The Ministry of Education (MOE) Headquarters, designed by CambridgeSeven in association with Gulf Consult, serves as a flexible, state of the art office facility for the Ministry of Education and eight MOE Sectors with their departments. Housing administrative offices and support space, general departmental offices, a 600-seat auditorium, conference rooms, a central library, food service facilities, lounges, prayer rooms, exhibition space, and generous function space, the building features state of the art building systems and is flexibly designed to accommodate MOE`s near-term and long-term objectives. The initial design occupancy is estimated to be approximately 2,800 people; although the building will accommodate an additional 35 percent staff growth. Design inspiration for the Ministry of Education`s new headquarters building originated from the rich maritime history of Kuwait shipbuilders, whose elegant dhows and magnificent sails have graced the horizon for centuries. The dhow concept is conceived as two curved office buildings that overlap to form an interior courtyard atrium. Thus, when approaching the site, one sees two graceful building forms intersecting like the sails of a dhow.