Dr. Howayda Al-Harithy was among those honoured on Sunday, May 9th for their contributions to cultural and humanitarian excellence. She was presented the Mecca Award for Excellence in Humanitarian Work for her contributions to the study of Islamic architecture, her work on sustainable architectural development in the Kingdom, and her work on the Central Area Plan project in Medina, Saudi Arabia.
At the ceremony, which was held at the Jeddah Ritz Carlton, Dr. Al-Harithy and the other winners of the Mecca Award for Excellence were received by Prince Khalid Al-Faisal, the Governor of the Mecca Region, and other dignitaries.
Dr. Al-Harithy holds a PhD in History of Art & Architecture from Harvard University, and currently holds the position of Professor of Architecture at the American University of Beirut (AUB) in Lebanon. She has been teaching in the Department of Architecture & Design at AUB since 1994, served as Chair of the Department of Architecture & Design from 2003 to 2006 and from 2009 to 2012, and was a visiting professor at Harvard University in 1994, at MIT in 1993 and in 2000, and at Georgetown University in 2006. She was the first female Saudi engineer to specialize in Islamic architecture, and has participated in and led several pioneer projects in the region, including projects in both Makkah and Medina.
