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Home›Luxury Real Estate›Architects and Designers

Luxury Real Estate

Interior Designers in Dubai and the Architects Shaping the Middle East

The region's skyline is a showcase of the world's great architects, and Dubai's interior designers are now in demand far beyond the Gulf. Whether you are commissioning a villa or buying luxury property in Dubai off-plan, these are the names behind the region's most remarkable buildings and interiors.

Updated

At a glance

Architects and Designers at a glance

Tallest building
Burj Khalifa, Dubai, by SOM (828 m)
Signature museums
Louvre Abu Dhabi (Jean Nouvel), National Museum of Qatar (Jean Nouvel)
Design week
Dubai Design Week, each November
Design district
Dubai Design District (d3)

A region built by great architects

Few places have commissioned as many landmark buildings in so short a time. Skidmore, Owings and Merrill designed Burj Khalifa; Jean Nouvel created the floating dome of the Louvre Abu Dhabi and the desert-rose form of the National Museum of Qatar; Zaha Hadid Architects left fluid icons in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha and Riyadh. Today the giga-projects of Saudi Arabia are drawing a new generation of talent, as shown in our guide to the amazing things being built.

The same ambition runs through the region's homes. Developers commission famous architects for residential towers, and owners of villas on Palm Jumeirah, Emirates Hills or Saadiyat Island work with interior designers who combine European craftsmanship with Arabian light and materials. For new homes ready to furnish, see branded residences and the leading luxury agencies.

The Burj Khalifa and the Dubai skyline in silhouette beneath sunbeams breaking through the clouds.
Photo: imran shahabuddin · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

International architects with landmark

International architects with landmark work in the region

Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (SOM)

Chicago; Dubai projects

The American firm behind Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building, and other towers across the Gulf. SOM remains a leading name in supertall design.

Official site ↗

Foster + Partners

London; regional work across the Gulf

Norman Foster's firm drew up the original master plan for Masdar City in Abu Dhabi and has designed towers, museums and transport projects across the Gulf, including the Zayed National Museum on Saadiyat Island.

Official site ↗

Zaha Hadid Architects

London; Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, Doha

Known for flowing forms: The Opus in Dubai, the Sheikh Zayed Bridge in Abu Dhabi, Al Janoub Stadium in Qatar and the King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center in Riyadh.

Official site ↗

Ateliers Jean Nouvel

Paris; Abu Dhabi, Doha, AlUla

Creator of the Louvre Abu Dhabi and the National Museum of Qatar, and of the Sharaan resort design in AlUla, carved into the desert rock.

Official site ↗

Kengo Kuma and Associates

Tokyo; Saudi Arabia and the Gulf

The Japanese architect brings natural materials and calm to cultural and hospitality projects, a style well suited to the region's new destinations.

Official site ↗

Killa Design

Dubai

The Dubai studio behind the Museum of the Future, the calligraphy-wrapped torus that has become an emblem of the city.

Official site ↗
Under construction

Tadao Ando Architect and Associates

Osaka; Dubai

The Pritzker laureate designed Armani Beach Residences on Palm Jumeirah, his first residential project in the region.

Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG)

Copenhagen; Saudi Arabia and Dubai

BIG is working on several destination projects in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf, known for playful, landscape-led forms.

Official site ↗

Interior designers in Dubai

Interior designers in Dubai and the region

Bishop Design

Dubai

A leading Dubai studio for restaurants, hotels and private homes, known for rich, characterful interiors and work across the Gulf.

Official site ↗

Studio M

Dubai

A respected studio for hospitality and residences with a refined contemporary style.

Godwin Austen Johnson (GAJ)

Dubai and Abu Dhabi

One of the region's longest-established practices, offering architecture and interiors for resorts, homes and cultural buildings.

Official site ↗

LW Design Group

Dubai

A Dubai-born firm with hotels, restaurants and residences across the Middle East and beyond.

Official site ↗

Kristina Zanic Consultants

Dubai

Designers of many of Dubai's most glamorous hotel and residential interiors, including work for major developers.

Official site ↗

Fendi Casa, Armani Casa and Bulgari interiors

Dubai Design District and Downtown

The fashion houses' home collections dress many branded residences and are available for private commissions through their Dubai showrooms.

Dubai Design District (d3)

Dubai

The city's creative quarter, home to design studios, showrooms and the annual Dubai Design Week, a good first stop when commissioning a home.

Official site ↗

Commissioning a home

For a new villa, most owners appoint a locally licensed architect who handles municipal approvals, then add an interior designer. For an off-plan apartment, ask whether the developer offers a design package or allows changes before handover. Visiting the region's museums and Dubai's design scene is a fine way to find a style you love.

Considering a purchase or a move? Register interest and our team will be in touch personally.

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This page is general information to help you start your research. It is not financial, legal, tax or immigration advice. Rules, prices and thresholds change; confirm every detail with a licensed adviser and the official authority before you act.

Checked October 2026. Prices and dates are approximate and can change. See our standard.

Our Sister Site

Also across the Mediterranean

Many of the region’s leading agencies and developers also work across the Mediterranean, from Greece and Italy to the Riviera and Spain. Our sister site, TheMediterranean.com, has its own Founding Partner program, built the same way: three Agencies and three Developers in each Territory, and never more.

Looking for a home on the Mediterranean? TheMediterranean.com points you to its own Founding Partners.

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