The designers shaping UAE real estate: 10 architects, interior designers and furniture makers to know

Dubai Design Week ran from 3 to 8 November at Dubai Design District (d3), and the region’s design community meets again on 23 November for the Design Middle East Awards 2026 at Sofitel Dubai The Palm.

Behind every new tower, branded residence and resort is a team of designers: the architects who give a building its form, the interior designers who shape how it feels to live or stay in, and the furniture designers whose pieces finish the home. Here are 10 UAE-based names working across the Emirates’ real estate, listed alphabetically in each group.

Architects

AE7

Works across: architecture, landscape, planning and engineering  |  Regions: MENA, North America and Europe

Multidisciplinary practice AE7 describes itself as a design firm “built to be a global organization”, with architects, landscape designers, planners and engineers working as partners to their clients. Its Dubai portfolio includes Burj Azizi and the District One Multifamily Residential project, as well as the Ras Al Khor Sanctuary and Souk Jubail in Abu Dhabi.

Dewan Architects + Engineers

Established: 1984, Abu Dhabi  |  Leads: Mohamed Al Assam, Executive Chairman and Founder

Mohamed Al Assam started his practice in Ras Al Khaimah in 1976 and established Dewan in Abu Dhabi in 1984. Four decades on, the firm’s UAE work includes The Fountain Views and the 52|42 towers in Dubai, Mamsha Al Saadiyat and the Yas Viceroy hotel in Abu Dhabi, and Port De La Mer and Dubai Harbour. Its current portfolio features residential projects including Mada Residences in Downtown Dubai, Central Park at City Walk, Keturah Reserve, Seamont Residences, Anantara Residences and Layan Verde, alongside Bayn by ORA and Masaar by Arada.

Killa Design

Established: 2015, Dubai  |  Leads: Shaun Killa, Design Director and Founder

Killa Design is best known for the Museum of the Future, and its residential and hospitality work is growing fast. In April 2026 it unveiled Jumeirah Residences Al Maryah Island, a 186-metre branded tower in Abu Dhabi for Emirates Developments with Jumeirah, featuring a cantilevered “orbital ring” sky deck. Its portfolio also includes Four Seasons Private Residences on Saadiyat and Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab in Dubai. The firm was named Construction Week’s Architectural Firm of the Year in 2023 for the fourth year running.

Interior designers

Kristina Zanic Consultants

Founder: Kristina Zanic  |  Studios: Dubai, London, Riyadh, Bangkok and Clark

Kristina Zanic Consultants is an international hospitality interior design studio for hotels, resorts and branded residences, led by a founder whose track record spans four decades. In the UAE its portfolio includes SO/ Ras Al Khaimah, Sofitel Al Hamra Ras Al Khaimah and The Unexpected Marjan Island, alongside resorts and hotels across Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and beyond.

LW

Established: 1999, Dubai  |  Leads: Jesper Godsk, Founder and CEO; Colin Doyle, Founding Partner

From a first studio beside the old Dubai Zoo, LW has grown to more than 100 people in studios in Dubai, Hong Kong, São Paulo and Aarhus. Its hospitality interiors and architecture include the Bab Al Shams desert resort, The Dubai EDITION, and Tapasake at One Za’abeel, and the studio now brings the same guest-experience thinking to high-end residential and mixed-use developments.

MOMA

Based: Dubai Design District (d3)  |  Founders: Monica Merhebi and Maha Albwardy

Multidisciplinary studio MOMA works across architecture, interiors and landscape. Its UAE projects include the J1 Hotel Gran Meliá at Port de La Mer and a Skyline Penthouse in Dubai, and it was appointed interior design consultant for Mondrian Al Marjan Island Beach Residences, the AED 1.8 billion beachfront project by ELEVATE with Ennismore in Ras Al Khaimah, due for completion in Q4 2028.

Roar

Offices: UAE, Saudi Arabia and the Philippines  |  Founder: Pallavi Dean, Founder and Creative Director

A boutique architecture and interior design studio with more than 13 years of experience and 350-plus projects, Roar calls its philosophy “empathetic design”. Its residential work includes an award-winning Al Barari Villa (2024) in Dubai, and its hospitality projects include Story Le Carrousel in Rabat, which won hotel lobby and hotel room awards in 2026.

Furniture designers

Aljoud Lootah

Studio founded: 2014, Dubai Design District  |  Designs: furniture, lighting and objects

Emirati designer Aljoud Lootah creates furniture, lighting and objects and has worked on residential and retail interiors, as well as bespoke and collectible pieces for private clients. Two pieces from her Oru Series (2015) were acquired by the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne, and her woven camel leather Mandoos was presented to Pope Francis during his 2019 UAE visit.

Fadi Sarieddine Design Studio

Founded: 2013, Dubai  |  Leads: Fadi Sarieddine, architect and founder

Led by architect Fadi Sarieddine, the studio is a multidisciplinary atelier with a focus on furniture design, from limited-edition pieces to bespoke furniture such as the Mainframe collection of tables, shelving and lighting. It also designs residential spaces, including the Sunset Apartment and a private residence.

Khalid Shafar

Studio founded: 2010, Dubai  |  Designs: contemporary furniture and homeware Emirati designer Khalid Shafar blends artisanal and industrial methods with references to Emirati culture across seating, lighting, tables, textiles and accessories, in collections such as The Palm and Octa. He works with interior designers and architects worldwide and has collaborated with Kartell, Tai Ping, Moissonnier, Arte Veneziana and the Campana Brothers

At a glance