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About

The award, in its second cycle, aims to celebrate built environment projects that have embraced the charter's standards and demonstrated excellence in their execution. It seeks to motivate practitioners and specialists to adopt the concept and standards of the charter within their urban outputs, working towards creating a competitive environment that produces high-quality results.

 

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Award
Objectives

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Highlighting the excellence of individual contributions:

Showcasing exceptional talents in the architecture and design sector by enhancing their outputs.

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Encouraging excellence in design:

Improving design quality and encouraging designers to create more distinctive and high-quality outputs.

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Increasing awareness of the charter:

Enhancing societal and practitioner awareness in the architecture and design sector of the values and concept of the charter and its impact on society.

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Recognizing the impact of decision-makers:

Understanding the effects and efforts of experts in the architecture and design sector.

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Increasing the adoption of the charter's concept:

Encouraging practitioners in the sector to adopt the values of the King Salman Charter for Architecture and Urbanism.

 

 

 

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Award Tracks
1
Built Projects:

This category refers to distinguished built environment projects that have been designed, executed, and operational.

2
Non-Built Projects:

This category focuses on outstanding built environment designs for projects that have not been constructed completely, emphasizing unique urban outputs in design, creating new and innovative architectural design visions.

Project Nomination

In the second cycle of the King Salman Charter Award for Architecture and Urbanism, we open the opportunity for experts and those interested in the fields of architecture and design to nominate built or conceptual (non-built) urban projects they believe are worthy of competing for the award.

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Eligible Categories for Submission and Nomination

The award targets the following main categories:

 

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Architectural and design

companies and offices

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Owners of distinguished

architectural projects

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Individual architects and

designers or groups

Participants Journey

 
1
5 Feb – 31March
Submission
 
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1 April – 30 April
Filtration
 
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1 May – 05 May 
Evaluation and Critique
 
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Soon to be announced
Jury Evaluation
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1

King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture - Ithra

Owner: Saudi Aramco
Designer: Snøhetta
Location: Dhahran

Description: A global cultural building in Dhahran, combining authenticity and innovation. It is distinguished by its unique design inspired by rocks and the earth, clearly embodying the value of "Authenticity" through the use of Mashrabiya and rammed earth in its interior spaces. The jury praised the project's program for the diversity of spaces, the quality of construction, and its innovative approach to sustainability by placing a significant part of the mass underground.

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Dar Al-Rahmaniyyah Building in Al-Ghat

Owner: Abdulrahman Al-Sudairi Cultural Center
Designer: John Langley
Location: Riyadh

Description: A non-profit cultural center in Al-Ghat Governorate, reflecting the local traditional character using indigenous building materials like straw bales and clay. The project embodies "Authenticity" and "Continuity" by clearly integrating traditional elements with a modern approach that meets functional and climatic demands. The jury considered it an exceptional project for utilizing low-tech environmental strategies, such as the underground cooling system and wind catchers, thus avoiding mechanical systems.

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KAFD Grand Mosque

Owner: KAFD
Designer: Omrania
Location: Riyadh

Description: A prominent Islamic landmark in King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD), featuring a design inspired by the crystalline planes of the Desert Rose. It represents an innovation in mosque design, challenging the height of surrounding towers and abstracting the Najdi triangle element. The jury praised the strong visual presence and design language of the mosque amidst the high-rise buildings, and the designer's masterful solution for the complex roof structure, which created a powerful visual composition.

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Banyan Tree AlUla

Owner: AlUla Development Company
Designer: AW² Architecture and Interior Design
Location: AlUla

Description: A resort in AlUla's Ashar Valley, celebrating the desert environment and the site's rich heritage. The design was inspired by the Bedouin way of life, featuring tent-like suites that seamlessly merge with the landscape. The jury praised the architect's sensitive handling of this area of exceptional natural beauty, which minimized the project's impact. The design of the lightweight tent structures was considered a successful reinterpretation of traditional concepts and forms.

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King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST)

Owner: King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology
Designer: LAVA Laboratory for Visionary Architecture
Location: Riyadh

Description: A high-rise building in Riyadh embodying "Innovation" and "Liveability". Its GRC panel façade smartly responds to climatic conditions to provide optimal shade and sun permeability. The jury praised the internal spatial organization and quality, which produced a highly interactive and social working environment. The placement of vertical circulation (elevators) on the building's sides was also highlighted as a particularly clever move to manage thermal performance and free up internal space for social interaction.

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Sports Boulevard

Owner: Sports Boulevard Foundation
Designer: The Sports Boulevard Design Team
Location: Riyadh

Description: A master plan project aiming to create a sports and wellness ecosystem connecting Wadi Hanifa and Wadi Al-Sulai. It seeks to achieve a comprehensive urban transformation while preserving the city's heritage and culture, by creating nearly 5 million square meters of green space. The jury viewed it as a commendable effort to create a new environmental corridor for the city, and praised the design approach to landscape architecture, particularly the focus on native trees and planting strategies.

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Al-Mihrab (The Niche)

Owner: The Madinah Development Authority
Designer: Mihrab Design Team
Location: Saudi Arabia Roadside Prayer Spaces Identity

Description: An integrated design for roadside prayer spaces in multiple locations, aiming to merge traditional Islamic heritage with modernity. The project embodies "Authenticity" through the utilization of the environment and its available resources, and "Innovation" in the design of the ventilation model and the indirect entry of sunlight. The jury felt that "Mihrab" beautifully and simply offers an approach to infrastructure for integrating places of worship into daily life, being a standardized, repeatable, and customizable system.

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Contemporary Neighborhood Design

Student Name: Sadeem Al-Jibreen
University: The University of Sheffield

Description: An architectural thesis by student Sadeem Al-Jbreen from Sheffield University. It focuses on reviving the identity and values of Saudi culture in a contemporary design, using a low-rise, high-density approach that simulates old neighborhoods. It embodies "Authenticity" and "Continuity" by successfully blending the old and the new with a suitable living environment. The design focused on meeting social and religious needs, dividing the house into two sections (for guests and family) while ensuring privacy and hospitality.

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King Salman International Complex for the Arabic Language

Student Name: Abdulaziz Ghanem Al-Talib
University: King Saud University

Description: A graduation project by student Abdulaziz Ghanem Al-Talib from King Saud University. It aims to enhance the presence of the Arabic language with an authentic Najdi identity. It demonstrated a high level of skills and design excellence. It was distinguished by "Innovation" in terms of optimal design for flexibility of use, and environmental solutions like wind catchers that create thermal comfort. The focus on "Human-Centricity" and community integration through diverse interactive activities and spaces was highly praised.

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Rules and
Regulations

Built Projects Track – Terms & Conditions:

  • The project submitted for the award must have been completed for at least one year.
  • The project must be operational or in use at the time of submission and remain so until the closing of the award cycle.
  • The applicant is responsible for obtaining all necessary approvals to submit the project for the award.
  • There must be no major changes to the project’s design since it began operation or use.
  • The applicant bears full responsibility for securing all required project-related approvals prior to submission.
  • The submitted project must represent a comprehensive and realistic built design, not a theoretical concept.

Unbuilt Projects Track – Terms & Conditions:

  • Submissions may be made by the designer, design team, researchers, academics, or individuals interested in architecture and urbanism.
  • For both recent and older projects, the applicant is responsible for obtaining the necessary approvals.
  • The submitted project must be a real-world design proposal that has not been commissioned or constructed.
  • The project must have been completed (in terms of planning/design) after 1980.
  • The project must be submitted as a tender proposal located within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
  • The submitted project must represent a comprehensive and realistic design, not a purely theoretical concept.
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Frequent
Questions

The award is part of the strategy to activate and adopt the King Salman Charter for Architecture and Urbanism, targeting two main tracks (Built Projects , Non-Built Projects) You can find details about the award on the award profile page on the official website.

To participate in the award or apply to one of its tracks, click "Register Now" below, then choose the track that suits you (Built Projects, Unbuilt Projects) and follow the instructions provided there.

"Register Now"

Once you have completed the submission, you will receive a confirmation email confirming the successful registration.

Creating architectural excellence and improving the quality of life of all residents through forming architectural environments that builds on cultural and environmental heritage and emulates the future.

For over five decades, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz - may God preserve him - served as the governor of the Riyadh region, during which he established a vision in architectural design. He led the development of remarkable architectural works that reflect his distinctive character in design quality. Over many decades, various projects have attempted to showcase their affiliation and strengthen their connection to the concepts of urban quality, even if they did not meet the standards set by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. Therefore, the Charter aims to create a common understanding of the concepts of urban quality in the Kingdom, providing guidelines for those involved in design, planning, and construction. It is an urban message with aesthetic value documented to the world's peoples, cultures, and civilizations. You can learn more about the Charter through the following link.

On 5 February, 2026.

Projects will be assessed based on criteria inspired by the values of the Charter:

Authenticity: The presence of a tangible design logic or intellectual process seeking to create urban and architectural spaces that express authenticity and distinguish themselves from the place.

Continuity: Sustainable growth and continuous development of a local community that celebrates national identity, respects the past, and is rooted in an understanding of the physical fabric and local culture of the community.

Human Centricity: Focus on individuals and groups in the axis of any design to improve experiences, inclusivity, and social justice.

Livability: Attention to raising the quality of life by establishing a safe, attractive, healthy, and socially interconnected urban environment to suit all citizens.

Innovation: Providing mental space for exploring new horizons often through collaboration with partners who have a different perspective or possess complementary knowledge.

Sustainability: Consciously protecting and enhancing the environmental, social, and economic aspects.

Soon to be announced. 

Discovery Street2, KAFD, Riyadh13519
+9668001189999
info@moc.gov.sa

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