Farida Abdulla Al Awadhi Urges Designers to Find New Ways to Incorporate National Cultural Elements into Everyday Life
(MENAFN- MENAFNEditorial) Her Excellency Farida Abdulla Kambar Al Awadhi, founder of Cinmar Design and co-founder of the Association of Professional Interior Designers (UAE), has called on designers to find new ways to incorporate national cultural elements into everyday life and to consider the needs of international consumers when developing products for global markets. She made the remarks on November 2 at the international festival-forum Russian Creative Week — Eurasia in Ufa, Russia, during the session "Design as the Language of the Creative Economy and a Tool for International Cooperation."
According to Al Awadhi, successfully bringing national brands to international markets requires more than simply using traditional ornaments, materials and artistic techniques. These elements must be reinterpreted to reflect contemporary lifestyles. This approach applies to interior design, architecture, fashion, jewellery and other creative sectors.
"The first thing a designer must do is understand people's needs and the environment in which they live. How can we offer them something that improves their quality of life? Whether it is interior design, architecture or fashion, designers are the ones who should create a better living environment for people," Al Awadhi said.
She emphasised that national cultural heritage can become an important competitive advantage in international markets when its elements are organically incorporated into contemporary products. Traditional motifs, craftsmanship and materials, for example, can be used not only in ceremonial clothing or decorative objects but also in everyday consumer products.
Al Awadhi paid particular attention to opportunities for Russian designers and brands to enter the UAE market. In her view, the Emirates' multicultural environment creates opportunities for international cooperation. However, successfully reaching local consumers requires an understanding of their culture, lifestyles and purchasing preferences.
She explained that designers from Bashkortostan and other Russian regions could offer UAE consumers distinctive products rooted in their own cultural traditions. Adapting these products to the needs of the local market would help make them more accessible, relevant and appealing to consumers.
Al Awadhi also highlighted the importance of direct engagement between professional communities, knowledge exchange, participation in international exhibitions and the use of digital technologies to identify potential partners. According to her, designers can serve as bridges between cultures, bringing together national traditions, contemporary creative solutions and production capabilities from different countries.
During the session, participants discussed the development of international cooperation in design and proposed establishing a "Eurasian Breakfast" — a networking platform for designers, branding specialists, manufacturers and international partners. Another key initiative was the development of a joint brand, "Created Together," which could bring together creative products jointly developed by partners from different countries.
The international festival-forum Russian Creative Week — Eurasia is taking place on November 2–4, 2026, at the Toratau Congress Hall in Ufa, Russia. Its business programme includes more than 30 events featuring experts from 13 countries, including Türkiye, the UAE, China and Iran. The main themes of the festival-forum are international cooperation, joint projects in the creative industries, and their social and humanitarian impact.
Russian Creative Week — Eurasia is organised by the Unified Centre for Creative Economy (ANO Creative Economy) and the Government of the Republic of Bashkortostan.
Media Partners: TASS, Snob, Kommersant, Kommersant-Bashkortostan, EMG, News.ru, FederalPress, RTVI, Ridus, Ufa.Sobaka.ru, IT-Russia, and BST TV Channel.
International Media Partners: TV BRICS, Tochka.by, ABP Burundi, and Argumenty Nedeli Uzbekistan.
About
According to Al Awadhi, successfully bringing national brands to international markets requires more than simply using traditional ornaments, materials and artistic techniques. These elements must be reinterpreted to reflect contemporary lifestyles. This approach applies to interior design, architecture, fashion, jewellery and other creative sectors.
"The first thing a designer must do is understand people's needs and the environment in which they live. How can we offer them something that improves their quality of life? Whether it is interior design, architecture or fashion, designers are the ones who should create a better living environment for people," Al Awadhi said.
She emphasised that national cultural heritage can become an important competitive advantage in international markets when its elements are organically incorporated into contemporary products. Traditional motifs, craftsmanship and materials, for example, can be used not only in ceremonial clothing or decorative objects but also in everyday consumer products.
Al Awadhi paid particular attention to opportunities for Russian designers and brands to enter the UAE market. In her view, the Emirates' multicultural environment creates opportunities for international cooperation. However, successfully reaching local consumers requires an understanding of their culture, lifestyles and purchasing preferences.
She explained that designers from Bashkortostan and other Russian regions could offer UAE consumers distinctive products rooted in their own cultural traditions. Adapting these products to the needs of the local market would help make them more accessible, relevant and appealing to consumers.
Al Awadhi also highlighted the importance of direct engagement between professional communities, knowledge exchange, participation in international exhibitions and the use of digital technologies to identify potential partners. According to her, designers can serve as bridges between cultures, bringing together national traditions, contemporary creative solutions and production capabilities from different countries.
During the session, participants discussed the development of international cooperation in design and proposed establishing a "Eurasian Breakfast" — a networking platform for designers, branding specialists, manufacturers and international partners. Another key initiative was the development of a joint brand, "Created Together," which could bring together creative products jointly developed by partners from different countries.
The international festival-forum Russian Creative Week — Eurasia is taking place on November 2–4, 2026, at the Toratau Congress Hall in Ufa, Russia. Its business programme includes more than 30 events featuring experts from 13 countries, including Türkiye, the UAE, China and Iran. The main themes of the festival-forum are international cooperation, joint projects in the creative industries, and their social and humanitarian impact.
Russian Creative Week — Eurasia is organised by the Unified Centre for Creative Economy (ANO Creative Economy) and the Government of the Republic of Bashkortostan.
Media Partners: TASS, Snob, Kommersant, Kommersant-Bashkortostan, EMG, News.ru, FederalPress, RTVI, Ridus, Ufa.Sobaka.ru, IT-Russia, and BST TV Channel.
International Media Partners: TV BRICS, Tochka.by, ABP Burundi, and Argumenty Nedeli Uzbekistan.
About
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the
information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept
any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images,
videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information
contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright
issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Comments
No comment