The region’s shimmering skyscrapers and modern luxury hotels are often the first things that visitors notice and admire about the Middle East.
However, the new Bridge in Time collaboration by Emirati photographer Hussain AlMoosawi and Saudi AI digital artist Mona AlGwaiz shows how the architecture of the region is actually a tribute to its history and heritage.
Part of Swiss watchmaker Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Made of Makers artistic development programme, AlGwaiz explains that the pair’s five AI-reimagined artworks view the past and the future as a continuous narrative, rather than as opposite elements.
“One of the most compelling aspects of the Middle East today is its simultaneous commitment to cultural continuity and innovation,” she says.
“There is a strong desire to honour heritage, craftsmanship, and identity, while also imagining new futures in art, design, architecture and technology. We wanted to show how evolving heritage into new forms of expression allows it to stay alive.”
Known for creating pieces that transform her country’s landscapes and architecture into modern liveable spaces in a reimagined Saudi Arabia, AlGwaiz views AI as not simply a technology, but as a “creative medium that can help translate atmospheres, emotions and speculative worlds with a new level of speed and freedom”.
“Digital composition has an ability to open unexpected visual possibilities, and I’m attracted to its flexibility,” continues Mona.
“I have always been fascinated by the relationship between space, image and imagination, and digital tools allow me to work across layers of architecture, materials, texture, light, and narrative in a very fluid way. They make it possible to test ideas, refine details, and build complex visual worlds with precision. For my practice, this is especially important because I often work on concepts that sit between art, and spatial design.”
AlGwaiz describes working with Hussain as a very meaningful experience: “Hussain’s work is based around capturing real moments, textures, and atmosphere with remarkable precision and sensitivity. My role was to take that foundation and translate it into a forward-looking visual narrative.”
The practices of the two artists complement each other through their differences.
AlGwaiz concludes: “While his [AlMoosawi’s] is rooted in reality, mine is future oriented. This dynamic allowed the work to move beyond documentation, into something more speculative.”
Inspired by recognisable landmarks such as the courtyards of Bab Al Shams Desert Resort Dubai, the arches of the Infinity Bridge and the entrance ways to Expo City Dubai (featuring reinterpreted versions of the mashrabiya, a traditional Arabic architectural element), AlMoosawi notes that he intentionally chose to photograph elements that carry strong cultural significance.
“Along with visual symbols, we also worked with tactile references, such as coral stone, which connects directly to the region’s material heritage,” he adds.
“Mona then introduced a new dimension to the work, transforming static architectural references into fluid, speculative compositions that extend beyond their original form.”
A renowned local creative who brings over 20 years of experience across design, photography, and visual journalism, AlMoosawi has always tried to rediscover the UAE’s urban landscapes and systematically document its often-overlooked modern architecture.
“What fascinates me most about the UAE’s cities is the diversity of the influences that have shaped them over decades,” he says.
“There is no singular architectural language. We have absorbed references from across the region, and around the world. Yet underneath, it is still possible to trace the patterns that define the UAE’s urban identity.”
He also aims to encourage people to pay closer attention to the details they encounter in their everyday environments.
“We are often drawn to the overall image of a city, but less so to the individual elements that compose it,” he concludes.
“Not every structure is immediately striking, yet many reveal meaning when observed more closely.”
