With multiple environmental problems that we must address as soon as possible, sustainability is increasingly becoming a focal point across various aspects of life, including art and design. Creatives from all over the globe are reshaping the design landscape with eco-conscious approaches. Today, we highlight three remarkable Middle Eastern female designers who are integrating sustainability into their practices, taking cues from the region’s culture.
Reem Jeghel
Reem Jeghel is a Syrian designer based in Dubai who earned a Bachelor’s degree in Interior Design from the American University of Sharjah. Striving to be one of those who positively contribute to sustainable design in the MENA region, Jeghel has created Palm Veneer, a biodegradable material she presented at Dubai Design Week in 2022. This innovation aims to reduce emission waste while supporting the growing Emirati market.
Palm Veneer utilises local resources discarded in the UAE: agricultural waste from palm trees. Collected from around the country, these palm fibres are transformed into flat surfaces resembling wood veneer. Then, the palm veneer pieces are arranged in a composition employing wood marquetry techniques that mimic palm leaves’ shape and natural hues. After that, they are glued to cardboard paper.
Sara Kanoo
Sara Kanoo (b. 1987, Dammam, Saudi Arabia) is a Bahrain-based architect and designer who founded That Studio. She grew up in Bahrain and graduated from Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston (USA). After that, she returned to Bahrain to join the architecture department of COWI Gulf A/S, a Denmark-based consultancy. During this period, Kanoo designed the interior of Al Riwaq Café as well as an outdoor library and seating area made from recycled material for Al Riwaq’s event Market338. Additionally, Kanoo turned an abandoned building into an art exhibition space during Al Riwaq’s Alwan338 festival, redesigning its façade with scrap yard bicycles; she also designed its corresponding public space.
Kanoo employs slow design principles, highlighting social, cultural, and environmental sustainability by modernising and enriching traditions and craftsmanship. Her work is deeply rooted in her cultural heritage. For example, Kanoo’s Steps Clasp, a modular jewellery design which won her a place among ten AlUla Design Award finalists in 2023, is inspired by the pyramidal motifs of the ancient tombs in Hegra (Saudi Arabia). Some of Kanoo’s works draw from traditional second-hand markets, such as Souq Waqif and Souq Al Haraj. According to the designer, she is attracted to this culture of selling used objects and reusing discarded materials and wants to create something beautiful and usable from them.
Rania Elkalla
Rania Elkalla is an Egyptian product and graphic designer who divides her time between Cairo and Berlin. She obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Product Design from the German University (Cairo), where she studied at the faculty of applied sciences and arts, completing her final year at Köln International School of Design (Germany). Elkalla also has a Master’s degree from the Technical University of Berlin.
While working on her eclectic works, Elkalla considers ethical sourcing and production as crucial as function and quality. Aiming to create functional and sustainable products, she founded Shell Homage, a global brand born from her thesis research project.
Shell Homage produces a revolutionary, completely biodegradable composite material from food waste — egg and nut shells, hence the name — without toxic chemicals. First, the shells are collected, sterilised, dried, and ground down. Then, they are bonded with organic substances, processed with vegetable dyes and biodegradable resins, and fired. The resulting lightweight material, which can look like marble, natural stone, rubber, or glass, is similar to stone or ceramic and can be drilled, sanded, or laser cut.
Elkalla’s material has numerous creative applications. One can use it in interior design (to produce furniture, different home accessories, light fixtures, wall panels, etc.), jewellery design, or 3D printing. This innovation holds the potential to replace oil-based plastics, contributing to a more sustainable future.
You might also be interested in reading our articles about sustainable architectural projects, such as the Dubai Reefs floating complex by URB, the wasl Tower by UNStudio, and the Red Sea International (RSI) Airport.