The Asia Pacific Award and Middle East Award (GCC) aim to celebrate the unique credentials and broad spectrum of the built environment within each of these territories, offering new opportunities for projects to gain international recognition and the chance to progress towards the world’s most eminent prize for architecture, the RIBA International Prize.
For over 50 years, the RIBA Awards have set the benchmark for design quality. Recognised for its integrity and global reach, the International Awards honour projects of all scales and budgets that demonstrate visionary thinking, design innovation, and meaningful social impact. The awards are one of the most rigorously judged architecture awards, with every shortlisted building visited by a group of in-region design experts.
Projects will be shortlisted across ten categories, these include: Adaptive Reuse; AI-powered Design; Design for Living; Future Projects; Mixed-use; RIBA Member; Social Architecture; Sustainability and Resilience; Temporary Architecture; and Urban Regeneration. Notably, categories such as Future Projects, Temporary Architecture, and AI-powered Design will debut for the very first time, reflecting the evolving priorities and shifts in how architecture is designed and built for current and future generations.
The shortlist for the Middle East Award will be announced on 16 September, with the winner revealed at Dubai Design Week (5–9 November). The Asia Pacific Award shortlist will follow on 17 September, with the winner announced at the RIBA Architecture Festival Asia (RAFA) on 17 December.
Flint Culture began working with RIBA in 2016, supporting international profiling and industry engagement through the launch and promotion of the RIBA International Prize, which culminated in 2021 with strong results. Building on this success, we have been re-engaged to lead the regional and international PR campaigns for the newly established Asia Pacific Award and Middle East Award, as well as the forthcoming International Awards in 2026.
