29 April, 2025, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: Cross Works (XW), a global award-winning cross-disciplinary design & technology firm, has expanded to Saudi Arabia and chosen the Kingdom as its Regional Headquarters in the GCC. The move marks the company’s official foray into Saudi Arabia with support from AstroLabs, the Gulf’s leading business expansion platform.
“We are excited about Cross Works’ expansion into Saudi Arabia. With its proven track record and exceptional expertise and expanding technology initiatives, Cross Works is ready to make a dent in the Saudi design landscape, contributing to both urban development and sustainable infrastructure growth,” said Alex Nicholls, director of expansion at AstroLabs.
Originally founded and headquartered in London, UK, Cross Works is globally recognized for its ability to formulate advanced solutions and technologies for architectural design, urban design, and large-scale city planning. The firm brings together a team of experienced professionals, including architects, urban designers, city planners, GIS specialists, computational designers, web designers, visualizers, and software engineers.
Over the years, the company has built a strong foundation of long-standing partnerships with a diverse set of clients and developers both in Saudi Arabia and regionally.
Since its inception, Cross Works has actively been involved with a string of large-scale initiatives across the Kingdom, including public sector giga-projects as well as private sector developments, both under direct appointment and also in partnership with other firms already established in the region.
For Cross Works, establishing a Saudi presence has been an integral part of the company’s growth strategy.
“Cross Works is highly motivated to spread its unique service offer across all corners of the Kingdom, providing design and technology services from the plot scale to regional and national scale strategies. At the same time, the company is delighted to make Riyadh its regional headquarters for the Middle East, utilizing the capital city as a hub to service neighboring countries and, indeed, to build a locally sourced team on the ground,” said Hakan Agca, founder and managing director of Cross Works.
“The firm intends to build a long-term legacy in the country as an example of excellence, particularly in large-scale urban design, city planning, and technology within the built environment,” he noted.
Before officially entering Saudi Arabia, the London-based company had already doubled down on international markets, most notably in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, where it was appointed by the government to masterplan a 25,000-hectare extension of the capital after winning an international design competition, designing a “twin city” for 2.5 million people.
The firm was the lead designer and lead consultant on the project, overseeing a large design consortium, and guided the scheme through official approvals from concept planning through to detailed masterplanning and architectural design. Cross Works (XW) also built a one-of-a-kind digital twin for the development authority, containing all project data and acting as a planning tool for officials.
The project earned global recognition, leading the company to secure the Silver World Architecture News (WAN) Award in the Future Projects: Master Planning category, among other prestigious awards.
Building on its solid presence in Saudi Arabia, Cross Works is well-positioned to contribute to the transformative projects shaping the future of cities in the Kingdom. This strategic expansion underscores its unwavering dedication to delivering state-of-the-art design solutions and technical expertise in this vibrant region.
The Riyadh RHQ will serve as a hub for the company’s operations in Saudi Arabia as well as the MENA region, allowing it to deliver immediate, localized support, drive greater innovation, and push the boundaries of architecture and urban development.
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For media inquiries, please contact
Lara Fakih, director of communications at AstroLabs (lara@astrolabs.com).
Hakan Agca, founder and managing director of Cross Works (XW) (hakan@cross-works.co.uk)
About AstroLabs
AstroLabs is the leading business expansion platform in the Gulf, propelling high-growth companies across strategic industries. With a decade of supporting economic development in emerging markets, AstroLabs is the partner of choice for over 1,500 companies that have expanded across the region, engaging a vibrant network of 10,000+ market leaders in the UAE and KSA. Bridging key gaps in fundamental industries in the Gulf, AstroLabs designs sector-focused and outcome-driven programs in partnership with government entities and the private sector. AstroLabs is committed to building the future of key sectors, driving market access, and contributing to regional visions like Saudi Vision 2030.
About Cross Works (XW)
Cross Works (XW) is an award-winning cross-disciplinary design & technology firm, headquartered in London & Riyadh. The company formulates technologically advanced solutions to real-world challenges in urban environments. The team is made up of architects, urban designers, city planners, GIS specialists, technologists, web designers, visualisers, and software engineers. XW is currently active on a number of large-scale projects, from national, regional, and city-scale masterplans through to 1 million+ sq/ft mixed-use architectural developments around the world, whilst also providing digital expertise and software development services for clients and collaborators alike. This synthesis of design and technology allows Cross Works to develop cutting-edge approaches and methodologies in all of its design projects, whilst also providing tools and applications for more technology-focused clients. The firm has been active on all such scales and initiatives across the Kingdom since its founding, and is now looking to expand its operations with the opening of an office in Riyadh, which will service the Kingdom and the surrounding MENA region.