Mohamed Fiaz Khazi, Entrepreneur & Managing Director, Euro Systems

Architecture across the GCC is entering a more demanding phase, shaped by the realities of day-to-day operation. For much of the past decade, design ambition was defined by scale, visibility, and speed. Towers rose quickly, façades grew lighter, and skylines transformed almost overnight. In 2026, the focus has shifted to how buildings perform over time and the quality of experience they deliver to occupants.

This evolution reflects a more mature, performance-driven market while maintaining bold design. Questions around energy use, occupant comfort, maintenance, and durability are now central to architectural decision-making. In a region shaped by heat, dust, and intense solar exposure, design intent carries weight only when it is supported by systems capable of delivering consistent performance over time.

A changing regional approach

Façades illustrate this shift particularly clearly. Glass-heavy architecture remains integral to the region’s visual language, yet it is now approached with greater technical intent. Solar control, shading, acoustic performance, and automation are increasingly considered as parts of a unified strategy rather than isolated design features.

Industry studies consistently show that external shading devices, such as louvers and overhangs, can significantly reduce solar heat gain before it enters the building envelope, lowering cooling demand in the process. Fully shaded glazed areas further reduce thermal loads, easing pressure on mechanical systems while improving internal comfort.

While this performance-led direction is shared across the GCC, each market is responding in its own way.

In the UAE, architectural expression continues to take center stage. Landmark developments, hospitality projects, and mixed-use districts place strong emphasis on experience and identity. What has changed is the level of coordination behind the scenes. Façades are now expected to deliver daylight and transparency without introducing glare or thermal instability. Shading and glazing strategies are increasingly developed together, allowing design ambition to be preserved while meeting operational requirements.

Saudi Arabia presents a different dynamic. Here, scale and speed dominate, with large-scale developments and giga-projects compressing timelines and increasing complexity. In such an environment, fragmented decisions quickly translate into operational challenges. Architecture in the Kingdom is therefore being shaped by early integration, industrialized delivery, and lifecycle planning, where performance and repeatability become essential to building at scale. Research from McKinsey reinforces this approach, showing that large capital projects perform more reliably when coordination replaces siloed decision-making.

Qatar occupies a distinct position between these two models. Following a period of rapid delivery, focus has shifted toward longevity, sustainability, and adaptability. Buildings are expected to operate efficiently over decades and align closely with national sustainability frameworks. Façade performance, shading strategies, and acoustic control are increasingly specified for their contribution to long-term asset value and occupant well-being.

Technology integration

Technology underpins much of this evolution. Smart shading, responsive glazing, and integrated control systems are now practical tools for managing daylight, reducing glare, and stabilizing interior conditions. By reducing solar radiation before it reaches the glazing, external shading delivers measurable performance benefits in high-sun environments.

When façade strategies are developed early and embedded into the design process, materials, structure, and systems align more naturally. The result is architecture that feels deliberate in appearance and dependable in operation.

An operational view

The next wave of GCC projects will approach architecture as a dynamic system, ensuring long-term efficiency and reliability. Design ambition will remain high, but it will be matched by discipline in execution. Integration will increasingly define the process, particularly on complex and large-scale developments, with performance considered alongside form from the outset.

This shift represents meaningful progress. It reflects a region learning from experience and raising its own standards. The skyline will continue to evolve, but its true measure will lie in buildings that remain comfortable, efficient, and resilient long after the initial excitement has passed.

Leading luxury property developer Sobha Realty has announced its entry into Abu Dhabi with the unveiling of Sobha City, a master-planned community that reflects a deliberately quiet and serene approach to urban living in the UAE capital.

Marking the developer’s first large-scale residential development in Abu Dhabi, Sobha City represents a significant milestone rooted in a 50-year legacy of craftsmanship and a long-term commitment to shaping environments that prioritize wellbeing, design integrity, and enduring value. Long associated with refined, design-led communities across Dubai and Umm Al Quwain (UAQ), Sobha Realty’s move into the UAE capital aligns with Abu Dhabi’s continued evolution as a global destination defined by stability, cultural depth, and quality of life.

Set in Al Bahiya along the prime E10 and E12 corridor, close to Zayed International Airport and Yas Island, Sobha City unfolds as a low-density, nature-led Madinat designed around space, light, and movement. Spanning approximately 38 million square feet, with an initial phase of around 8 million sq. ft. of land area, the development is envisioned as a “city within a city” that will evolve into a fully integrated, self-sustained ecosystem. Designed for family-oriented living, the gated masterplan demonstrates a commitment to crafting complete communities, where everyday living is shaped by balancing privacy, connectivity, and wellbeing.

Designed with nature at its core, ~60% of the masterplan is dedicated to open and green spaces, with more than 50,000 trees, forest-inspired landscapes, and shaded walkways shaping a seamless sense of quiet continuity. An expansive wellness loop spanning over 18 km encourages a slower, more intentional pace of life, while pedestrian-first pathways reinforce a lifestyle centred on movement, health, and ease.

“Abu Dhabi holds a unique position as a city that balances cultural authenticity with forward-looking ambition, and our entry reflects a long-term belief in its evolution not just as a solid real estate market, but as a place where communities can grow with family-oriented intention,” said Ravi Menon, Chairman, Sobha Group. “Sobha City has been envisioned as a living environment that feels calm, enduring, and deeply connected to its surroundings, while being future-ready.”

A defining feature of Sobha City is its two-kilometre waterfront promenade and integrated marina destination, which brings together leisure, retail, and social spaces in a vibrant, yet considered, way. Schools, healthcare facilities, mosques, and an executive Par-3 golf course, masterfully designed by Greg Norman Golf Course Design. These are all thoughtfully embedded within the masterplan, ensuring essential elements of daily life remain within easy reach.

Drawing inspiration from Abu Dhabi’s coastal, natural landscapes, the City’s design reflects a contemporary interpretation of place where water, greenery, and architecture create an environment that feels both modern and rooted. The result is a ‘live-connect-restore’ ecosystem that is calm, refined, intuitively connected to its surroundings yet with future-ready infrastructure.

Sobha City will offer a diverse mix of residences, including waterfront apartments, estate and garden villas,  and mansions catering to a wide spectrum of residents, from families seeking a sense of permanence to global investors looking for stability and long-term value.

Each residence will reflect Sobha Realty’s hallmark ‘The Art of Detail’, with high-quality finishes, open layouts, and technology-enabled living environments that prioritise comfort, functionality, and longevity. Globally recognised for its proprietary Backward Integration model, Sobha Realty maintains full control over design, engineering, and construction processes in an approach that has consistently delivered superior quality and above-market performance across its portfolio.

Mr Francis Alfred, Sobha Realty’s Managing Director, added: “As we expand our footprint into Abu Dhabi, Sobha City will be embodiment of our vertically integrated approach to development ensuring not only exceptional quality but also long-term resilience and value. This position us strongly within a market driven by sustained population growth, investor-friendly policies, and projected increased demand for integrated, lifestyle-oriented developments.”

The launch further strengthens Sobha Realty’s presence in the UAE, complementing its portfolio of developments across Dubai and Umm Al Quwain, including destinations such as Sobha Siniya Island and Downtown UAQ| Sobha Realty. Its entry into Abu Dhabi comes as the emirate reaffirms its commitment to economic diversification, infrastructure development, and a renewed focus on liveability and sustainability. The launch aligns with Abu Dhabi Vision 2030, which seeks to foster a knowledge-based economy supported by thoughtfully planned, high-quality communities.

As the UAE capital determines to evolve into a globally competitive hub, Sobha Realty’s entry with nature-led master community signals both confidence and commitment, positioning the developer at the forefront of the emirate’s next growth chapter.

For those who love adding personality to their homes with one-of-a-kind pieces, Tangerrine Casa, a UAE-born online homeware brand offers a hand curated selection of vintage and preloved homeware items that are cool, quirky and unique. Featuring character-filled pieces, the small business currently delivers products across Dubai and offers next-day delivery (if ordered before 12pm).

A women-led brand, Tangerrine Casa was founded by Amy Armitage, a freelance stylist, who launched the brand in February 2025. Amy had a passion for hunting for vintage pieces during her travels but after struggling to find cool preloved homeware pieces locally in Dubai, she decided to fill the gap and elevate the preloved market in the region by bringing a carefully curated edit of unique vintage and preloved homeware, that was also easily accessible and affordable.

The curation features everything from abstract fruit bowls and chrome plated pieces to intricate glass dishes, fun porcelain plates and bowls of Italian and Portuguese design, egg cups, vases, toast racks, trinket trays, candle holders, and more, offering something fun, bold and rare for every space.

Rooted in sustainability and circular living, the brand promotes mindful consumption while also encouraging individuality in home styling, inviting the community to embrace preloved pieces to create spaces that feel more personal, purposeful, and full of character.

“I’ve always loved hunting for unique preloved pieces during my travels that I can bring back to my home in Dubai. But I didn’t feel like there were many places here locally with a cool preloved homeware curation that was unique, easily accessible and affordable, so I decided to create one. I’m passionate about keeping things in circulation for as long as possible and I believe more people would shop preloved if the stigma was removed and items looked more aspirational. I want to bring joy to homes in a more sustainable way and that’s exactly what Tangerrine Casa is all about.”, comments Amy Armitage, founder of Tangerrine Casa.

In addition, Tangerrine Casa connects with their community through its signature hosting concept ‘Tangerrine Table’. Hosted by Amy and her husband Ed, this concept creates a space to connect, share stories across cultures, explore different cuisines and celebrate the joy of gathering around a table.

A go-to destination for unique preloved homeware pieces, Tangerine Casa invites the community to discover the charm of objects that have already lived and see how cool shopping preloved can be.