French Architecture Tour 2025 in UAE: Building Bridges Between Cultures and Cities

United Arab Emirates, October 10th, 2025: 15 leading French firms in architecture, engineering, and landscaping brought together to explore opportunities and share expertise during “The French Architecture Tour 2025” between 8 and 9 October 2025.  Organized by Business France in partnership with AFEX (French Architects for Export), the mission underscores France’s commitment to collaborating with the UAE on sustainable urban growth, advanced connectivity, and improved quality of life. 

“This tour reflects our shared commitment to advancing sustainable, inclusive, and resilient urban environments,” said H.E. Nicolas Niemtchinow, the French Ambassador to the UAE, during the inaugural ceremony the first day at La Résidence de France in Abu Dhabi. “French companies are not only bringing world-class expertise, they are also coming with a genuine desire to explore opportunities and actively take part in building this country. Their contributions are perfectly aligned with the UAE’s long-term vision for smart and sustainable cities.”

UAE’s growing urban and construction market

With the UAE construction sector set for 22% growth to USD 130 billion by 2029, current priorities, affordable, well-connected housing; low-carbon, smart urbanism; and multimodal mobility, are accelerating demand for integrated, mixed-use developments. With Abu Dhabi leading the way, the emirate is adding cultural and luxury icons like Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, the world’s largest Guggenheim museum, and Ramhan Island, a $3.5 billion waterfront community. Dubai pushes innovation with The Loop, a 93 km climate-controlled walkway promoting car-free mobility, and the AI-Driven Urban Tech District at Al Jaddaf Creekside, a global hub for smart city technologies. Sharjah focuses on sustainability with Aljada, a vast mixed-use district for 75,000 residents, and Sharjah Sustainable City, an eco-friendly smart community.

Beyond growth in numbers, the market is accelerating in innovation, with fierce competition among developers and new project creators. Now is the right time for French expertise to bring exceptional design and sustainable solutions that create highly marketable residences and iconic buildings, strengthening the country’s attractiveness.

French Excellence Aligned with UAE Ambitions

This year’s delegation, brought together in partnership with AFEX, is bringing expertise and solutions that directly address UAE’s priorities. With 120 architectural firms as part of its network, AFEX is dedicated to promoting French expertise abroad and building bridges with international partners.
With AFEX’s network of 120 firms, the delegation brings a full value chain, from concept to delivery, covering sustainable architecture, urban planning, complex refurbishments, mobility interfaces, and industrial innovations (formwork, façades, acoustic systems, and bespoke lighting). “AFEX is proud to support this mission,” said Madeleine Houbart, Secretary General of AFEX. “Our members are committed to human-centric cities that meet tomorrow’s challenges with creativity and technical excellence.”

Among the delegation are leading architectural studios such as PCA-Stream, renowned for projects from interiors to major urban schemes and its study to reimagine the Champs-Élysées; Etienne Tricaud Architecture, known for culturally rooted urban design and large-scale planning; AW², an award-winning multidisciplinary studio behind landmark projects like the Banyan Tree AlUla in Saudi Arabia; Terrell, a multidisciplinary engineering consultancy that has contributed to Villa Hegra in AlUla and the Hatta Summit in Dubai; and Architecturestudio, whose portfolio includes the Amman Rotana Hotel, the National Theatre of Bahrain, and a mixed-use tower in Beirut. Alongside them, other distinguished firms demonstrate the depth of French innovation: AIA Life Designers, Atelier Joan Gaudin, Axel Schoenert Architectes, Franklin Azzi Architecture, PPX Architects, and Ubique Groupe bring expertise in sustainable architecture, urban planning, and complex rehabilitations, while AC&T Paysages & Territoires extends the tradition of French landscape design to international projects. Completing the delegation, Alphi and Echame provide cutting-edge industrial solutions ranging from formwork and shoring systems to acoustic partitions, cladding, and last FlexLedLight delivering bespoke architectural lighting through their trusted partner in UAE, Option 1 World.

Together, these companies represent the full value chain of the built environment, from concept to delivery, showcasing the best of French design, engineering, and industrial solutions.

Two Days of Engagement in UAE

During this mission, the French companies took part part in curated cultural and technical visits across Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah, exploring a dialogue between heritage and future, with the iconic Louvre Abu Dhabi and the American University of Sharjah (AUS), with its architecture inspired by local traditions to the iconic Zaabeel one, a masterpiece of engineering. The program also featured targeted networking sessions and panel discussions, offering an in-depth look at the UAE construction market’s priorities and specific needs. French companies will engage with local stakeholders, master developers like Miral, Azizi Developpment and Khansaheb Group and public authorities like Sharjah Investement and Development Authority Shorooq, to identify collaboration opportunities and tailor their expertise to the Emirati context. 

By bringing together French creativity, engineering excellence, and industrial innovation with the UAE’s forward-looking urban agenda, the French Architecture Tour 2025 aims to catalyze new partnerships in building the cities of tomorrow.