X Architects

X Architects is a critically driven architecture and urban design practice founded in Dubai, working across the Gulf and internationally. The studio is recognised as one of the pioneers of contemporary Gulf architecture, known for contextually grounded projects that translate Arab and Gulf cultures, landscapes and histories into contemporary built forms, from large‑scale masterplans, mosques and cultural institutions to public realm, housing and private villas.

Founded in 2003 by Ahmed Al Ali and Farid Esmaeil - among the first architecture graduates of the American University of Sharjah - the practice offers a rare, locally rooted perspective in a rapidly changing region. X Architects combines rigorous research, material and environmental intelligence and a strong engagement with public space to create architecture that acts as cultural and ecological infrastructure rather than isolated objects.

Celebrated works include the Wasit Wetland Visitor Centre in Sharjah, the first project in the UAE to receive the Aga Khan Award for Architecture; Bait Mohammed bin Khalifa, a restored historic house and community centre in Al Ain; Estidama Mosque, the world’s first net‑zero energy mosque at Masdar City; and As Safiyyah Museum & Park in Medina, a 20,000 sqm cultural and landscape complex in Islam’s second holiest city.

The studio is currently designing the Grand Mosque at Diriyah Gate in Riyadh, alongside a wider portfolio of projects across the Gulf and beyond that has been recognised with multiple regional and international awards.