Transform Spaces. Inspire Minds.

Total prize

50,000 €

+ realisation

Sculpt the Story.

Sculpt the Nation.

Saudi Arabia is undergoing a profound national transformation—one that is redefining its cities, landscapes, and cultural identity. Guided by Vision 2030, the Kingdom is advancing toward a diversified future shaped by creativity, innovation, and sustainable development. Through strategic investments in culture, tourism, infrastructure, and public space, Saudi Arabia is strengthening its position as a global platform for artistic and architectural expression while remaining deeply rooted in its heritage.

Across the Eastern Province, this transformation is particularly evident. Strategic transportation corridors, evolving urban districts, and revitalized waterfronts are reshaping how people move, gather, and experience the built environment. These spaces are increasingly seen not only as functional infrastructure, but as cultural environments—places where architecture, art, and identity intersect.

Learn more about Saudi culture and heritage through these resources

www.moc.gov.sa www.visitsaudi.com/en heritage.moc.gov.sa darah.gov.sa sgs.gov.sa www.vision2030.gov.sa ncw.gov.sa/magazine/en foundingday.sa

The Mujassam Watan Urban Sculpture Challenge returns this year for its eighth edition, organized by the Mujassam Watan Initiative (an initiative by Al Fozan Social Foundation) in partnership with Buildner, continuing its mission of enriching Saudi Arabia’s public realm through architectural sculpture.

Since its launch in 2018, this prestigious competition has welcomed creative minds from around the world to design sculptures that reflect Saudi Arabia’s culture, heritage, and aspirations. These works of art are envisioned as meaningful additions to the urban landscape, enhancing public spaces and celebrating the Kingdom’s identity.

The 8th Competition Edition.

Two Sites.

Two Paths to Inspire.

This year’s theme, “The Inspiration Around You,” challenges participants to reflect on their environment and create sculptures that embody Saudi Arabia’s unique story. Designers will choose from two distinct sites.

Site 1

Salwa Road

A major strategic highway connecting Saudi Arabia with the State of Qatar and serving as a key southern gateway to the Dammam Metropolitan Area. Extending from Khobar and Dhahran toward the Salwa Border Crossing, the road plays a vital role in regional connectivity, trade, and logistics. This highly visible setting calls for a bold architectural sculpture that can be perceived at speed—an iconic landmark expressing movement, exchange, progress, and cross-border connection.

Site 2

Tharwa Sea Front

Located in the Tharwa District of Al-Khobar, presents a contrasting urban condition. Positioned between Dammam and Al-Khobar and overlooking the Arabian Gulf, the site forms part of a contemporary waterfront defined by walkability, public life, and visual openness. Architectural sculptures here are expected to engage closely with people and place—enhancing the Corniche experience through interaction, spatial sensitivity, and integration with the coastal environment.

The Mujassam Watan Urban Sculpture Challenge invites architects and artists to shape Saudi Arabia’s evolving public spaces through designs that reflect both its rich heritage and dynamic future. Whether responding to the strategic Salwa Road, a key regional gateway, or the vibrant Tharwa Sea Front in Al-Khobar, participants have the opportunity to create architectural sculptures that inspire, connect, and leave a lasting impact. Join the 8th edition of the competition and contribute to the Kingdom’s cultural landscape through creativity and innovation.

Join. Create. Inspire.

The Legacy of Winning Designs.

Below is the list of winners from the previous seven editions of the competition.

Brief

The competition rules summary is available for download at any time in the following languages: English, Italian, French, Spanish, and Arabic. It also includes photos, videos, and site CAD files.

FULL COMPETITION BRIEF [ENG][IT][FR][ES][AR]

SITE CAD & PHOTO & VIDEO

Download brief

Jury

The jury panel for the Mujassam Watan Urban Sculpture Challenge #8 Architecture Competition has not yet been published. Buildner is committed to selecting the most qualified industry professionals to comprise its jury panels. These panels include architects and experts from related fields to ensure fair and objective evaluation of all entries. All communication regarding the competition should be directed exclusively to Buildner staff. Explore some of the names featured in previous Buildner competition jury panels:

Norman Foster

Norman Foster Foundation

Spain

Philippe Starck

Creator

France

Farshid Moussavi

Farshid Moussavi Architecture (FMA)

United Kingdom

Alison Brooks

Alison Brooks Architects

Lyndon Neri

Neri&Hu Design and Research Office

China

Amanda Levete

Founder, AL_A

Francine Houben

Founding Partner, Mecanoo

Netherlands

Ben Van Berkel

Founder and Principle, UNStudio

Netherlands

Amale Andraos

Co-Founder, WORKac; Columbia GSAPP

United States

Lucy Tilley

Adjaye Associates

Fernanda Canales

Mexico

Ece Calguner Erzan

Interiors Principal, SOM

USA

David Basulto

Founder, ArchDaily

Germany

Will Plowman

Partner at Foster + Partners

UAE

Patrik Schumacher

Director of Zaha Hadid Architects

Manuela Gatto

Director, Zaha Hadid Architects

Melodie Leung

Director, Zaha Hadid Architects

Elizabeth Whittaker

Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design, Merge

United States

Michelle Kaufmann

Google and Michelle Kaufmann Studio

United States

Hilary Sample

GSAPP and MOS

United States

Meryati Blackwell

Marlon Blackwell Architects

United States

Peter Gluck

GLUCK+

United States

Paulo Flores

Director, Zaha Hadid Architects

Charles Walker

Director of Zaha Hadid Architects

Steven Rainville

Olson Kundig

United States

Roberto Bannura

Steven Holl Architects - SHA

China

Andrew Whalley

Grimshaw

United Kingdom

Eli Synnevåg

Snøhetta

Norway

Jette Hopp

Director, Snøhetta

Norway

Julia Murphy

Managing Partner at SOM

USA

Stefan de Koning

Partner at MVRDV

Netherlands

Doriana Fuksas

Studio Fuksas

Italy

Winy Maas

Founder, MVRDV

Netherlands

Flora Lee

Associate Partner, MAD Architects

USA

Martin Voelkle

Partner at BIG - Bjarke Ingels Group

USA

Thomas Christoffersen

BIG - Bjarke Ingels Group

Denmark

Carlo Ratti

Director, MIT Senseable City Lab

USA

Micael Calatrava

Calatrava Grace and Calatrava International

UAE

Christina Seilern

Studio Seilern Architects

Bertrand Schippan

Partner, MVRDV

Netherlands

Beatriz Colomina

Director of Graduate Studies, PhD Program, School of Architecture, Princeton University

United States

Anupama Kundoo

Architect and Professor at TU Berlin

Germany

Moshe Safdie

Safdie Architects

USA

Silvana Ordinas

Founder and Partner, Peter Pichler Architecture

Italy

Vishaan Chakrabarti

Practice for architecture and urbanism: PAU

USA

Deborah Berke

TenBerke Architects

USA

Julien De Smedt

JDS Architects

Denmark

Michael Meredith

Princeton University, MOS

USA

Christele Harrouk

Editor in Chief, ArchDaily

Lebanon

559 jury members

Prizes

Total Prize Fund

50,000 €

Two sites. Two sets of winners.

The total prize fund for the Mujassam Watan Urban Sculpture Challenge is 50,000 €, which will be divided equally between the two competition sites. Each site will award a total of 25,000 € to its winning proposals, distributed as follows:

1ST PLACE

12,000 €

Prize for each site’s winner

2ND PLACE

8,000 €

Prize for each site’s winner

3RD PLACE

5,000 €

Prize for each site’s winner

Publicity campaign

Buildner's publicity campaign offers extensive exposure to the architectural community, ensuring that the results of the competition are seen by a vast audience:

Buildner's two million

The results are published on buildner.com, a leading website in the architecture industry, attracting over one million unique visitors annually. Additionally, the campaign extends to Buildner's social networks, which boast over 800,000 followers combined, and through newsletter campaigns reaching over 200,000 subscribers.

Interview and movie

Winners will have the opportunity to submit a movie and an interview, boosting their recognizability and helping to build their name in the industry.

Extensive media network

Buildner leverages an extensive network of media industry leaders to publish the competition results. This broadens the audience further, ensuring that participants' work is showcased across multiple platforms known for their influence and reach in the architecture and design sectors.

Publicity

ArchDaily feature

As part of the collaboration between Buildner and ArchDaily, the competition winners will be showcased on ArchDaily, a leading architecture news platform.

This feature will greatly boost the winners' visibility to millions of architecture professionals and enthusiasts worldwide, increasing their chances for new opportunities, attracting new clients, and establishing their reputation in the industry.

Eligibility

This international competition is open to architects, artists, and creatives from all backgrounds. Whether you are an emerging talent, an established professional, or exploring a bold new idea, the Mujassam Watan Urban Sculpture Challenge welcomes your vision. All submissions must be completed in English to ensure fair evaluation.

Key dates

Send reminders

Closing date for registration

23 July 2026

Competition Q&A deadline

28 July 2026

In order to guarantee equal opportunities to all competition participants.

No new questions will be answered after this deadline.

Closing date for project submission

27 August 2026

23:59 (LONDON TIME)

Announcement of the winners

1 October 2026

Competition Q&A deadline

28 July 2026

In order to guarantee equal opportunities to all competition participants.

No new questions will be answered after this deadline.

Registration fees

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Architect / Enthusiast / Company

Student

I will pay in

Single payment

in 3 monthly installments

EARLY BIRD

22 Feb - 01 Apr

85 €
This registration provides a complete set of prizes, including certificates of achievement, monetary rewards, and potential construction benefits.

ADVANCED

02 Apr - 28 May

105 €
This registration provides a complete set of prizes, including certificates of achievement, monetary rewards, and potential construction benefits.

LAST MINUTE

29 May - 23 Jul

135 €
This registration provides a complete set of prizes, including certificates of achievement, monetary rewards, and potential construction benefits.

EARLY BIRD

22 Feb - 01 Apr

85 €
This registration provides a complete set of prizes, including certificates of achievement, monetary rewards, and potential construction benefits.

ADVANCED

02 Apr - 28 May

105 €
This registration provides a complete set of prizes, including certificates of achievement, monetary rewards, and potential construction benefits.

LAST MINUTE

29 May - 23 Jul

135 €
This registration provides a complete set of prizes, including certificates of achievement, monetary rewards, and potential construction benefits.

EARLY BIRD

22 Feb - 01 Apr

85 €
This registration provides a complete set of prizes, including certificates of achievement, monetary rewards, and potential construction benefits.

ADVANCED

02 Apr - 28 May

105 €
This registration provides a complete set of prizes, including certificates of achievement, monetary rewards, and potential construction benefits.

LAST MINUTE

29 May - 23 Jul

135 €
This registration provides a complete set of prizes, including certificates of achievement, monetary rewards, and potential construction benefits.

+4.5% VAT

STUDENT REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS

Contact us to receive special student rates for group registrations (discount applies for 3+ registrations from one university/school) and to receive further information and support for getting your students involved in architecture competitions. Send us request from your university email address along with basic information about yourself and your university/school. Please note that only recognized university staff can apply for the reduced student rate.

FAQ

General questions

How to participate in the competition?

To register, simply click on "Register Now," fill out all necessary fields, select your preferred payment method, and submit your details. You will be redirected to PayPal or a card payment gateway to settle the competition fee. Upon confirmation of your payment, we will send you an email containing your Unique Identification Code (UIC). You must then log in to your Buildner account using your architecture.info credentials and validate your UIC to complete the process. Learn more here - https://architecturecompetitions.com/how-to-enter-a-competition

How to add/remove/edit team member information?

You can add/remove/edit team member information as often as you want in the upload panel, up until the submission deadline. Learn more here - https://architecturecompetitions.com/how-to-add-team-members-after-april-2023

Will the licensed architect teams have priority in the evaluation process?

No. Competition entries are evaluated anonymously. The participant registration type is only revealed upon the announcement of the results.

I am experiencing problems with registration payment processing.

Please contact us – [email protected] and we will address the problem directly.

Can I submit a previously published project?

The short answer is yes, you may submit a previously published design concept as long as you are the author. Before re-submitting your project, please carefully read the following clarification points listed here - architecturecompetitions.com/resubmit-your-design

Does Buildner have a policy regarding the use of AI-generated images in submissions?

As AI-generated images may be based on pre-existing work or generated using proprietary algorithms, it is best to check the specific terms and conditions of the AI tool used to generate the image to determine its ownership status. It may also be necessary to seek legal advice to fully understand the ownership rights and any restrictions that may apply. In general, it is not recommended to consider AI-generated images as your sole work or intellectual property unless you have obtained explicit permission to do so.

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