AT iF DESIGN AWARD 2026
Recognition acknowledges the Pavilion’s interior architecture and visitor experience within the category Trade Fairs and Temporary Exhibitions
Abu Dhabi / Tokyo, April 30, 2026: The United Arab Emirates Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka has been awarded Gold at the iF Design Award 2026 in the category Interior Architecture – Trade Fairs / Temporary Exhibitions, placing it among a select group of globally recognised design achievements.
Selected from more than 11,000 submissions worldwide, only a small number of entries receive the Gold distinction, reflecting a high level of international recognition for design quality, concept strength, and execution.
Conceived under the theme Earth to Ether, the UAE Pavilion presented progress as a continuous human journey, connecting heritage, community and knowledge with scientific exploration and future ambition. Architecture, landscape, and guest experience were brought together as a unified spatial experience, guiding visitors on a journey shaped by material, light, and storytelling.
His Excellency Shihab Alfaheem, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United Arab Emirates to Japan and Commissioner General of the UAE Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, said: “This recognition reflects the strength of the Pavilion’s design approach and the collaboration that shaped it. The Pavilion brought together partners across disciplines and geographies to create a space where architecture, material and guest experience could come together with purpose. It is encouraging to see this work recognised in a way that acknowledges both the design intent and the experience it created for visitors. We are proud to have taken five million visitors on a splendid journey to the UAE’s past and future through this pavilion.”
At the centre of the Pavilion’s architectural expression were ninety palm rachis columns, rising up to sixteen metres and forming a shaded canopy that created a calm, gathering environment within the Expo site. Materials rooted in traditional practices were reinterpreted through contemporary construction, developed in collaboration with Japanese craftsmanship, reflecting a dialogue between cultural knowledge and technical precision.
The Pavilion’s design approach did not separate heritage from innovation, but positioned them as part of a continuous relationship, where cultural memory informs research, and responsibility to people and nature guides development.
The iF Design Award, presented annually by iF International Forum Design GmbH in Hanover, Germany, is among the world’s longest-standing and most recognised design awards. Established in 1954, it has evolved into a global benchmark for design quality across multiple disciplines, recognising projects that demonstrate clarity of concept, innovation and relevance.
During Expo 2025 Osaka, the UAE Pavilion welcomed more than five million combined visitors, making it the most visited national pavilion at the event. Visitors experienced a journey that moved from shaded gathering spaces into immersive storytelling environments, presenting the UAE’s people, ideas and future ambitions through a multi-sensory experience shaped by architecture and narrative.
This recognition adds to a series of international awards received by the Pavilion. It was previously named among the top three national pavilions for Architecture and Landscape by the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), and received the World Expo Award for Best Staff, an Honourable Mention for Best Sustainable Design, and Bronze at the World Expolympics for Best Large Pavilion. It was also recognised at the DFA Design for Asia Awards and the German Design Award.
About UAE Expo Office
The UAE Expo Office serves as a national platform for convening people, ideas, and innovations in the service of global progress. Incubated by the Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation and operating under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Office leads the UAE’s strategic participation at international expositions — most recently Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai.
The UAE Expo Office was created with a clear purpose: to bring together people and innovations to address humanity’s challenges. Guided by the values of optimism, openness, ambition, and resilience, the Office delivers magnetic and meaningful experiences that inspire action and foster collaboration across cultures, sectors, and generations.
Through curated programming and strategic partnerships, the UAE Expo Office designs environments that accelerate progress — connecting global audiences and catalysing solutions in education, healthcare, sustainable technologies, and space exploration. In doing so, it contributes mindfully to the overarching goals of each Expo, while generating distinctive value for the UAE through content, ideas, and initiatives that may not otherwise have emerged.
At Expo 2025 Osaka, the UAE Expo Office aimed to bring joy, curiosity, and collaboration to every visitor encounter. Its work is anchored in the UAE’s vision for inclusive global development, and its programming will empower new thinking, shared purpose, and collective progress— from the Earth to the Ether.
For more information, please visit the UAE Pavilion website: https://uaepavilionexpo.com/
You can also follow the pavilion on our social media channels:
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YouTube: @uaeatexpo
TikTok: @uaeatexpo2025
Facebook: @uaeatexpo
For media enquiries, please contact: media@uaepavilionexpo.com
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