Located 70 kilometers from Al-Hofuf in the Al-Ahsa region, Al Uqair Port is a testimony to the historical importance of the area as a gateway to the Al-Ahsa region from the Arabian Gulf. Al Uqair’s port was among the earliest and most important in the Arabian Gulf, as early as 5,500, BCE. In this historical area are the remains of a large fort that now marks the site of the same name. The importance of Al-Uqair is testified by the fact that when the Kingdom was established, Uqair was its economic gateway for the transport of goods and the main port through which accessing the east and the center of the country. Starting from the port of Al-Uqair, loads of various merchandise coming from Iran, Iraq, Yemen, and Oman such as coffee, cardamom, spices, clothing, perfume, incense, and sandalwood reached Al-Ahsa and the center of the Kingdom. Since the site is located in a historical area, an in-depth analysis of conservation was made on the heritage sites which included: the Fort, Emirate building, Mosque, Customs building, Khan building, and the Khan courtyard.

Our concept intervention is based on 4 elements which includes Focus, Connection, Pureness, and Loop. The site is located at the counter of two different ecosystems the land and the sea, and the building works as a magnifier of existing natural conditions. A loop was designed to surround the existing heritage buildings which will become a community and cultural center and to connect all programmatic functions together. The loop is a design gesture to highlight the inter connectivity of the land and sea economically, socially and politically. The building will include diverse programs to activate the area on a larger scale, these programs include the lost cities immersive experience, history hub, an environmental centre, a maritime museum, multipurpose adaptive space, boutique hotel, visitor centre, and an archaeology centre. The journey of the loop is a holistic experience which connects the outdoors and indoors to create a community for all.