Lina Al-Atiyyat

Saudi Arabian architect leading sustainable urban development in Middle Eastern megacities

Lina Al-Atiyyat is the visionary behind Riyadh's 2030 Green Vision, transforming the Saudi capital into a carbon-neutral city through her firm Al-Mustaqbal Architects. Her 2021 project Al-Faisaliah Eco-Spire (see here) became the first skyscraper in the region to use desert sand-based concrete, reducing CO2 emissions by 40%. In 2023, her Wadi Al-Rawdah Smart District integrated solar grids with ancient falaj irrigation systems, winning the Aga Khan Award for Architecture. Al-Atiyyat's 2024 book Desert to Decarbonization (preview) has become required reading at MIT's urban studies program. Her work influenced UAE's 2025 National Urban Policy, mandating green building codes. Recently appointed to the UN-Habitat Global Council, she's pioneering Qatar's 2030 Heritage Hub to blend traditional architecture with smart city tech ahead of the 2030 World Expo.