As climate adaptation becomes one of the defining conversations shaping the future of cities, the upcoming 2nd Desert Architecture MENA Forum will return to Dubai on 18–19 June 2026 at the Al Habtoor Grand Resort, bringing together some of the world’s leading architects, urban planners, developers, policymakers, and sustainability experts to redefine how desert environments are designed for the future.
Held under the theme ‘Integrating Heritage with Innovation: The Future of Desert Living’, the Forum has rapidly established itself as the region’s premier platform dedicated exclusively to desert architecture, climate-responsive urbanism and sustainable development in arid regions.
Organised by Great Minds Events, this year’s edition will delve deeper into critical topics shaping the next generation of desert cities, including passive cooling systems, regenerative landscapes, low-carbon construction materials, net-zero urban planning, AI-driven smart infrastructure and water resilience.
The two-day conference will feature an impressive lineup of international and regional speakers from globally recognised firms and organisations including Foster + Partners, Killa Design, Arup, AECOM, SOM, HKS, DLR Group, X Architects, Dabbagh Architects, Valcarce Architects, U+A, HOK and leading government and municipal authorities from across the region.
Meaningful collaboration
With more than 20 high-level sessions, panel discussions, case studies and technical presentations, the Forum aims to facilitate meaningful collaboration between architects, developers, urban planners, technology innovators, academia and public sector leaders working to address the realities of climate change across desert regions.
“As cities across the Middle East continue to evolve rapidly, there is an urgent need to create environments that are not only technologically advanced, but also deeply connected to heritage, resilience and human wellbeing,” commented Leila Masinaei, Managing Partner, Great Minds Events.
The Forum is expected to welcome more than 300 delegates from different countries, including government representatives, developers, consultants, contractors, architects, sustainability specialists and senior decision-makers from across the construction and urban development.
