Omani architect wins Mohamed Makiya Prize
Omani architect, Ali Jaffer al Lawati, has won the Mohamed Makiya Prize for Architecture 2020, which is also known as the Middle Eastern Architectural Personality of the Year Award from Tamayouz Excellence Award.
There were 11 other finalists from other parts of the world.
The award is given to individuals or organisations that have made significant contributions to the advancement of architecture in a specific period. The objective of the prize is to promote the advancement of architecture, at the same time celebrate contributions for the advancement of architecture in the Middle East and North Africa.
Ali Jaffer is a Uk-based architect and he has a unique trait that is celebrating traditional Omani architecture and bringing it into the spotlight through radio shows and later went on to present various aspects of architecture. His popular shows on Radio Oman are ‘Architecture of Oman’, ‘Sustainable architecture of Oman’, ‘Islamic Architecture’, ‘Building Stories’.
“It feels great to be the first Omani in the GCC to receive the Prize to win this International Award, which is growing in prominence each year. There is a lack of awards in architecture in the Middle East and what makes me proud is the title of the prize itself – the legend in Architecture Mohamed Makiya, who was deeply connected to Oman. He was here in Muscat in the early 80s and he had proposed many projects and developments for the city of Muscat, but it was not implemented. The last architectural work he executed was the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Muscat. So I am very proud to have an award under his name,” he said.
“From the early 70s, late
His Majesty Sultan Qaboos was investing in educating the citizens not only in primary and high school but also in higher education. I am now studying at Liverpool University in the United Kingdom, and this is where Mohamed Makiya also studied at the School of Architecture,” reflected Ali.
“Today Omani youth is represented at different platforms and what I am experiencing today is the result of what my government initiated. When I first began the radio it was very limited and the number of architects was few. But I was travelling personally to Bahrain, the Emirates, Jordan and Lebanon to meet architects and now I am in London and continue to meet architects. The show is expanding and we now have followers in the Middle East.
There is no other show on the same line. The opportunity of the award came because of the channel that was created between the architects and the public to share ideas as well as having a platform to exchange viewpoints on architecture between the Middle East and Europe,” he explained.