Landscape Middle East - January 2026

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This issue of Landscape Middle East focuses on how landscapes function, endure, and are managed over time. Across the region, landscape is increasingly assessed through measurable outcomes: water use, shade, plant survival, operational cost, and long-term maintenance. Design intent alone is no longer enough. Several features in this issue reflect that shift. In Dubai, the planting of 20,000 trees across parks, neighbourhoods, and schools marks 20 years of leadership under His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, while reinforcing the role of urban greening as working infrastructure rather than decoration. New residential communities show how solar integration, climate-appropriate planting, and walkable green space are becoming baseline expectations. We also examine how education and practice are changing. From early design education that builds spatial literacy to data-led systems that allow landscapes to be irrigated and maintained with greater precision, the industry is moving toward accountability. Technologies such as digital irrigation control and soil enhancement are increasingly judged by verified performance, not claims. Projects from Turkey and the wider region underline the importance of integration between structure and landscape, interior and exterior, and built form and climate, particularly when working with existing sites. Together, these stories point to a more mature landscape sector, one focused less on novelty and more on outcomes. As cities shift from expansion to optimisation, landscape will continue to play a quiet but essential role in how places function day to day.