The Kalima Translation Project, an initiative by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC), part of the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi, has published the Arabic edition of the book United Arab Emirates: Architectural Guide by Hendrik Bohle and Jan Dimog, translated by Dr. Musa Al-Haloul and reviewed by Omar Al-Ayoubi.

The book provides readers with extensive information about the most prominent contemporary architectural landmarks and buildings in the UAE. The authors highlight noteworthy and distinctive architectural projects around the country and the architects or companies behind their designs.

Originally published in German, the book was later released in English in 2016. It consists of an introduction and seven chapters, each dedicated to one of the seven emirates. The book includes comprehensive maps, a glossary of local terms mentioned in the book, and a list of urban projects and engineering companies that contributed to the urban development of the UAE.

The book explores the vast diversity of design that characterises architecture in the UAE, from iconic, record-breaking buildings in Abu Dhabi and Dubai and new heritage-inspired structures in Sharjah, to luxurious facilities and cutting edge projects in other emirates. Also featured are a range of examples of the new generation of Emirati architecture, which focus on sustainability and preserving diverse building traditions.

The architectural guide covers more than 200 buildings and projects spanning a country which rapidly transitioned from a Bedouin society to the era of the Burj Khalifa in just three generations. The comprehensive project information is complemented by interviews with international and local architects and articles about culture and history.

Hendrik Bohle is an architectural project engineer, urban researcher, and author of a wide range of specialised publications, while Jan Dimog is a journalist, copywriter, and scriptwriter for national and international publishing companies, institutions, and projects in Germany, Afghanistan, and the Philippines.

The two authors previously collaborated on the book Architectural Guide to Istanbul (DOM Publishers) and jointly manage TheLink.berlin, an online magazine specialising in international tourism and architectural topics.

The book’s translator, Dr. Musa Al-Haloul, is a Syrian academic and translator who studied English literature at the University of Aleppo and earned his master’s and doctoral degrees in comparative literature from Pennsylvania State University in the United States. He currently works as Professor of Comparative Literature in the Department of Foreign Languages at Taif University in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Dr. Al-Haloul has translated numerous works from English to Arabic, including Maori Myths & Legendary Tales (Abu Dhabi), Snorra Edda: An Icelandic Saga (Abu Dhabi), and A Book Amidst the Ruins: The Epic of Gilgamesh, How It Was Lost and How It Was Found (Cairo), among others.