Dubai’s construction boom continues to create opportunities for young architects and architecture professionals. In the first half of 2026, 104 real estate projects were completed in Dubai with a total investment value of more than AED 111 billion, a 52% increase from the same period in 2025.
This continued growth also means more opportunities for architecture students and young professionals looking to gain practical experience through internships. However, not every architecture firm with a Dubai office accepts interns or offers a clear way to apply.
To make the search easier, we researched architecture firms with an established presence in Dubai and verified their internship opportunities. Here are 10 firms worth considering, including firms offering formal paid internships, summer programs, and placements linked to awards or academic opportunities.
The 10 best architecture firms in Dubai for internships at a glance
- Gensler. Best for paid, structured internships at the world’s largest practice.
- KEO International Consultants. Best for a rotational internship across disciplines.
- Stantec. Best for multidisciplinary exposure beyond architecture.
- Dewan Architects + Engineers. Best regional practice with university ties and a paid award internship.
- Killa Design. Best boutique studio mentorship on landmark projects.
- DLR Group. Best formal paid summer program with design-culture classes.
- Perkins Eastman. Best paid summer internship with office-wide learning sessions.
- HOK. Best for an explicitly all-paid internship programme.
- Foster + Partners. Best for a world-class name on the CV.
- X-Architects. Best design-led local studio with real intern testimony.
The top 10 architecture firms in Dubai for internships
1. Gensler
Gensler is the world’s largest architecture practice, and its Dubai studio runs proper student internships rather than informal work experience. UAE listings describe a full-time, paid internship of at least three months, where interns join design teams as full collaborators with design charrettes, lunch-and-learn sessions, and mentorship.
Website: gensler.com · LinkedIn: Gensler on LinkedIn · Employees: 5,001-10,000 (LinkedIn) · Dubai office: Alserkal Avenue, Warehouse 12, Al Quoz 1, Dubai
What stands out
- Dubai-specific paid internships advertised on the firm’s own UAE listings, including a 2026 summer internship for urban design and landscape architecture.
- Interns work as full collaborators on design teams, not as observers.
- Regional portfolio includes the Emaar Properties Dubai headquarters, giving interns exposure to major developer clients.
The catch
Intake is competitive and postings are seasonal. Listings ask for Revit proficiency, a portfolio of two to four work samples, and third-year undergraduate or first-year graduate standing. No public information exists on Dubai intern pay figures.
ASDAV’s Take
The strongest all-round internship pick in Dubai for students who meet the bar. The Revit requirement alone makes solid BIM skills worth building before applying.
2. KEO International Consultants
KEO International Consultants is a 60-year-old consultancy consistently ranked the number one firm in the Middle East, with more than 2,600 professionals. Its Dubai design team currently advertises a Design and Architecture Intern rotational scheme for students or recent graduates.
Website: keoic.com · LinkedIn: KEO on LinkedIn · Employees: 1,001-5,000 (LinkedIn) · Dubai office: Rolex Tower, Level 4, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai
What stands out
- A rotational internship across the design team, which suits students still deciding on a specialism.
- Open to students and graduates within twelve months of graduating.
- Landmark regional work includes 23 Marina in Dubai and Nation Towers in Abu Dhabi.
The catch
The role requires UAE residence with a valid university or parent-sponsored visa, which rules out international applicants without local sponsorship. No public information exists on intern pay or duration.
ASDAV’s Take
An excellent pick for UAE-based students who want breadth. The rotational format is rare and genuinely useful at the start of a career.
3. Stantec
Stantec is a global design and engineering leader with over 10,000 employees. Its Dubai studio has advertised an Architectural Intern role where interns work closely with senior architects on Middle East projects, from design concepts and 2D/3D drawings through to construction drawings and specifications.
Website: stantec.com · LinkedIn: Stantec on LinkedIn · Employees: 10,001+ (LinkedIn) · Dubai office: MSM 2 Building, 1st Floor, Al Safa 1, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai
What stands out
- Interns touch the full project arc, including construction documentation, which many internships never offer.
- Multidisciplinary setting means exposure to engineering, interiors, and planning alongside architecture.
- Hands-on work in AutoCAD, Revit, and SketchUp on live regional projects.
The catch
The advertised role is a fixed-term listing with no published detail on pay or duration, and architecture is one practice among many inside a very large firm, so the experience depends heavily on the team assigned.
ASDAV’s Take
Best suited to students who want to see how architecture sits inside a giant multidisciplinary machine. Apply when the fixed-term posting is live, since intakes follow project demand.
4. Dewan Architects + Engineers
Dewan Architects + Engineers is one of the GCC’s top three firms, running a Dubai design studio since 1999 with landmarks like Cayan Tower and Damac Towers by Paramount to its name. It maintains strong ties with UAE universities through internships, talks, and guest lectures, and its Dewan Award for Architecture gives the winning student a six-month paid internship.
Website: dewan-architects.com · LinkedIn: company page not publicly listed · Employees: 750+ across 8 offices (firm figure; LinkedIn range not published) · Dubai office: 401 B, Building 5, Dubai Design District, Dubai
What stands out
- The six-month paid internship attached to the Dewan Award is the most concrete intern commitment among regional practices.
- Deep university relationships mean the firm is genuinely set up to receive students.
- A Dubai studio operating since 1999 offers continuity that newer offices cannot match.
The catch
Outside the award, there is no dedicated internship page and no public detail on intern pay or duration. Applications go through a general vacancies and CV route, so candidates need to write in speculatively.
ASDAV’s Take
The regional practice with the strongest internship evidence. Architecture students in the UAE should enter the Dewan Award and send a speculative application in parallel.
5. Killa Design
Killa Design is the Dubai-headquartered boutique founded by Shaun Killa, the architect behind the Museum of the Future. Its careers page explicitly advertises an internship for emerging architects, offering hands-on experience on real projects in a flat, design-led culture where mentoring younger architects is stated policy.
Website: killadesign.com · LinkedIn: company page not publicly listed · Employees: around 120 architects (industry directories list 51-200) · Dubai office: 3103 Burj Al Salam Office Tower, Trade Centre One, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai
What stands out
- A rare advertised internship at a genuine design boutique, with hands-on project work rather than shadowing.
- Landmark Dubai portfolio includes the Museum of the Future, the Office of the Future, and Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab.
- Small teams mean interns sit close to design decisions.
The catch
It is a mid-size boutique with a small intake, so seats are limited and competition is stiff. The listing asks for Revit and Rhino proficiency, and no public information exists on intern pay or duration.
ASDAV’s Take
The best boutique pick on this list for students who want design authorship early. Apply with a portfolio that shows real modelling skill, not just renders.
6. DLR Group
DLR Group runs a formal, paid firmwide Emerging Professional Experience Program for summer interns, combining mentorship, real project work, and weekly design-culture classes. A LinkedIn announcement for an Architectural Intern at DLR Group Middle East confirms the Dubai studio hosts interns.
Website: dlrgroup.com · LinkedIn: DLR Group on LinkedIn · Employees: 1,001-5,000 (LinkedIn) · Dubai office: Level 16, South Tower, Dubai Science Park Towers, Dubai
What stands out
- A formal paid summer program with structured learning, not an ad-hoc placement.
- The 80-person Dubai studio works on regional landmarks across hospitality, culture, and mixed use.
- Weekly design-culture classes give interns a genuine education layer on top of project work.
The catch
No Dubai-specific internship posting is publicly visible, and posted program roles are US-based, some requiring US work eligibility. Dubai reviews on Glassdoor are mixed and mention frequent overtime, though the sample is small.
ASDAV’s Take
Worth a direct speculative application to the Dubai studio, citing the Middle East intern announcement. The program structure is among the best documented here.
7. Perkins Eastman
Perkins Eastman runs an official paid Summer Design Internship Program, with interns joining offices across the firm as integrated design-team members alongside learning sessions and project tours. Its Dubai studio has operated since 2007 and delivered projects like the Act One and Act Two residential towers.
Website: perkinseastman.com · LinkedIn: Perkins Eastman on LinkedIn · Employees: 1,001-5,000 (LinkedIn) · Dubai office: Marina Plaza, Level 8, Dubai Marina, Dubai
What stands out
- An official paid summer program with a published 2026 run, so the intake is real and recurring.
- Interns join as integrated team members with learning sessions and project tours.
- Strong MENA healthcare, hospitality, and education portfolio for sector exposure.
The catch
Publicly visible internship postings are for US offices. Dubai-studio availability and any intern pay or duration details are not published, so candidates need to enquire directly.
ASDAV’s Take
A credible paid program with a long-running Dubai studio behind it. Contact the Dubai office directly, since the published postings skew American.
8. HOK
HOK documents a student internship programme on its official careers page covering architecture, interior design, engineering, and planning. It runs full-time in summer and part-time during the school year, is explicitly all paid, and puts interns on real-life design projects. HOK led the winning masterplan for Expo 2020 Dubai.
Website: hok.com · LinkedIn: HOK on LinkedIn · Employees: 1,001-5,000 (LinkedIn) · Dubai office: 8B Rolex Tower, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai
What stands out
- One of the few firms to state plainly that all internships are paid.
- Year-round structure with full-time summer and part-time term-time options.
- Expo 2020 Dubai masterplan credentials give the Dubai studio serious weight.
The catch
The programme is firmwide and positions vary by location. No currently advertised intern opening exists for the Dubai studio, so Dubai intake is unconfirmed and needs a speculative application.
ASDAV’s Take
The all-paid policy sets HOK apart on paper. Write to the Dubai studio directly with a tight portfolio, since the website will not show a Dubai-specific opening.
9. Foster + Partners
Foster + Partners is one of the world’s most prestigious practices, founded in 1967, with a Dubai studio in Dubai Design District and local landmarks including ICD Brookfield Place and Index Tower. It runs a formal internship programme for Part 1 architecture students lasting three to twelve months, plus shorter student placements.
Website: fosterandpartners.com · LinkedIn: Foster + Partners on LinkedIn · Employees: 1,001-5,000 (LinkedIn) · Dubai office: Office 103A, Building 6, Dubai Design District, Dubai
What stands out
- A formal, documented internship programme with defined durations, rare at this level of practice.
- The single strongest name for an early-career CV in this list.
- Dubai projects of genuine significance, including ICD Brookfield Place.
The catch
The advertised internships and formal programmes are London-centric, and no Dubai-based intern intake was found on the firm’s careers channels. It is also one of the most competitive practices in the world to enter at any level.
ASDAV’s Take
Apply for the prestige, but treat Dubai intake as a long shot and keep parallel applications live. The documented programme structure still makes it worth the effort.
10. X-Architects
X-Architects, founded in 2003 by Ahmed Al-Ali and Farid Esmaeil, is the design-led local studio behind the Wasit Wetland Centre in Sharjah, the first UAE project to receive the Aga Khan Award for Architecture. Former interns describe junior-architect-level design and conceptualization tasks, direct client interaction, competition work, and site visits.
Website: x-architects.com · LinkedIn: X-Architects on LinkedIn · Employees: 51-200 (LinkedIn) · Dubai office: Sheikh Suhail Building, Office 01, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai
What stands out
- Verified former-intern testimony describing real design responsibility, not admin work.
- Award-winning regional portfolio with genuine cultural projects, including the net-zero energy mosque at Masdar City.
- Small studio size means interns work directly with the founders’ team.
The catch
A former intern notes hours running 8 in the morning to 6 in the evening, which can feel long. No public information exists on intern pay or program duration.
ASDAV’s Take
The best local-studio pick for students who want design responsibility fast. The intern testimony here is more concrete than the marketing copy at larger firms.
How to choose the right firm for your internship
Confirm the Dubai studio actually takes interns
Several firms run excellent internship programmes that are really London or US intakes. Check the Dubai studio’s own careers page or LinkedIn posts before assuming a firmwide programme reaches the UAE. Where no Dubai opening is advertised, a short speculative email with a portfolio link still works, and several studios on this list hire that way.
Match the studio size to what you want to learn
Boutiques like Killa Design and X-Architects hand interns real design responsibility on landmark projects, while giants like Gensler and Stantec teach process, sectors, and how big teams coordinate. Neither is better in the abstract. Students who want authorship should go small, and students who want systems should go big.
Get your tools and portfolio ready first
Multiple listings on this list ask for Revit proficiency and a portfolio of two to four strong work samples. Firms screen on modelling ability far more than on rendering polish. Building those skills before applying changes the outcome, which is why ASDAV’s Revit and BIM course for architects exists.
Ask about pay and duration before you commit
No firm on this list publishes Dubai intern pay, and durations range from summer placements to six-month awards. Ask directly in the interview what the stipend, hours, and end date are. A clear answer is itself a signal of a well-run programme.
How this list was put together
The ASDAV editorial team screened fourteen architecture firms with Dubai offices against three tests. Each firm needed a real, verifiable Dubai studio address, a working official website, and genuine internship evidence such as advertised roles, documented programmes, or verified former-intern testimony.
Four firms were cut. Godwin Austen Johnson and Dabbagh Architects showed no internship or graduate-program evidence, Nikken Sekkei’s Dubai openings were experienced-hire roles only, and Bogle Architects has no Dubai office at all. Employee counts are the ranges shown on each firm’s LinkedIn company page as of October 7, 2026, and where LinkedIn published no range, that is stated instead of guessed. Addresses come from the firms’ official contact or locations pages.
Turn an internship into an offer
An internship gets a foot in the door, but conversion to a full-time role goes to interns who arrive with production-ready skills. ASDAV’s Professional Revit and BIM Course for Architects teaches the exact software fluency these firms screen for. For the longer view on what junior architects earn as they grow, read how architects move from ₹25,000 to ₹1 lakh+ salaries.
Get your firm featured. If your practice runs an internship programme in Dubai and would like it considered for this list, write to hello@asdav.com with the programme details and a link to the careers page.
Jasmine Ahluwalia is a Licensed Architect, Interior designer, Global Vastu consultant and the founder of ASDAV.
She is a graduate of Scuola Master F.lli Pesenti, Politecnico di Milano, and brings strong global exposure through academic learning and professional design projects. Her background combines architecture, interior design, and applied design education.
Before founding ASDAV, Jasmine worked as an assistant professor at Amity School of Architecture and Planning, Amity University Noida. Her research covers sustainable architecture, urban heat island reduction, and circular economy practices in construction. Her work has been published in Scopus indexed and peer reviewed journals as well. She also has strong international on-site experience from countries like Canada, Mauritius, UK, and many more.
Through ASDAV, she has trained more than 500 students across 25 cities. The ASDAV platform has 12+ instructors from IIT, SPA, CEPT and NID, and has delivered over 200 live learning sessions. Her mission is to bridge the gap between design education and real industry expectations, to deliver real growth for her students.
She designs spaces for a living, but her favourite project is designing careers.
