AHEAD MEA 2026 winners announced

The winners of AHEAD MEA 2026 have been revealed at Bluewaters Forum, Dubai.

Over 350 leading figures from the region’s hospitality design industry gathered to celebrate 10 years of AHEAD and see Four Seasons Resort & Residences Amaala at Triple Bay crowned Hotel of the Year.

The resulting MEA winners will now go on to compete against other regions, with worldwide champions set to be crowned at the next AHEAD Global edition.

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Bar, Club or Lounge

Saikindō at Four Seasons Hotel Abu Dhabi – Al Maryah Island, UAE
Mubadala / Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts / Cundall / AvroKO 

Event Spaces

Sofitel – Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
King Abdullah Humanitarian Foundation / Accor / Saudi Diyar Consultants 

Guestrooms

Four Seasons Resort & Residences Amaala at Triple Bay – Saudi Arabia 
Red Sea Global / Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts / U+A / Goddard Littlefair 

Hotel Conversion

Al Bait Al Sharqi – Muscat, Oman 
Al Hajar Mountains Hotels & Resorts / Jibal Al Hajar 

Hotel Newbuild

Four Seasons Resort & Residences Amaala at Triple Bay – Saudi Arabia 
Red Sea Global / Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts / U+A / Goddard Littlefair 

Hotel Renovation 

InterContinental Table Bay – Cape Town, South Africa 
V&A Waterfront / Sun International / InterContinental Hotels Group / LW Design Group 

Landscaping & Outdoor Spaces

&Beyond Suyian Lodge – Laikipia, Kenya 
andBeyond / Nicholas Plewman Architects & Associates / Michaelis Boyd Associates / Fox Browne Creative / Tufaha Africa 

Lobby

InterContinental Table Bay – Cape Town, South Africa 
V&A Waterfront / Sun International / InterContinental Hotels Group / LW Design Group 

Lodges, Cabins & Tented Camps

Gorilla Forest Lodge, an A&K Sanctuary – Bwindi National Park, Uganda 
Abercrombie & Kent / Luxury Frontiers 

Resort

Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab – Dubai, UAE
Dubai Holding / Jumeirah Group / Killa Design / HBA / LTW Designworks / AvroKO / Tristan Auer 

Restaurant

Tattu Restaurant & Bar at Ciel Dubai Marina, Vignette Collection by IHG – Dubai, UAE
The First Group / Permanently Unique Group / InterContinental Hotels Group / Studio WYZE 

Spa & Wellness

The Spa at Four Seasons Resort & Residences Red Sea at Shura Island – Hanak, Saudi Arabia
Red Sea Global / Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts / Foster + Partners / Meyer Davis / AvroKO / EDSA Landscape Architects 

Suite

InterContinental Table Bay – Cape Town, South Africa 
V&A Waterfront / Sun International / InterContinental Hotels Group / LW Design Group  

Sustainability

Sediba Sa Rona – Khwai, Botswana
Savanna Expeditions / Desert & Delta Safaris / Jack Alexander Studio / Maison & Sage / Dakota Design 

Branded Residences

W Penthouse at W Residences Palm Jumeirah – Dubai, UAE
Agon Developments / Marriott International / RMJM / Worldesignstudio 

New Concept

Envi Lodges – Dubai, UAE
Chris Nader / Noelle Homsy 

Hotel of the Year

Four Seasons Resort & Residences Amaala at Triple Bay – Saudi Arabia 
Red Sea Global / Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts / U+A / Goddard Littlefair