Along King Salman Road in Khobar, a sculptural canopy of brushed gold arcs above the desert horizon, catching and reflecting the light. Known simply as The Gold, the 32,550-square-metre development is redefining Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province as a destination for culture, leisure, and design excellence. For Lemay, the Montreal-founded firm now firmly anchored in Dubai and Riyadh, it is both a signature project and a symbol of what the region’s next era of architecture can be.

“The Gold is about people,” says Amro El Chabti, Senior Partner at Lemay. “It’s designed for gathering, connection, and discovery, and intended as an environment that feels alive all year.”

A Vision for Modern Khobar

Khobar, once a quiet industrial city on the Arabian Gulf, is undergoing a remarkable transformation. With new investment in hospitality, arts, and public space, it is emerging as a cultural hub for the Eastern Province. The Gold captures that ambition: a multi-layered destination that unites luxury retail, dining, entertainment, and wellness under one sweeping form.

“You never see the whole site from the road,” El Chabti explains. “The arrival is intentional — it’s about anticipation. That sense of discovery, gradual revelation; that’s luxury.” Visitors move through shaded promenades and landscaped courtyards that reveal themselves gradually, echoing the rhythm of traditional marketplaces while introducing a contemporary sense of flow.

The Gold’s golden canopy shimmers above Khobar’s evolving skyline.

Shade, water, and movement transform the desert heat into an urban oasis.

Designed for Climate and Culture

At its heart lies the project’s defining gesture: a sweeping golden canopy that both shelters and distinguishes the site. “The weather is intense,” El Chabti says. “We integrated generous shading, natural ventilation, and landscaping to make outdoor spaces inviting year-round.” Water features and greenery temper the heat, creating a microclimate that transforms the plaza into a modern oasis.

“When it’s completed in 2027, the Gold will be more than a building, it will be an integral part of Khobar’s new rhythm ,” says Amro El Chabti of Lemay’s flagship project in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province. 

Beneath the canopy, the experience unfolds across a series of programs: restaurants and cafés overlooking a public square, a six-screen cinema complex that includes an outdoor screening venue, a bowling centre for families, and a wellness facility exclusively for women. Each element is crafted to balance spectacle and ease, with architecture acting as invitation rather than display.

Shade, water, and movement transform the desert heat into an urban oasis.

Beneath the canopy, cafés, cinemas, and cultural spaces pulse with energy.

Collaboration Across Time Zones

Behind the project is a network of collaboration spanning across  America, Europe and the Middle East. Lemay’s teams worked in close collaboration with local partners in Saudi Arabia to translate design ideas into buildable solutions that respected codes, craft, and context. “Design moves seamlessly across time zones,” El Chabti notes. “That’s the beauty of a global studio — creativity never sleeps.”

That exchange extended beyond logistics. By combining international expertise with local craftsmanship, the project demonstrates how global design can amplify, rather than overshadow, regional identity. Materials were sourced with sensitivity to both climate and culture; construction techniques were refined to meet the region’s environmental goals without compromising elegance.

A Symbol of Transformation

As Saudi Arabia advances its Vision 2030 agenda, The Gold stands as a marker of change — a place where community and commerce coexist, and where design becomes a public language. “The project celebrates gathering, hospitality, and design excellence,” El Chabti says. “It shows what’s possible when expertise and ambition align on both sides.”

The result is architecture that feels both inevitable and new: a space that belongs to its city while pointing to its future. “You can feel the city changing as we build,” El Chabti adds. “We are actively participating in shaping Khobar’s urban landscape.”

The project won the Jury Prize at the Archello Awards in the Unbuilt Leisure Project of the Year category.