YU -AlKhobar

Dr. Dalia Abdel Fattah

Vice Dean of College of Engineering / Assistant Professor of Architecture

Biography

Dr. Dalia Abdelfattah is an architect and researcher in urban affairs. Dalia is an Assistant Professor and a researcher in UN-HABITAT Programme of Planners for Climate Action. Currently, working as the Vice Dean – College of Engineering – Al Yamamah University. She held the position of the Head of the architecture for the past four years. In 2018, she obtained her PhD from Cairo University, Egypt. MSc in Architecture, awarded in 2011. Her area of interest is Architecture and urban design in Middle East and Northern Africa Region (MENA) and GCC with special focus on Architecture conservation, adaptation of multi-disciplinary approaches. She has a number of scientific studies published in international journals and conference proceedings.

Before joining Al Yamamah University, Dr. Dalia Abdel Fattah was an Assistant Professor at the Department of Architectural Engineering, Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport. In addition to the Architecture Engineering Technology (AET program) Faculty of Engineering, Cairo University (Part-timer).

Being a researcher in UN-HABITAT Programme of Planners for Climate Action, allows the opportunity to support the new initiative of Building the Climate Resilience of the Urban Poor, offered by the UN-Habitat at the Climate Action Summit 2017. The initiative has three objectives: Integrate climate change in the professional practices of all planners and their institutions through integrated approaches that reduce emissions, and prepare human settlements to adapt to climate change, Build the capacity of all planners by ensuring that all graduate-level urban/regional planning curricula prepare planners to be effective climate change professionals, Support and commission research that can strengthen knowledge at the intersect of planning practices and climate change. As a member of the team (P4CA), Dr. Dalia has the chance to embrace international, regional and national associations and networks of urban and territorial planners. She contributes through knowledge, capacity-building and outreach activities. The Working Groups convene (in person or, more typically, virtually) at least every two months, or as often as required to achieve their aims. Meetings are jointly at least once a year to take-stock of activities undertaken, and plan for future actions.

It was the opportunity to show what strong leadership and action look like through initiatives, commitments and achievements across all the Action Areas of the Climate Action Summit.

She has more than 20 years of experience in teaching, practice, and public services that includes projects in the area of architecture design, urban planning, urban design, landscape design, community development, and urban conservation.

Publications

My research agenda focuses on advancing sustainable and inclusive urban development, with a particular focus on the interplay between built environments, cultural heritage, and socio-economic dynamics in urban settings. My work seeks to address critical challenges in urban planning and architecture, emphasizing livability, equity, and sustainability in both historic and contemporary urban contexts. Through a multidisciplinary approach, I integrate theoretical frameworks, empirical assessments, and practical applications to develop tools and strategies that enhance the quality of urban spaces, particularly in the GCC and broader Middle Eastern contexts.

Assessing livability of public spaces in gated and ungated communities using the star model. Journal of Engineering and Applied Science  Journal of Engineering and Applied Science. Volume 67, Issue 3. pp. 605-624. Springer. ISSN: 1110-1903. June 2020. Manuscript

Branding heritage in multi-cultural societies, with special references to preservation discourses. Journal of Housing and Building Research Center.  HBRC Journal. Volume 19,  Issue 1. p.p. 337-354. Taylor & Francis Journal. ISSN: 1687-4048. Nov. 2023. doi.org/10.1080/16874048.2023.2272076

Modeling Pedestrian Behaviour in Linear Public Spaces: The Case of the Nile Waterfront "Mamsha Ahl Masr. Journal of Civil Engineering and Architecture HRPUB | Civil Engineering and Architecture. Volume 13,  Issue 3. pp. 1723-1740. Horizon Research Publication Cooperation (HRPC). ISSN: 2332-1091. March 2025. doi.org/10.13189/cea.2025.130321

Visionary Women’s Mobility Behavior a Tool for Women’s Inclusion in the Built Environment with Special Discourse on Riyadh City. Journal of Sustainability. Volume 17,  Issue 12. Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI). ISSN: 2071-1050. June 2025. doi.org/10.3390/su17125584

Towards inclusive public open space in CBD ,Case study of King Abdallah financial district. Journal of Urban Management. Elsevier. ISSN: 2589-0360. July  2025. doi.org/10.1016/j.jum.2025.06.007

From Theory to Practice: Assessing the Open Building Movement’s Role
in Egypt’s Housing Market Over Four Decades. Journal of Buildings. Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI). ISSN: 2075-5309. July  2025. doi.org/10.3390/buildings15152600

The Impact of Personalized Office Spaces on Faculty Productivity,
Performance, and Satisfaction in Universities’ Educational Facilities: Case
Study of Al Yamamah University, Riyadh, KSA. Journal of Buildings. Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI). ISSN: 2075-5309. July  2025. doi.org/10.3390/buildings15142559

Perceptional Dimension Towards More Walkable Communities: An Assessment Tool Approach. Journal of Urban Research. Volume 33, Issue 1, Page 172-183. July 2019. DOI: 10.21608/jur.2019.86917

Cairo's Downtown in Narratives: From Singularity to Hardship. Handbook of Research on Digital Research Methods and Architectural Tools in Urban Planning and Design. September 2019. DOI: 10.4018/978-1-5225-9238-9.ch016  Cairo's Downtown in Narratives: From Singularity to Hardship: Science & Engineering Book Chapter | IGI Global Scientific Publishing

Toward Biophilic Egyptian Cities. The Case of New Administrative Capital in Egypt. Journal of Urban Research. Volume 35, Issue 1, Page 121-136. January 2020. DOI: 10.21608/jur.2020.81521

Conferences

Cities for All: Urban Equity and Cultural Inclusivity in Cosmopolitan Cities: A Case Study of Wadi Hanifa, Riyadh. Proceedings of REAL CORP 2025, 30th Intl. Conference on Urban Development, Regional Planning and Information Society. pp. 211-221. ISSN: 2521-3938. May 2025. http://repository.corp.at/id/eprint/1262  DOI: 10.48494/REALCORP2025.2077

Beyond Conservation: A Framework for Quantifying Urban Qualities in Historic City Centers. November 2024. Beyond Conservation: A Framework for Quantifying Urban Qualities in Historic City Centers | E3S Web of Conferences DOI: 10.1051/e3sconf/202458603003

Integrating Multi-Scalar Attributes in Assessing Urban Sustainability for the Built Environment in Heritage Sites: The SHAI Model. Proceedings of REAL CORP 2023, 28th International Conference on Urban Development, Regional Planning and Information Society. CORP2023_27.pdf

Spatio-temporal dynamics of socio-economic public life in historical contexts. tools for studying life between historical buildings Conference: ARCHCAIRO 8. Architecture department, Faculty of Engineering, Cairo University. Apr 2019. (PDF) Spatio-temporal dynamics of socio-economic public life in historical contexts. tools for studying life between historical buildings.

Motivating participation in regenerating sustainable urban neighbourhood open spaces. International Conference for Sustainable Design of the Built Environment. SDBE. London. Dec. 2017. (PDF) Motivating participation in regenerating sustainable urban neighbourhood open spaces.

Urban Livability Dimensions in the Egyptian New Cities. Case study: Sheikh Zayed city. Conference: International Conference for Sustainable Design of the Built Environment. SDBE. London. Dec. 2017. (PDF) Urban Livability Dimensions in the Egyptian New Cities. Case study: Sheikh Zayed city.

The Changes in housing policies between the planned and the implementation to the current situation with special mention of the Sixth of October city in Egypt. The Fourth international Conference of Arab Housing: Activating Public-Private Partnership for the Development of the Housing Sector. Riyadh. Dec. 2016. The Changes in housing policies between the planned and the implementation to the current situation with special mention of the Sixth of October city in Egypt. (PDF)

Methodology Towards Defining Multi-scalar Attributes Of Sustainability Indicators In Historical Urban Areas: Assessment Tool Development. WIT Transactions on The Built Environment. ISSN: 1743-3509. UK. Sep 2015. DOI 10.2495/SD150081  SD15008FU1.pdf

Teaching

Experience at Al Yamamah university

  • Final Architectural Design Project VIII ARC511
  • Architectural Design Studio VII ARC501
  • Architectural Design Studio V ARC401
  • Architectural Design Studio IV ARC311
  • Architectural Design I ARC201
  • Building Construction I ARC215
  • Building Construction II ARC302
  • Landscape Architecture and Site Planning ARC402
  • City Planning ARC412
  • Basic Design Studio II ARC111
  • Urban design theories ARC A423
  • Interior Arch Working Drawings 2 IAR401
  • History of interior Architecture  IAR202
  • Portfolio Preparation and Presentation IAR402

Previous teaching experience

  • Graduation project
  • Architecture Design VI
  • City and Regional Planning
  • History Of Architecture I
  • Site Planning and Housing
  • Human factor in design (elective course IV)
  • Design methodology (elective course III)
  • Culture heritage conservation (elective course I)
  • History V (Islamic architecture)

Services

Panel moderator: the 5th International Conference on Building Science, Technology and Sustainability University of Lisbon, Portugal  15-18, 2024. ICBSTS 2024 | Lisbon

Panel moderator: the first edition of the Academic Forum for Architecture and Design, titled "Enhancing Collaboration in the Field of Architecture and Design" - Arts and Design Authority, Ministry of Culture, Riyadh, March 15, 2023.

Member of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) Planners for Climate Action (P4CA Affiliate)

Reviewer for the international Journal of Urban Management

Reviewer for the international publisher  IGI Global

Member of the Sustainability Professionals of Saudi Arabia

Supervising students in the Diriyah Gate Mosque Design Competition (won second place).

RDIA Research Grant – Accepted for Full Proposal: a research project proposal for urban development for the city of Riyadh for the mental and physical well-being of citizens and residents.

Experience (community service)

Aga Khan Trust for Culture - Community development. El Darb El Ahmar, Cairo, Egypt.

Working as part of a staff team providing and coordinates individualized care and resources to local community. Fulfilling their needs, providing services and facilities, enhancing their quality of living, offering health care and educational guidance. The main aim of the project focuses on the physical, social, cultural and economic revitalization of communities in the Muslim world.

  • Early Childhood Development

    • The ECD Programme aims at improving the quality of existing early childhood development facilities and services in rural and urban communities, Responsible of:

    - Encouraging the establishment of new local ECD units.

    - Facilitating accessible and affordable early childhood development support.

  • Continuing Education Programme

    • The CEP Programme aims to provide practical, industry-relevant training to unemployed and under- employed youth in the area. Responsible of:

    - English language courses.

    - Basic and advanced management, presentation and soft skills training.

  • Basic social services

    • Basic social services in the context of the Darb al-Ahmar Project include the sub-sectors of health, education and solid waste disposal. Health activities are aimed at raising the quality of healthcare. Responsible of:

    - Organizing regular physical examinations home visits for needed people

     

    Kazım Karabekir , Iatanbul, Turkey.

    Mimar Sinan University, Faculty of Architecture, Istanbul.

    Community development – On-site regeneration participatory approach and soft urbanism.

    Working as part of a staff team for a project On-site regeneration participatory approach and soft urbanism, the site (neighbourhood: Kazım Karabekir) has been selected by Mimar Sinan. It is one of the places where regeneration is taking place within a broad-based association of local dwellers

    The site is a rapidly growing suburb, with the neighboring projects. The aim is to provide grounds for participatory urban alternatives to harsh transformation or eviction. Responsible of:

    - sharing ideas for upgrading the quality of living environment in the neighborhood through urban and social studies and analysis.

     

    Experience (professional career)

    Eco-scape (Landscape –planning –Architecture) Architect

    Plan and design land areas for parks, recreational facilities, private homes, campuses, and other open spaces.

    Main Responsibilities include:

    Land scape design for several projects.

    (Aviation club – Shooting club el Attamia – Shooting club 6th oct. – Beverly Hills residential compound)

  • Discuss with clients, engineers, and building architects to understand a project
  • Prepare site plans, specifications, and cost estimates
  • Coordinate the arrangement of existing and proposed land features and structures
  • Prepare graphic representations of proposed plans using computer-aided design and drafting
  • Select appropriate materials for use in landscape designs
  • Analyze environmental reports on land conditions, such as drainage and energy usage

    • Planning and urban design.

    (Ibny betek project – palm hills compound)

  • Survey land and buildings, analyze their current use and make recommendations for their future development
  • understand the needs of people who will be using the space to design; through research and analysis to consider political, environmental, social, economic, spatial, psychological and physical factors
  • created detailed drawings using graphic skills, converting the vision into a technical drawing, using specific programs and software
  • Worked with wider planning team to ensure policies and guidance are followed. Architecture design for residential buildings and private villas
  • Meets with requesters to determine requirements of projects; determines feasibility of project and prepares cost estimates.
  • Performs original design work utilizing specifications, sketches and ideas on developing designs.
  • Analyzes space utilization effectiveness and changing demands for space needs: recommends actions to meet new requirements.
  • Assists in conducting preliminary studies of proposed projects to obtain information as to space and design requirements, obtaining measurements and making sketches preliminary  to the preparation of drawing.
  • Assists in preparation of scale drawing of details required for contract drawing.
  • Assists in preparation of design development drawings.
  • Assist developing  and/or  coordinating  development  of  detailed  working  drawings  and specifications after approval for project has been obtained.

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