Dewan Architects & Engineers

Re-opening an office in Baghdad, the city it was founded in 40 years ago, has proved a smart move for Dewan. The Abu Dhabi-based firm has been raking in jobs in the stricken country, most recently two commissions to study, masterplan and design the centres of Najaf and Karbala, two of Iraq’s most historic and holiest cities.

Last year it opened offices in both those cities, plus Tripoli, Riyadh and Doha and this year plans to add Basra, Jeddah and Cairo to its portfolio.

Its focus on Saudi Arabia and Iraq has meant a need to expand into infrastructure and it set up a joint venture with Portuguese consultant COBA. The practice was named third largest architecture firm by Middle East Architect magazine. The Gulf Cooperation Council trading bloc incorporating the UAE and five other countries in the Middle East is predicted to spend between $535 billion and $2 trillion on infrastructure projects over the next decade, according to Dewan’s founding chairman Mohammed Al Assam.

Other projects include six schools and a Fairmont hotel in Abu Dhabi; the Shegery Residences in Riyadh; and masterplanning a development around the holy shrines in Kadhimiya, Baghdad.