# 9 Amazing Modern Buildings in the Middle East > We rounded up 9 modern architectural wonders of the Middle East, from museums to skyscrapers. Find out which buildings are worth seeing with your own eyes. - URL: https://langandtrip.com.ua/en/article/9-dyvovyzhnykh-suchasnykh-budivel-na-blyzkomu-skhodi/ - Language: en - Published: 2024-10-23 - Categories: Culture, Historic Sites, Museums, Hotels, Tours, UAE --- During the first decade of the 21st century, the Persian Gulf region, and Dubai in particular, became an architectural playground where projects for wildly expensive and outlandish structures seemed to win approval almost every week. When the global financial crisis hit, however, plans for megaprojects such as the $68 million Dubailand park and Saudi Arabia's $1.3 billion Jeddah Tower were put on hold for a while. Now the design and financing of projects across the Middle East have picked up again, and these ventures are back in motion. As Qatar geared up to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup and the economies of the Middle East recovered, the value of upcoming projects in Qatar alone was estimated at $230 billion, according to figures from the American firm Deloitte Research. "Things are definitely improving, and there are more interesting buildings coming through, both from the government and from private developers," says Simon Fraser, managing director of Hopkins Architects Dubai. No one knows for sure which grand designs will land on the drawing boards in the coming years, but they will have to be striking enough to live up to the finest building projects the Middle East has produced in recent years. Here is what you can see as you travel around the Middle East: ## 1. Museum of Islamic Art, Doha, Qatar ![Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, Qatar](/storage/image/prev/august-article-image-109-1-2024.jpg) Evoking cubes stacked one on top of another, the Museum of Islamic Art, home to one of the largest collections of Islamic art in the world, is a masterpiece in its own right. The architect I.M. Pei, who was 91 at the time, came out of retirement and traveled the Middle East for six months to gather inspiration for this clean, futuristic building. The result is a nearly 46,450 square foot structure sitting on its own little island in Doha, Qatar. Construction began in 2005 and finished in 2008. The total cost, including the museum, the peninsula and the surrounding park, came to $47.7 million. ## 2. Ferrari World, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates ![The bright red Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi](/storage/image/prev/august-article-image-109-2-2024.jpg) In the middle of the UAE desert sits a giant, bright red, triangular structure that houses the second largest indoor theme park in the world. The sprawling Ferrari World is all about grandeur and glitz, and the largest Ferrari logo in the world is proof of it. Equal in size to seven soccer fields, the massive, red, UFO-like structure holds 21 attractions. Construction began in November 2008, was completed within two years and cost $40 billion. That is twice what it cost to build the entire Downtown Dubai complex, including the Burj Khalifa. ## 3. Cayan Tower, Dubai, United Arab Emirates ![The twisting Cayan Tower in Dubai](/storage/image/prev/august-article-image-109-3-2024.jpg) The 80-story Cayan Tower looks like an urban tornado frozen in time. Of all the ambitious plans that emerged during Dubai's pre-crisis boom (underwater hotels, Fendi-branded buildings), this is one of the few that actually came to life, though not without delays. The tallest twisting tower in the world (330 meters high) has no columns anywhere in the building, which gives it an almost impossible sense of lightness and space. Construction began in 2006 and finished in 2013, at a cost of $272 million. ## 4. Burj Khalifa, Dubai, United Arab Emirates ![The Burj Khalifa towering over Dubai](/storage/image/prev/august-article-image-109-4-2024.jpg) From a distance, the Burj Khalifa looks like it is punching a hole in the sky. Inspired by Tower Palace Three, a residential building in Seoul, the 163-story Burj Khalifa is a tourist attraction in its own right, as well as a popular spot for (mostly unsanctioned) parachute jumps. It is also home to one of the highest bars in the world, the At.mosphere Bar and Lounge on the 122nd floor. Standing 830 meters tall, the $1.5 billion Burj Khalifa is the centerpiece of the $20 billion Downtown Dubai mixed-use complex. The complex includes the Dubai Mall, the largest shopping center in the world, along with residential space. Construction began in January 2004, and the building officially opened in 2010, after delays caused, among other things, by the financial crisis. ## 5. Abraj Al-Bait Towers, Mecca, Saudi Arabia ![The Abraj Al-Bait Towers rising above Mecca](/storage/image/prev/august-article-image-109-5-2024.jpg) The complex known as the Abraj Al-Bait Towers (also called the Mecca Royal Clock Tower) stands guard in front of the Kaaba in Mecca, the holiest site in Islam. The main tower is larger than London's Elizabeth Tower (home of Big Ben) and features an observation deck beneath the clock, as well as a prayer hall that can hold up to 10,000 people. The 18th-century Ottoman Ajyad Fortress was demolished to make way for the complex, which sparked public outcry at the time. Funded by Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Religious Endowments, the $15 billion project became part of Mecca's fabric, with the words "God is great" engraved above the clock. Construction of the 600-meter, 120-story high-rise complex began in 2004 and was completed in 2012. ## 6. The Chedi Muscat, Muscat, Oman ![The Chedi Muscat resort in Oman](/storage/image/prev/august-article-image-109-6-2024.jpg) Compared with all the hotel skyscrapers competing for the "wow factor" across the Middle East, The Chedi Muscat earns points for blending harmoniously into its local surroundings. Rather than another gleaming spire, this seaside hotel is made up of several buildings scattered across expansive gardens. Its heart is a 12-meter tented lobby that gives the impression of a giant Bedouin tent in the middle of the desert. The reception area is reminiscent of an Omani fortress. The interiors are minimalist and modern. The 160-room hotel cost $25 million and covers more than 8,360 square meters. Construction began in 2003, with a redesign in 2007 and a final renovation in 2010. ## 7. Bank Muscat, Muscat, Oman Bank Muscat, the largest bank in Oman, boasts a striking headquarters that blends modern and Islamic architectural influences. It was designed by the award-winning engineering and design consultancy Atkins, with an eye for both aesthetics and function. Decorative white screens wrap around the building. A geometric floral pattern lets natural light filter inside while keeping the building cool. The interior design is meant to change the way people work, with colorful seating areas and glass walkways that make it feel more like a trendy university campus than a bank. The 32,500 square meter office building cost $57.2 million and took two years to build, starting in early 2009. ## 8. World Trade Center, Bahrain ![The sail-shaped Bahrain World Trade Center](/storage/image/prev/august-article-image-109-7-2024.jpg) The tiny kingdom of Bahrain is home to one of the region's most impressive structures. Made up of two towers linked by three sky bridges, the World Trade Center is the world's first skyscraper with wind turbines built into its design. The sail-shaped building is able to generate electricity from the wind. Construction began in 2004 and took four years, at a cost of $150 million. With 50 floors, it reaches a height of 240 meters. ## 9. King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia ![The futuristic King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center in Riyadh](/storage/image/prev/august-article-image-109-8-2024.jpg) The futuristic King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center was designed by the late, award-winning Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid. Its gray, cellular outer shell rises like a crystalline form in the middle of the desert. The design is conceived as fluid, leaving the building open to constant expansion and transformation. Beneath the massive steel canopy, sheltered courtyards offer protection from the heat. The estimated cost of the project is $11.5 billion, and construction began in 2009. The structure covers more than 65,000 square meters and was developed by Aramco, the largest energy company in the world.