Dubai's Ruler announced Dr Souad Al-Amri from Palestine as the winner of the Great Arab Minds for this year in the Architecture and Design category.

Founder of the popular architecture centre 'Rawaq', Al-Amri has made pioneering contributions to preserving Palestinian architectural heritage, restoring historical buildings and repurposing them in ways that enhance urban identity.

She has also participated in one of the largest Palestinian projects for architectural documentation, resulting in a registry containing more than 50,000 historical buildings and the revitalization of 50 historical centres.

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She is also known for involving local residents and artisans in restoring villages by using traditional building materials.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai congratulated the architect on her win.

"We congratulate Dr Souad Al-Amri on her win and her decades-long contributions… May God preserve Palestine, restore life to its historical buildings and villages as they deserve, and grant its heritage a continuity that endures as long as Arab memory persists."

Mohammed Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and Chairman of the Great Arab Minds Higher Committee, informed Dr Amiry of her win during a video call. He praised her more than three decades of work in restoring and documenting Arab architectural heritage and sharing it with international audiences.

Dr Amiry has devoted her career to documenting the architecture of her homeland, training generations of artisans, and publishing studies that preserve architectural knowledge and cultural history. She considers documentation as equally important as restoration.

Her research includes studies on Palestinian architecture, such as village layouts, building methods and material culture. Her work documents Palestinian homes and their architectural elements, including tiles, stonework, ornamentation, and floor plans.

Among her major projects are the revitalisation of the historic centre of Birzeit and the restoration of 50 Palestinian villages under a programme launched in 2005 to preserve the historical and cultural identity of rural Palestine.

Dr Amiry taught architecture at Birzeit University between 1982 and 1996. Her books include Traditional Floor Tiles in Palestine (2000), Sharon and My Mother-in-Law (2002), Throne Village Architecture (2003), and Manateer (Watch Towers) (2004). Her travels across Arab cities are also reflected in publications such as Plants of Jordan (1982) and her novel My Damascus (2016). She is also a novelist whose work has been translated into more than 20 languages.

Dr Amiry studied architecture at the American University of Beirut, earned her master’s degree from the University of Michigan–Ann Arbor and completed her PhD at the University of Edinburgh.

Now in its third edition, Great Arab Minds — also known as the Arab equalivent to Nobel Prize — is the largest award of its kind in the region and recognises Arab talent whose work has had a positive impact on society. One winner is selected in each of the six categories, with each receiving Dh1 million to support their research, projects and global reach.