The Middle East isn't just famous for the biggest falafel in the world; it’s recently broken the surface as an an architectural playground too! Even if it’s not producing new Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Middle East is certainly teeming with modern miracles and rocky riches.
Although Arab countries are steeped in a deep and stony history, which is plainly visible to the visitor of its abundant historical monuments and landmarks from the Baalbak to the Jerash ruin, the rapid-developing countries, especially those of the Gulf, have moved away from the old and embraced a cutting edge modern architecture to boast.
The past decade has seen a dramatic change in the way sandy spaces were transformed in the region. From desert dunes to concrete jungle, Dubai hugs the number one spot in the ME – and world too in some instances - when it comes to towering with unique and hefty building designs.
Modern aesthetic ideals have played a huge role in urban planning, in addition to fierce competition between talented architects to create what they see as a utopian city, often translating into a Dubai Disneyland.
As time goes by, creative architectural concepts are churned out on a daily basis for new-age designs - some still up in the air, literally, waiting for execution. At this staggering rate of crafty construction, who knows what the ME will look like in another decade?
Here's a glimpse of our favorite modern architectural wonders around the Middle East. From the phallic to the plain phenomenal, some of the most enterprising edifices to deck the deserts.
