Since the late 1960s, the cities of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have experienced unprecedented development and accelerated construction. Viewed in the context of the specific environment and cultural fabric of this desert region in Arabia, the coming of modern architecture has been coupled with extensive cultivation projects implemented in an originally barren landscape. Simultaneously, the cities have also remained true to their heritage and recognized the importance of their vernacular architecture and, in a fascinating contrast to the rapid modernization, today there are also many reconstruction and heritage projects underway. Recognizing the need to examine this architectural antithesis, The Architecture of the United Arab Emirates includes contributions by architectural professionals and specialists who have witnessed this firsthand. Dr. Salma Samar Damluji has selected articles which fall into two sections: modern architecturewhich questions the form of new cities, the contri