Leila Al-Khouri

Lebanese architect who revolutionized Middle Eastern urban planning

Leila Al-Khouri (1928-2011) was a trailblazing architect whose designs redefined Middle Eastern cities. Graduating top of her class from the American University of Beirut in 1950, she became the region's first female licensed architect. Her 1955 Beirut Modern project transformed the city's downtown with solar-passive buildings like the Central Martyrs' Memorial, using local stone and windtower technologies. Her 1964 Green City Plan proposed integrating parks into urban layouts, influencing later developments in Dubai and Qatar.

Al-Khouri's 1970 Women's Housing Initiative created 1,200 affordable units with childcare centers and communal gardens, a model adopted across Gulf states. Her 1968 book Architecture of Light became a regional design classic, advocating for culturally sensitive modernism. Despite political upheavals, she completed the UNESCO headquarters in Beirut (1972) using earthquake-resistant techniques. Her legacy endures in the Al-Khouri Prize for Sustainable Design, awarded annually since 1990.