The tenth edition of the prestigious award for architectural talent was held in Muscat, with the participation of approximately forty countries. It was chaired by HE Sayyid Dr Fahad Bin Al Julanda Al Said - who is the head of Sultan Qaboos University, the first and largest university in Oman. This edition could not be held in 2020 and 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Therefore, the laureates of this ceremony are actually the ones of 2020.
The 2020 Middle East Architecture Personality (Mohamed Makiya Architecture Award) is awarded to Omani architect and radio host Ali Jaffar Al-Lawati. He is the creator of several programmes and podcasts such as "The Architecture of Oman", "Building Stories", and "Voice of Architecture". The Mohamed Makiya Prize aims to promote the advancement of architecture in the Middle East and North Africa. Ali Jaffar Al-Lawati has created a hub for architects to communicate directly with the public, bridging the gap between architects, institutions and the audience in general.
The "Women in Architecture and Construction" prize was awarded to :
- Iranian architect Yasaman Esmaili, in the "Rising Star" category
- the Egyptian architect and engineer Radwa Rostom, also in the "Rising Star" category,
- the winner of the Woman of Outstanding Achievement Award is Lebanese architect Lina Ghotmeh, whose work includes the National Museum of Estonia, and who currently works on the athletes' accommodation in Saint-Denis for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
The late Egyptian architect Dr Abdelhalim Ibrahim Abdelhalim received the Tamayuz Lifetime Achievement Award, which celebrates the achievements of individuals who have made a significant contribution to humanity and the advancement of architecture and the built environment in the Middle East and North Africa. The award also recognises those whose commitment to architecture was and continues to be unprecedented. Dr Abdelhalim Ibrahim Abdelhalim was responsible for the Egyptian embassies and consulates in Kuwait (2016), Jordan (2005), Uzbekistan (2005) and Saudi Arabia (1998); Al-Hamad Palace in Bahrain (1993); Brookins AME Church in California, USA (1979); Dirriyah City in Saudi Arabia (1998); the development of the new AUC campus in Cairo, Egypt (1999); Spanish Coastal Redevelopment in Andalusia (1975); the Children's Cultural Park in Cairo, Egypt (1983) for which he received an Aga Khan Award for Architecture; etc.
The Tamayouz Excellence Award was established in 2012 by Iraqi architect and academic Ahmed Al-Mallak, who initially launched an award to recognise the final projects of architecture students in Iraq.
Photo: copyrights Al Mayadeen.