Can Zena Malek Give Arab Cities An Identity?

Recognized as one of the world's most influential female Arabs, architect Zena Malek has emerged as the most outspoken critic of how cities are being built in the Arab world.

1 minute read

September 7, 2006, 7:00 AM PDT

By Chris Steins @planetizen


Architect Zena Malek's "loudly-expressed conviction that developers need to think about 'concepts' in cities is starting to pay dividends."

"...Considering this region has some of the world’s fastest growing economies, now is the time to make the most of new opportunities. But nobody, absolutely nobody, is doing that, she argues."

"...'People all around the Arab world just assume that it is very expensive to do a concept. But then many people just have lazy minds. Some of them try to pretend they are leaders when they are not. When I go and sit in a building in Dubai Marina it feels exactly the same as sitting in a building in Diera. There is no new experience for me. Let us not pretend these are new concepts. All of our Arabic cities just have no identity,' she sighs."

...Another of Malek's projects is the creation of a piece of software, which looks set to revolutionise the mass-production and design of buildings as well as the way architects interact with their clients.

The programme, known as Sakani software, enables different configurations of houses, buildings, restaurants and facilities to be built through mass production methods. This means an entire housing development can be designed with each unit receiving an individual configuration."

Thanks to Arch News Now

Tuesday, September 5, 2006 in Arabian Business

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 2, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

White and purple sign for Slow Street in San Francisco, California with people crossing crosswalk.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths

Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

July 1, 2025 - KQED

Google street view image of strip mall in suburban Duncanville, Texas.

Adaptive Reuse Will Create Housing in a Suburban Texas Strip Mall

A developer is reimagining a strip mall property as a mixed-use complex with housing and retail.

5 hours ago - Parking Reform Network

Blue tarps covering tents set up by unhoused people along chain link fence on concrete sidewalk.

Study: Anti-Homelessness Laws Don’t Work

Research shows that punitive measures that criminalized unhoused people don’t help reduce homelessness.

7 hours ago - Next City

Aerial tram moving along cable in hilly area in Medellin, Colombia.

In U.S., Urban Gondolas Face Uphill Battle

Cities in Latin America and Europe have embraced aerial transitways — AKA gondolas — as sustainable, convenient urban transport, especially in tricky geographies. American cities have yet to catch up.

July 6 - InTransition Magazine