Terra 2026 Line-up Highlights Partners, Programmes And Awards In Al Ain

The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi has confirmed the programme for Terra 2026, the 14th Terra World Congress on Earthen Architecture, which will take place in Al Ain from 13th to 16th April 2026, highlighting global debate on managing earthen cultural landscapes.

Terra 2026 brings specialists together to examine archaeological sites, cultural landscapes, traditional and contemporary construction, and new design approaches using earthen architecture. Hosting the congress in Al Ain marks the first time an Arab country stages the Terra World Congress on Earthen Architecture, underscoring the UAE’s growing role in sustainable architecture discussions.

The main Terra 2026 programme, running from 13th to 16th April, will include keynote talks, parallel technical sessions, expert meetings, panel debates and thematic visits. Discussions will address transmitting earthen heritage between generations, protecting cultural landscapes, innovation in earthen architecture and strengthening resilience to environmental pressures and human-driven risks worldwide.

Key elements of Terra 2026 include the release of the Strategic Directions Report by ICOMOS-ISCEAH and the Getty Conservation Institute, alongside a panel on structural building codes and standards. Specialist sessions will also consider conservation of decorated earthen surfaces, post-crisis heritage recovery, contemporary uses of earthen architecture and global knowledge sharing through plenary and expert forums.

Recognition of professional excellence forms another strand of Terra 2026, with the congress hosting the TURAB Prize ceremony and announcing the Terra Landscape-Architectural Award. These honours will highlight projects that demonstrate advanced research, creative practice and responsible innovation in earthen architecture across different regions and contexts.

Before Terra 2026 formally opens, a pre-congress programme in Al Ain will offer intensive workshops and seminars designed to increase direct engagement with earthen heritage. Planned activities include a co-created community project at a historic earthen site, the Earth Across Continents workshop for master artisans from three continents, and Digitally Crafted Earth, which links traditional practice with digital fabrication for a climate-responsive pavilion.

Further Terra 2026 workshops between 10th and 12th April will review World Heritage processes and earthen cultural landscapes, and support community-led dialogue that will shape the Terra declaration. Sessions will also explore urban conservation challenges and disaster readiness for earthen heritage, including a practical exercise focused on Qattara Oasis in Al Ain.

Terra 2026 is organised by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi in partnership with the International Scientific Committee on Earthen Architectural Heritage. The congress benefits from international support from CRAterre, the Getty Conservation Institute, ALIPH, the Royal Institute of British Architects Gulf Chapter, PROTERRA, SoHath – 100 Hands Foundation for Building Artisans, ICOMOS-ISCARSAH, ICOMOS-ISCCL, Al Ain Municipality and United Arab Emirates University.

Participants in Terra 2026 will be able to join curated thematic tours across Al Ain, followed by post-congress trips in Abu Dhabi and other emirates that showcase the UAE’s earthen heritage and conservation programmes. The overall agenda positions Al Ain and the wider UAE as active contributors to global dialogue on earthen architecture, cultural landscapes and sustainable building practice.

With inputs from WAM