Sheikh Mohammed congratulates Palestinian architect Dr Suad Amiry on Great Arab Minds win

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, congratulated architect and Dr Suad Amiry on winning the Great Arab Minds 2025 Award for Architecture and Design.

Highlighting the role of architecture in shaping national identity and preserving cultural heritage, His Highness posted on X: "We congratulate the 2025 winner of the Great Arab Minds Award in the Architecture and Design category, Dr Suad Amiry from Palestine, Founder of the Riwaq Centre for Architectural Conservation.

She has played a leading role in preserving Palestinian architectural heritage by restoring historic buildings and adapting them in ways that strengthen architectural identity and support local communities. She participated in one of the largest architectural documentation projects in Palestine, registering more than 50,000 historic buildings and contributing to the revitalisation of 50 historic centres. A distinctive aspect of her work is her involvement of residents and artisans in village restoration projects, creating jobs and training them in traditional building materials."

Sheikh Mohammed added: "We congratulate Dr Suad Amiry on her well-deserved win and her decades of dedication. May Palestine be blessed with peace and stability, may its historic buildings and villages regain the life they deserve, and may its heritage continue to thrive for as long as Arab memory endures."

Great Arab Minds recognises talent in medicine, engineering and technology, architecture and design, economics, natural sciences, literature, and the arts.

Dr Amiry, Founder and Director of the Riwaq Centre for Architectural Conservation, won the Architecture and Design category for her pioneering work in documenting and restoring Palestinian architectural heritage. Her efforts include surveying historic buildings, restoring structures in line with original designs, and supporting community involvement in preservation projects.

Dr Amiry has devoted her career to documenting the architecture of her homeland, training generations of artisans, and publishing studies that preserve architectural knowledge and cultural history. She considers documentation as equally important as restoration.

She contributed to one of the largest documentation projects in Palestine, registering more than 50,000 historic buildings across many towns and villages and training artisans in traditional building materials and techniques. She also led initiatives that helped residents restore buildings and maintain their cultural value.

Her research includes studies on Palestinian architecture, such as village layouts, building methods and material culture. Her work documents Palestinian homes and their architectural elements, including tiles, stonework, ornamentation, and floor plans. Among her major projects are the revitalisation of the historic centre of Birzeit and the restoration of 50 Palestinian villages under a programme launched in 2005 to preserve the historical and cultural identity of rural Palestine.

Dr Amiry taught architecture at Birzeit University between 1982 and 1996. Her books include Traditional Floor Tiles in Palestine (2000), Sharon and My Mother-in-Law (2002), Throne Village Architecture (2003), and Manateer (Watch Towers) (2004). Her travels across Arab cities are also reflected in publications such as Plants of Jordan (1982) and her novel My Damascus (2016). She is also a novelist whose work has been translated into more than 20 languages.

Dr Amiry studied architecture at the American University of Beirut, earned her master's degree from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor and completed her PhD at the University of Edinburgh.

Mohammed Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and Chairman of the Great Arab Minds Higher Committee, informed Dr Amiry of her win during a video call. He praised her more than three decades of work in restoring and documenting Arab architectural heritage and sharing it with international audiences.

He said that the Great Arab Minds initiative, launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, revives ambition for scientific leadership and long-term development in the Arab world, drawing on the region's historical contribution to human civilisation.

He noted that the initiative is grounded in confidence in current capabilities and a forward-looking view of future opportunities, by highlighting the work of thinkers, innovators, and scientists and recognising their contributions to development. He added that role models such as Dr Suad Amiry inspire Arab youth to value their heritage, pursue new achievements, and encourage the return of Arab talent, supported by strategic projects such as Great Arab Minds that recognise and retain exceptional minds.

The Architecture and Design Committee for the 2025 award included Professor Hashim Sarkis, Dean of MIT's School of Architecture and Planning; Dr Adrian Lahoud, Dean of the School of Architecture at the Royal College of Art; and Professor Ali Malkawi, Director of the Harvard Center for Green Buildings, Professor of Architectural Technology, Director of the Doctoral Programme in Design Studies.

Now in its third edition, Great Arab Minds - also known as the Arab equalivent to Nobel Prize - is the largest award of its kind in the region and recognises Arab talent whose work has had a positive impact on society. One winner is selected in each of the six categories, with each receiving AED 1 million to support their research, projects and global reach.