Infrastructure Network (WGIN), reflecting a shared commitment to advancing green infrastructure as essential urban infrastructure. This relationship strengthens the platform’s focus on climate resilience, biodiversity, nature-based solutions, and sustainable urban systems—key themes embedded within the 2026 focus on Green Infrastructure and Urban Development.Through these collaborations, Landscape Middle East operates not in isolation, but as part of a broader professional ecosystem—bridging regions, disciplines, and institutions. This global alignment reinforces the platform’s role as a serious contributor to professional development and positions the 2026 edition within an internationally recognised framework of landscape leadership and collaboration.Landscape Middle East Awards 2026 represents a mature, trusted, and continuously evolving platform—one that has grown in relevance and influence by responding to the real needs of the landscape and urban development industry. Built on a strong track record across the region, the platform is now ready to be shaped by its host city and elevated to its next chapter.The 2026 edition will celebrate professional excellence, support education and emerging talent, champion inclusive and sustainable design, and showcase meaningful projects that demonstrate how green infrastructure underpins successful, resilient urban development. More than a single event, it will function as a connected programme—linking exhibition, conference, awards, site-based learning, year-round thought leadership, and industry engagement into one cohesive platform.To realise this ambition, Landscape Middle East Awards 2026 is seeking strategic financial and institutional support from key regional stakeholders. This support will enable the event to be planned, delivered, and positioned to the highest professional and international standards, ensuring quality, credibility, and long-term impact.Partners will benefit from sustained regional and international visibility, direct engagement with senior industry leaders and decision-makers, and alignment with a respected platform that continues to grow in reach, influence, and professional trust. Importantly, partnership represents not simply support for an event, but an investment in an ongoing regional dialogue—one that advances landscape architecture, sustainability, education, and urban development well beyond 2026.By supporting Landscape Middle East Awards 2026, host cities and institutions have the opportunity to position themselves at the centre of this dialogue—demonstrating leadership, commitment, and vision in shaping the future of the region’s built and natural environments.GLOBAL ALIGNMENT ANDPROFESSIONAL COLLABORATIONSHAPING THE FUTURE OF LANDSCAPE AND URBAN DEVELOPMENTCONNECTING THE REGIONTHE NEXT CHAPTER BEGINSVideo Links2019 Awards Highlights2019 H.H. Ruler of Sharjah receives a delegation from Landscape Magazine2023 Awards Highlights2024 Awards Highlights2025 Awards HighlightsPage 11