Many of the world’s A-list architects have descended upon Dubai, as its desert sands are parted for ever more extravagant developments. But lesser known firms are showing up there as well.

ZAS Architects Inc., a 50-person firm in Toronto, recently won a commission from Nakheel, one of the emirate’s largest developers, to design a $1.25 billion waterfront complex that will encompass 7.2 million square feet. The project, dubbed Marina and Beach Towers, is part of a larger development called Dubai Promenade, which is being constructed on a 55-acre artificial peninsula that was created by dredging up the floor of the Persian Gulf. Nearby are the three manmade islands collectively known as the Palm Triology, another Nakheel project.