Embassy of the United Arab Emirates
View the architectural study
Interpretive architectural study of the catalogued property.
3522 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008
Pale Mount Airy granite, turquoise glazing and patterned mosaic domes distinguish this chancery in the International Chancery Center. A deep arched portico faces the paved forecourt; the narrower garden wing steps back beneath a planted terrace.
| Fact | Value | Basis and sources |
|---|---|---|
| Constructed | 2001 | documented Construction period November 1999 to March 2001, International Masonry Institute case study, March/April 2003. |
| Site-use / lease date | Not Verified | unverified ICC Lot 19; CFA lists the U.S. Department of State as owner. Final plans were approved on 6 November 1997. The lease or acquisition date remains unresolved. The mission opened in 1974; acquisition of this site remains undated. |
| Neighborhood | North Cleveland Park | documented |
| Architect | Angelos Demetriou & Associates | documented |
| Rooms | 70–165 est. | estimated; Planning estimate: rooms = building area × room-area fraction ÷ average room size. For this office property, assume 45%–65% of the recorded 63,131 sq ft is enclosed usable room area, with an average 250–400 sq ft per room. The range combines the low fraction with the larger room size and the high fraction with the smaller size, rounded outward to five rooms. Room allocation and average size are assumptions. Covers the recorded building area; the interior has not been independently measured. Estimated room range. |
| Floor area | 63,100 sq ft | estimated; Estimate from the NCPC project-site area of 48,562 sq ft multiplied by the published approximate current floor-area ratio 1.3:63,130.6 sq ft. Uses the site area defined in the FAR calculation. The tax parcel has a different area of 48,262 sq ft. This is FAR-counted building floor area; open terraces and any parking excluded by the FAR rules are not added. The contractor’s 96,000 sq ft stone/project quantity is not treated as a measured floor area. |
| Site area | 48,300 sq ft | verified; Parcel total: 1964/0808. DC ITSPE LANDAREA, recorded square feet. Roads and unrelated neighboring parcels excluded. Uses the assessed parcel boundary, consistent with the valuation. The 2018 NCPC project site area of 48,562 sq ft covers a slightly different boundary and is retained as source context. |
| 2026 Value | $14.5M | verified; Parcel total: 1964/0808. Active 2026 DC ITSPE ASSESSMENT; land plus improvements. Not proposed value, tax owed, sale price or leasehold value. The assessed parcel may be federally owned; this figure does not assert ownership by the occupying mission. |
| Diplomatic use | 2002 | verified; Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi’s first-person November 2009 account states that the embassy in Washington’s diplomatic quarter was inaugurated in 2002. The 2002 CIA World Factbook also records the new address, 3522 International Court NW. Construction completion remains March 2001, as the construction case study specifies. |
Scope and Evidence
The exterior drawing follows supplied photographs and the 2018 NCPC site plan; dimensions are approximate.
Main width approximately 40 m and site proportions checked against the published site-plan scale bar and stated 48,562 sq ft area. Floor heights, rear detailing and concealed rooftop services are inferred.
Construction and material quantities follow the International Masonry Institute case study. Surface-area quantities are not presented as floor area.
Construction was completed in 2001; the earliest verified documentary year of diplomatic use is 2002. Earlier design and construction dates are retained in the cited records.
The upper-level west-facing terrace is a separate 2,300-sq-ft scope in the 2009 NCPC record. Its area is not added to gross floor area.
The Massachusetts Avenue annex and Virginia residence research are separate property records; their area and acquisition figures do not describe this chancery.
NCPC identifies International Chancery Center planning Lot 19 and the final site/building approval of 6 November 1997. The diplomatic site-use agreement and its execution date were not located.
Tax parcel 1964 0808 matches the individual UAE site shown on NCPC drawings AP1.0 and AP1.1. The assessment covers the chancery parcel.
The $14,518,840 value is the 2026 DC assessment of the federally owned parcel containing the UAE chancery. The assessment covers the federal parcel containing the chancery. The diplomatic leasehold has no separate verified valuation.
The current tax record states 48,262 sq ft; the NCPC project report states 48,562 sq ft. Both scopes are disclosed; the previously supported NCPC site figure is retained pending boundary reconciliation.
Commercial CAMA reports AYB 2018 and LIVING_GBA 0. These do not replace the original construction record of November 1999–March 2001 or establish a usable gross floor area.
- en.wikipedia.org
- imiweb.org
- maps2.dcgis.dc.gov
- maps2.dcgis.dc.gov
- maps2.dcgis.dc.gov
- maps2.dcgis.dc.gov
- maps2.dcgis.dc.gov
- otr.cfo.dc.gov
- sultanalqassemi.com
- user.iiasa.ac.at
- www.cfa.gov
- www.mofa.gov.ae
- www.ncpc.gov
- www.ncpc.gov
- www.ncpc.gov
- www.rugostone.com
Research Questions
Where Is Embassy of the United Arab Emirates?
3522 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008.
When Was Embassy of the United Arab Emirates Built?
Constructed: 2001. Record status: documented. Construction period November 1999 to March 2001, International Masonry Institute case study, March/April 2003.
Who Designed Embassy of the United Arab Emirates?
Architect: Angelos Demetriou & Associates. Record status: documented.
What Is the Floor Area of Embassy of the United Arab Emirates?
Floor area: 63,100 sq ft. Record status: estimated. Estimate from the NCPC project-site area of 48,562 sq ft multiplied by the published approximate current floor-area ratio 1.3:63,130.6 sq ft. Uses the site area defined in the FAR calculation. The tax parcel has a different area of 48,262 sq ft. This is FAR-counted building floor area; open terraces and any parking excluded by the FAR rules are not added. The contractor’s 96,000 sq ft stone/project quantity is not treated as a measured floor area. Verified in the record on 2026-10-24.
What Is the Site Area of Embassy of the United Arab Emirates?
Site area: 48,300 sq ft. Record status: verified. Parcel total: 1964/0808. DC ITSPE LANDAREA, recorded square feet. Roads and unrelated neighboring parcels excluded. Uses the assessed parcel boundary, consistent with the valuation. The 2018 NCPC project site area of 48,562 sq ft covers a slightly different boundary and is retained as source context. Verified in the record on 2026-10-24.
What Is the 2026 Value of Embassy of the United Arab Emirates?
2026 Value: $14.5M. Record status: verified. Parcel total: 1964/0808. Active 2026 DC ITSPE ASSESSMENT; land plus improvements. Not proposed value, tax owed, sale price or leasehold value. The assessed parcel may be federally owned; this figure does not assert ownership by the occupying mission. This is a tax assessment, not a verified sale price or market valuation. Verified in the record on 2026-10-24.