Saudi Arabia is in the middle of a once-in-a-generation urban transformation. Under Vision 2030, the Kingdom is not simply building more cities or expanding existing ones. It is rethinking how cities should feel, function, and serve people. Walkability, sustainability, public space, heritage, and quality of life are now central to national development.

Within this transformation, Dhay Aldhawyan has emerged as one of the Saudi leaders helping guide how cities are planned and designed. She is an architect and urban design specialist who led the Center for Development of Urban Design and Planning of Saudi Cities, a role that placed her at the heart of efforts to improve urban standards, strengthen planning tools, and support the future shape of Saudi cities.

A Strong Foundation in Architecture and Urban Design

Dhay Aldhawyan’s background combines architectural design, urban systems thinking, and international field experience. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Architecture from Southern Illinois University Carbondale, then completed both a Master of Architecture and a Master of Urban Design at Washington University in St. Louis. Her education gave her a strong understanding of both individual buildings and the broader urban environments they shape.

Her training also extended across cities and cultures. She studied through international and field-based programs in Johannesburg, Dubai, Berlin, and Buenos Aires, experiences that strengthened her interest in public life, mobility, livability, and heritage-sensitive urban development. That global perspective is visible in the way she approaches Saudi cities today: with a focus on people, place, and practical implementation.

Leading National Urban Change

Aldhawyan became especially influential when she was appointed to lead the Center for Development of Urban Design and Planning of Saudi Cities. In that role, she helped establish and later re-establish the center as a national platform for better urban design, planning standards, and municipal support. Her work was not symbolic. It focused on building the systems, codes, and frameworks that cities need in order to grow well.

Her responsibilities included supporting development authorities and strategy offices, contributing to regional strategies, helping develop regional and local plans, and creating urban codes that could guide implementation on the ground. She also led work on the National Planning Framework project, showing that her role extended beyond design vision into the core structure of national urban policy.

Turning Vision 2030 Into Real Projects

What makes Dhay Aldhawyan’s story compelling is that her impact can be seen in actual national initiatives. As an external consultant, she contributed to major projects such as the Saudi Arabia Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai, helping support how the Kingdom presented itself on a global stage. She also worked on the Downtown Jeddah project led by PIF, PROJECT01 in Riyadh led by ROSHN, and a public housing project in North Riyadh. These examples show that her work spans representation, regeneration, housing, and community development.

Her influence also reached some of the Kingdom’s most ambitious development areas. She served on the committee overseeing the integration and sustainable development of townships and surrounding areas in Red Sea and Qiddiya giga-projects, contributing to framework plans, master plans, and urban codes. She was also involved in the district-scale regeneration of Ulishah, an initiative aimed at improving quality of life, strengthening the urban fabric, supporting economic growth, and preserving cultural heritage.

These examples make her impact easier to understand: she is not only talking about better cities in principle. She has worked directly on the policies, projects, and planning systems that shape how Saudi communities evolve in reality.

Designing Cities Around People

Dhay Aldhawyan’s urban philosophy is rooted in the belief that cities should work for people first. That vision comes through clearly in her focus on shaded sidewalks, safe crossings, complete blocks, walkable neighborhoods, and public spaces that support everyday life. She emphasizes urban environments that are comfortable, inclusive, and responsive to the needs of residents rather than built only for scale or speed.

That people-first approach matters deeply in Saudi Arabia’s current moment. As cities expand, good design affects whether communities feel connected or fragmented, whether streets invite walking or discourage it, and whether development strengthens local identity or erases it. Aldhawyan’s work argues that urban growth should improve daily life at ground level, not just create impressive skylines.

Protecting Saudi Identity While Modernizing

One of the strongest dimensions of Aldhawyan’s impact is her emphasis on Saudi architectural identity. Her work supports cities that are modern and globally competitive, but still unmistakably local in character. This means encouraging development that reflects Saudi heritage through materials, form, urban rhythm, and climate-sensitive design rather than adopting a generic international style.

Her leadership also includes attention to afforestation and greener urban environments, reinforcing the idea that city-building is not only about infrastructure, but also about comfort, beauty, and environmental responsibility. In this sense, she represents a new generation of Saudi urban leadership, one that understands that sustainability, identity, and livability must work together.

A Visible Example of Saudi Women’s Leadership

Dhay Aldhawyan’s role is also significant because she stands as a visible example of Saudi women leading in high-impact national sectors. Her career shows that women are not only participating in Saudi Arabia’s transformation, but actively shaping its direction in fields as strategic as architecture, policy, urban planning, and development governance.

Her profile also reflects broad professional credibility. She is associated with the Saudi Council of Engineers and the American Institute of Architects, and has served on bodies such as the SDGs Steering Committee at the Ministry of Economy and Planning, the Aseer Development Authority Urban Code Committee, and the Urban 20 Riyadh Executive Committee. These roles reinforce her position as both a practitioner and a policy contributor.

A Lasting Contribution to Vision 2030

Vision 2030 is often discussed in terms of scale, investment, and transformation. But its lasting success will also depend on something more intimate: how people experience their cities every day. That includes the comfort of a shaded street, the vitality of a neighborhood center, the protection of heritage, and the quality of the built environment.

That is where Dhay Aldhawyan’s contribution becomes especially important. She is helping Saudi Arabia build not only bigger cities, but better ones. Through planning, design, codes, and leadership, she is helping create urban environments that are more human-centered, more sustainable, and more truly Saudi. Her story is not only about architecture. It is about shaping the future of everyday life in the Kingdom.

Discover more inspiring stories at Saudi Wins, where Vision 2030 comes to life.