From Tent to Terminal: Bedouin Craft in Contemporary Gulf Architecture

Using Jeddah's Hajj Terminal as a case study, this article traces how Bedouin tent-making techniques—specifically the goat-hair weaving known as Al Sadu—have informed contemporary Gulf architecture. Completed in 1981 by SOM, the terminal's PTFE-coated tensile membranes translate the tent's environmental logic (swelling when wet, loosening when dry) into a vast naturally ventilated space that serves millions of pilgrims. Later projects, including Foster + Partners' Red Sea International Airport and Grimshaw's Terra Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai, adopt similar passive strategies without literal tent imagery. UNESCO recognizes Al Sadu as intangible cultural heritage. The author argues that true heritage lies not in copying forms but in understanding the underlying intelligence of lightweight, modular, climate-responsive construction. Published August 18, 2026, the article is part of ArchDaily's series on the architecture of craft.