The World Architecture Festival Awards has announced this year's shortlist, with projects from throughout the MENA region featuring in many of the award categories. The 2018 finalists were selected from a record number of entries, propelling their practices to the forefront of global architecture and design.

King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Centre in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Image credit: Hufton + Crow, Zaha Hadid Architects

The 536 strong shortlist comprises projects from 81 countries including Morocco, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Iran, Qatar and Lebanon. World-renowned Zaha Hadid Architects’ project King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Centre (KAPSARC) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia was shortlisted in the category of Completed Buildings: Higher Education and Research. Office for Metropolitan Architecture’s project Qatar National Library in Doha, Qatar was shortlisted in the category of Completed Buildings: Culture.

Qatar National Library in Doha. Image credit © Iwan Baan, Office for Metropolitan Architecture

Notably, Middle East-based practices EAA Emre Arolat Architecture, Fluid Motion Architects, Tabanlioglu Architects, Nextoffice, Erkal Architects were among those who had multiple projects shortlisted in more than one category. The categories include future projects and completed buildings, each with civic, commercial mixed-use, residential and office subcategories.

All finalists will now compete at the World Architecture Festival which will be held from 28-30 November this year at the RAI in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

For more information about the World Architecture Festival and the shortlisted projects, visit the World Architecture Festival website.

See also:

Zaha Hadid Architects appointed to design the centrepiece of Aljada, ARADA’s iconic Sharjah megaproject

Golden era building of Beirut to become current design masterpiece

Sculptural memorial in Abu Dhabi lands Australian firm on World Architecture Festival shortlist