Timeline

General Organization for Social Insurance (GOSI) Headquarters - King Abdulaziz Road, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Photo © Omrania

Omrania is founded by Basem Shihabi and Nabil Fanous as an architecture-engineering consultancy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in 1973, after winning the design competition for the GOSI Headquarters building. The young firm is motivated by the notion that architecture and engineering together can improve the built environment and respond to context, both functionally and aesthetically.

Omrania designed and supervised construction of first projects:

• General Organization for Social Insurance (GOSI) Headquarters
• Khashoggi Office Building
• Riyadh’s Chamber Of Commerce Headquarters

Tuwaiq Palace - Diplomatic Quarter, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Photo © Peter Bogaczewicz / Omrania

Omrania opens an office in London, UK, in 1980, expanding its operations abroad. The firm demonstrates a unique and award-winning approach to contextual design with the completion of Tuwaiq Palace and the Radwa 4 Residential Area, which evoke historical architectural typologies from a modern perspective.

Omrania worked on major projects, like:

• Tuwaiq Palace
• King Faisal School
• Radwa 4 Residential Area
• National Guard Township
• GOSI Housing & Commercial Center – Siteen Street
• Internal Landscaping of the Diplomatic Quarters

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Headquarters - Diplomatic Quarter, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Photo © Arriyadh Development Authority

Omrania’s continued success in the design of corporate headquarters and other major projects reflects the firm’s client-oriented, results-driven approach, while at the same providing opportunities to explore the application of modern forms and building techniques within a culturally specific milieu.

Omrania took on projects like:

• Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Headquarters
• General Organization for Social Insurance (GOSI) Headquarters’ Extension
• Saudi Hollandi Bank – Diplomatic Quarters
• The Arab Investment Company (TAIC) Headquarters
• Saudi Arabian Standards Organization (SASO) Complex

NCCI Headquarters - King Fahd Road, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Photo © Omrania

Recognized as the premier architecture and engineering firm in Saudi Arabia, Omrania differentiates each building according to the needs of its clients, proving that design can balance tangible and intangible needs. Tower projects such as NCCI contribute to the civic identity of a rapidly growing Riyadh.

Omrania worked on:

– NCCI Headquarters
– Saudi Hollandi Bank Headquarters
– Saudi Hotel And Resorts Areas Company (SHARACO) Headquarters
– Future Homes – Diplomatic Quarters

Kingdom Center - King Fahd Road, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Photo © Kingdom Holding Company

Omrania opens an office in Amman, Jordan, in 1995. The completion of the iconic Kingdom Center tower transforms the skyline of Riyadh, while the shopping center (Kingdom Mall) at its base creates a new paradigm for retail environments in Saudi Arabia. Additional prestigious and mixed-use projects, including embassies, hospitals, and education facilities, signal Omrania’s continued evolution and growth.

Omrania completed signature projects like:

• Kingdom Center
• Saudi Agricultural Bank Headquarters
• Riyadh’s Chamber Of Commerce Extension
• National Commercial Bank – Malaz Branch
• Four Seasons Hotel
• King Abdulaziz Library & Auditorium – Historical Center
• Embassy of the People’s Republic of China
• Austrian Embassy
• Kingdom Hospital
• Saudi Center for Organ Transplantation
• Kingdom Schools
• Kingdom Compound
• Kingdom Mall
• Al-Ajlan Shopping Arcade

Salam Park - King Fahd Road, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Photo © Arriyadh Development Authority

Omrania embarks upon a series of civic-minded projects to improve public space, including Salam Park and various urban planning projects. The multi-disciplinary diversification of the firm continues with projects for athletic facilities, offices, retail spaces, and public landscapes.

Omrania worked on diverse projects, such as:

• Salam Park
• Prince Mohammed Bin Abdulaziz Street (Tahlia)
• Prince Sultan University Promenade
• International Energy Forum Secretariat
• Qatar National Olympic Swimming Pools
• Samba Offices – Kingdom Center
• Rotana Offices – Kingdom Center
• Al-Shubaily Grand Mall

Royal Embassy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia - Abdoun, Amman, Jordan. Photo © Nabil Qutteineh / Omrania

Omrania opens an office in Manama, Bahrain, in 2005. Increasingly the firm’s work reflects the close relationship between urban planning and architecture, exemplified in the Riyadh Building Regulations completed concurrently with numerous individual design projects in the commercial, university, governmental, and hospitality sectors.

Omrania worked on contemporary projects like:

• GOSI Office Park
• Abu Dhabi Retirement Pensions & Benefits Fund Headquarters
• Waha Office Building
• Oval Business Center
• Saudi Investment Bank – South Wing
• Nakheel Headquarters – Dubai
• Salam Resort – Bahrain
• Royal Embassy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
• Taiba University
• Riyadh Building Regulations
• United Bank of Switzerland – Riyadh

Capital Market Authority (CMA) Headquarters - King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Photo © Peter Bogaczewicz / Omrania

The firm’s tallest tower yet, the 80-story CMA headquarters in Riyadh, is also its most technologically advanced and environmentally sustainable, packed with high-performance features adjusted to the context. Numerous projects such as the Hilton Riyadh showcase Omrania’s expertise in maximizing client value and building performance and efficiency, while others, like Prince Sattam Park, epitomize long-term resiliency. Innovation and sustainability are combined in the firm’s latest office projects such as SEC Headquarters. With an eye toward the common good, Omrania designed a multi-modal Metro station with integral public and market spaces, as well as numerous housing and education projects.

Omrania now works on vital projects like:

• Capital Market Authority Headquarters
• Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) Headquarters
• Hilton Riyadh Hotel & Residence
• Radisson Blu Hotel & Residence – DQ
• Hotels Complex in Madinah
• Wyndham Grand Riyadh
• Arriyadh Metro Western Station
• Grand Mosque – KAFD
• Ministry of Water and Electricity Exhibition Centre
• Al Ghad University
• Ministry of Housing Projects
• SUKNA – Modon Living Community
• Prince Sattam Park
• King Abdullah International Gardens
• Deloitte & Touche Head Office