Dr Suad Amiry, Founder and Director of the Riwaq Centre for Architectural Conservation, received the 2025 Great Arab Minds Award in the Architecture and Design category in recognition of her pioneering efforts to safeguard and revitalise Palestinian architectural heritage while preserving its historical roots.

 Dr Amiry has devoted her career to documenting, restoring and adapting historic buildings to serve local communities and reinforce architectural identity.

She has led one of the largest architectural documentation initiatives in Palestine,creating a comprehensive register of more than 50,000 historic structures.Her work has revitalised over 50 historic centres, engaging local craftsmen in restoration efforts using traditional materials and techniques.

 Her work bridges academic research and field practice. She goes beyond conserving physical structures to preserve cultural and architectural memory through studies, publications and maps documenting the unique features of Palestinian homes, from tiles and decorative motifs to precise architectural plans.

An internationally recognised cultural and architectural voice, Dr Amiry has taught at Birzeit University and published several books on Palestinian architecture,alongside literary works that have been translated into more than 20 languages.

She studied architecture at the American University of Beirut, earned her master’s degree from the University of Michigan and completed her doctorate at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. Building on this strong academic foundation, she has led this comprehensive project spanning more than three decades. For Dr Amiry, receiving the Award represented a renewed commitment to preserving Palestinian architecture as a bridge connecting history, identity and the future.