Press Releases April 1, 2025

Perkins&Will’s New Middle East Director Brings Research and Digital Innovation to Region

Yehia Madkour, former co-director of Perkins&Will’s global research program and firmwide leader of innovation, moves to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to support firm’s regional growth

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia—As part of its plan for continued growth in the Middle East, global architecture and design firm Perkins&Will has announced that Yehia Madkour is stepping into the newly created role of Middle East Director. Based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Madkour is responsible for engaging with potential clients, developing relationships that lead to new commissions, and ensuring the successful delivery of projects.

A Canadian who was born and raised in Cairo, Egypt, Madkour has personal, cultural, and linguistic ties to the region. He also has several years of experience working in Saudi Arabia, having led or contributed to some of Perkins&Will’s biggest projects there—including a 2.5-million-square-foot multimodal transportation hub in Makkah; three towers in the recently opened King Abdullah Financial District in Riyadh; and the entire Riyadh Bus Rapid Transit and Metro System, the world’s largest public transportation project, which opened in late 2024.

“I’m so pleased to be representing Perkins&Will in the Middle East, a part of the world I’m deeply connected to,” Madkour says. “In addition to my own portfolio here, Perkins&Will has a long legacy of winning and delivering important projects across the region—from schools and hospitals to universities and transit centers. I’m excited to carry that legacy forward, bringing my penchant for innovation to the fore to benefit our clients and their communities.”

Tapping Into a Region’s Potential

Madkour’s passion for transforming place through research-based design innovation is particularly aligned with the desires of the firm’s clients in Saudi Arabia. The Kingdom’s Vision 2030, a transformational roadmap for modernizing the country’s society, economy, and government, is creating abundant opportunities in sectors such as health and well-being, sustainability, smart city planning, and technology.

“There’s so much potential to do incredible things here. To show the world what’s possible when it comes to designing for the future—for people, culture, and the natural environment,” Madkour says.

Madkour will work closely with Jones Lindgren, a principal at Perkins&Will who, for nearly two decades, has led dozens of projects across the Middle East. Madkour will also collaborate with the firm’s EMEA director Jo Wright; design director Pat Bosch; and other leaders in the firm who have extensive experience in the region.

Riyadh Bus Rapid Transit and Metro

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Apropos Experience

Most recently, Madkour served as co-director of Perkins&Will’s global research practice, overseeing what the firm calls “areas of inquiry”: Human Experience, Circularity, Performance Optimization, Construction Innovation, and Physical-Digital Experiences. He personally championed the exploration of AI in the firm’s design process; robotic and digital solutions for building with wood; and sensor technology to enhance the livability of cities.

Prior to leading the firm’s research practice, Madkour spent seven years as Director of Innovation in Perkins&Will’s Vancouver studio, where he’d been based since joining the firm in 2010. In 2021, he was recognized with a “40 Under 40” Award from Building Design + Construction for his leadership in research and technology. He holds a Masters of Advanced Studies in Architecture from the University of British Columbia and is a registered architect in Canada.

“The synergies between Madkour’s professional accomplishments and the needs of our clients in the Middle East—Saudi Arabia in particular—are clear, and we believe he is the right leader to meet the moment,” says Phil Harrison, CEO of Perkins&Will. “His business savvy, design expertise, forward-thinking approach to innovation, and cultural connection to the region will help us build on our 50-plus-year legacy of enhancing people’s lives in the Middle East.”

Yehia Madkour presenting the role of research in our practice.

Yehia regularly presents to the role of research in shaping our practice.

Princess Nora Bint Abdulrahman University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia is one of Perkins&Will's most notable projects in the region.

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Perkins&Will, an interdisciplinary, research-based architecture and design firm, was founded in 1935 on the belief that design has the power to transform lives. The firm is committed to creating a better, beautiful, more equitable world through Living Design, an approach that integrates environmental, social, and design considerations to advance ecological health and well-being. Interior Design named Perkins&Will a “Sustainability Giant” in 2024; Architizer named it the world’s “Best Sustainable Firm” in 2023; and Metropolis named it “Firm of the Year” in 2022 for its industry leadership in advancing climate action and social justice. Fast Company named Perkins&Will one of the World’s Most Innovative Companies in Architecture three times, and in 2021, it added the firm to its list of Brands That Matter—making Perkins&Will the first architecture practice in the world to earn the distinction.

With an international team of more than 2,400 professionals, Perkins&Will has over 30 studios worldwide, providing integrated services in architecture, interior design, branded environments, urban design, and landscape architecture. Some of the firm’s most notable projects in the Middle East include Princess Nora Bint Abdulrahman University, King Saud Abdulaziz University, and three towers in the King Abdullah Financial District of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Perkins&Will’s partners include Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects; McLennan Design; Portland; Nelson\Nygaard; and Pierre-Yves Rochon (PYR). Perkins&Will is part of the Sidara Collaborative, a global network of leading designers, engineers, planners, and consultants. For more information, visit www.perkinswill.com.

Perkins&Will’s New Middle East Director Brings Research and Digital Innovation to Region

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