Adina Hempel is an architect, urban researcher, and Associate Professor at Zayed University, where she leads the Zayed Institute for Architecture, Heritage, and Arts. Adina’s research investigates the socio-cultural and contextual influences on architecture, focusing on the study of desert culture and the evolution of the built environment in the Arabian Peninsula, through a multi-layered approach by integrating material culture, archaeological, and cartographic approaches. Adina is a member of the Technical Committee for Modern Heritage of the UAE and previously served as Head of Research for GSMproject on the Shindagha Museum in Dubai. She was also part of the curatorial team for the 1st National Pavilion of the UAE at the 14th International Architecture Exhibition at La Biennale di Venezia in 2014. Adina Hempel graduated with distinction from the Technical University of Dresden, trained in Urban Studies at Columbia University in New York, and is currently completing her PhD dissertation on the role of ‘The Majlis: A Space for Mediation’.