Though he didn’t realise it at the time, architect Rashad Bukhash began his career in heritage preservation at age the age of eleven. In the streets of Old Dubai, he met architect Peter Jackson and helped him record measurements of the city’s oldest homes. Since then, Bukhash has restored and protected from demolition hundreds of buildings in Dubai and the UAE.

In conversation with researcher Lina Najem, he revisits decades of work on both shores of Dubai Creek, including his long tenure at Dubai Municipality. During this lifelong pursuit, local and global approaches to architectural preservation have changed; this evening offers the chance to look back on what has been learned along the way.

Memory under Construction is part of Night School 2026 | Pardon Our Progress, a five-week program of seminars and public events led by Todd Reisz and dedicated to encounters with urbanism and history in Dubai. Learn more about the programme here.

The event is free and open to all. Please confirm your attendance by registering here.

Rashad Bukhash has 35 years experience in the fields of planning, directing, managing and supervising modern architectural projects, conservation of historic buildings, museums, and landscaping projects. With his background in both architecture and conservation of historic buildings, he supervised the conservation of more than 215 historic buildings in Dubai and throughout the UAE. He also supervised the design and execution of more than 200 projects including universities, colleges, public buildings, parks and community facilities. Rashad supervised the design and execution of 14 museums in Dubai, including Dubai Museum, Sheikh Saeed Al-Maktoum House, Heritage House, Al Ahmadiya School, the Falcon Museum, and Sarooq Al-Hadid Archaeology Museum. He has written and edited more than 35 books on architecture, history and traditional architecture of Dubai and the U.A.E. Rashad won many prizes, his latest honor being his receipt this year of UAE Order for Culture and Creativity in the Custodian Tier.

Lina Najem is a researcher and writer at the cultural consultancy, Barker Langham. A passionate storyteller, she crafts impactful narratives across media. Drawing on her academic research alongside experience in documentary filmmaking, podcasting and news journalism, her work examines culture, memory and power, amplifying authentic voices and translating complex ideas for public audiences. She holds an M.A. in Middle Eastern, South Asian and African Studies from Columbia University and a B.A. from Yale University.