< Back

Nick Leech

Nick Leech is a writer and qualified landscape architect who specializes in the art, architecture and heritage of the Gulf and wider Middle East. He spent seven years with the Abu Dhabi, English-language daily, The National, most recently as the publication's visual arts correspondent. Leech has experience of working on some of the Gulf’s largest and most complex urban-design projects preparing him for his role as The National’s special correspondent for the Louvre Abu Dhabi. Chronicling the museum’s design, engineering, construction and delivery in detail over five years.

He has lectured extensively on the history of art, architecture and design at universities in the UK and the UAE, and has also moderated panel discussions for Abu Dhabi Art, Louvre Abu Dhabi and Nuqat, the Kuwait-based non-profit organization dedicated to fostering creativity and creative problem solving in the Arab world. Leech holds a BA in the history of art, design and film from Sheffield Hallam University, an MA in landscape architecture from the University of Greenwich, and he studied the history of design at the Royal College of Art in London.

Leech has written for other publications including The Independent in the UK and Shawati’ Magazine in the UAE. He has also written academic articles about architecture and interiors.

Articles By Nick Leech

An Opportunity to Convince the Region to Build Sustainable Cities – One Botanic Garden at a Time By Nick Leech - Aug 22, 2018

At a recent ceremony in London, the emirate of Sharjah in the UAE announced its latest architectural commission, the new 600,000 square meter Sharjah Botanical Garden. Located on a site the size of 70 football pitches on the emirate’s border with Dubai, the project is being designed by Grimshaw, the architectural firm responsible for the … Continue reading “An Opportunity to Convince the Region to Build Sustainable Cities – One Botanic Garden at a Time”

The Looting of Iraq’s Antiquity, and Lessons on How to Deal with the Loss of National Patrimony By Nick Leech - Jun 7, 2018

The atmosphere of absurdity surrounding the evangelical Green family, their Hobby Lobby business empire, the new Washington-based Museum of the Bible and the repatriation of thousands of stolen Iraqi antiquities seems proof positive that Karl Marx was correct. History does repeats itself, only this time tragedy and farce seem to be sharing the same stage. … Continue reading “The Looting of Iraq’s Antiquity, and Lessons on How to Deal with the Loss of National Patrimony”

Between Old Norms and Current Trends Lies the Grand Egyptian Museum By Nick Leech - May 29, 2018

International Museum Day is an event celebrated in May. It attracts thousands of participants in many countries from Greenland to Tasmania, from Taiwan to Senegal. As usual, this year’s commemoration was organized on a theme, this time the rather unwieldy “Hyperconnected Museums: New Approaches, New Publics.” It is one, nonetheless, that resonates with the project … Continue reading “Between Old Norms and Current Trends Lies the Grand Egyptian Museum”