Growing up in the rapidly changing urban landscape of the UAE, I became fascinated by how quickly cities evolve—and how easily their stories can be lost in the process. That curiosity led me to study architecture at the American University in Dubai, where my interest expanded beyond buildings to the wider systems that shape our built environment.
Although I trained as an architect, my career has taken a different path. Working in business development within the design industry, I focus on shaping narratives, building relationships, and positioning projects long before they take physical form. This has given me a front row seat to how places are made, not only through design, but through conversations, ambitions, and strategic alignment. It also allowed me to move between creative thinking and business thinking, and to recognise the importance of both in shaping meaningful outcomes.
What draws me to urbanism is its openness. Unlike buildings, cities are never finished. I’m particularly interested in the spaces that fall between definitions, the informal, the adaptable, the overlooked. I believe the most successful frameworks leave room for people to shape their environment, for identity to emerge over time, and for places to feel genuinely lived in.