DESERT DREAMS 

In the balance between preservation and progress lies a truth: authentic cultural expression emerges through thoughtful evolution that honours tradition whilst embracing possibility. The founder of the UAE's first female-owned design firm Cinmar Design, President of the Emirates Business Women Council, Chairperson presidential of (APID), the only Arab representative in the International Federation of Interior Architects and Designers, Farida Abdulla Kamber Al Awadhi, transformed her 1989 venture into a platform for reshaping Gulf aesthetics. From studying in the United States to receiving the Gulf Woman Executive of the Year award in 1996, her journey illuminates the profound changes that have reshaped both her profession and her homeland.
When I close my eyes and think of Dubai as it was in my childhood, I see sand — endless, golden expanses stretching towards a horizon where sky and earth merged in shimmering heat. This was not the gleaming metropolis visitors encounter today, but a modest trading port where pearl divers still spoke of their grandfathers' adventures beneath the Gulf waters. In that seemingly barren landscape, I discovered something profound: the desert teaches you about space, light, and the human yearning for colour and comfort. These early lessons would shape everything I would later create.

As a young teenager in the 1980s, I found myself constantly asking during our family travels, why didn't Dubai possess the same beautiful spaces I encountered abroad? Sheikh Zayed Road was surrounded by desert then, with tents dotting the landscape, and the World Trade Centre standing as the tallest building almost marking the city's edge. I began wondering why we couldn't create our own designs, mixing local culture with international taste.

The UAE University offered no interior design courses, so I travelled to the United States for my education. Suddenly away from a pampered life where everyone looked after you, I faced genuine challenges. The experience proved transformative; it shaped my personality and vision. Living between two cultures allowed me to select the best from both worlds.

When I returned, everyone expected me to teach art classes. Though I deeply respect teaching, I wanted to bring something new. In August 1989, I received my trade licence to establish Cinmar Design.

People were surprised. They'd tell me, "But we have shops doing interiors; they handle carpeting, wallpaper, curtains, everything." I'd respond that interior design encompassed much more. "Let us see," they said, politely sceptical. I decided to begin with shops on main streets where people could see and judge the results. Villa projects remained too private — you never photographed residential work then. Starting small, I designed one shop, then another. Gradually I progressed to banks, spas, hospitals, corporate offices, and hotels.

Dubai's size meant specialisation was impossible. You couldn't survive focusing solely on one sector. This variety enriched my experience immeasurably. One project particularly close to my heart was the Dubai Ladies Club — the first private club exclusively for women in the 1990s. Among the banks, I designed for Citibank, Emirates Bank, and Dubai Commercial Bank. The Citibank private banking facility marked a watershed moment. As the first such exclusive VIP space in the UAE, when newspapers featured the completed project, everyone assumed the design originated from their US headquarters. Nobody imagined it was created locally and certainly not by a woman. The space successfully merged Arabian warmth with international sophistication.

Working with international team members revealed interesting dynamics. In meetings, clients would initially address my British or American colleagues, assuming they were the decisionmakers. Once I began contributing substantive ideas, the dynamic naturally evolved. Still, I never viewed it as competition.

My husband has been my greatest supporter, sharing insights about the business world I hadn’t yet encountered. We balance each other — that’s how life thrives. Men and women bring distinct strengths, perspectives, and instincts; each complements the other, creating harmony that neither could achieve alone. A truly strong and successful man never fears his wife’s achievements or successes. Instead, he celebrates them as a reflection of their shared strength.

This philosophy of collaboration rather than competition proved essential as Dubai transformed into a cosmopolitan hub. Where others might have seen threat in the arrival of international professionals, I saw opportunity for mutual enrichment.

We have so much in common as human beings, far more than our differences. The key is looking for those commonalities first, then appreciating how our differences create richness. This pattern reached its apex with a major government project in Doha. We won the tender for an auditorium accommodating over 2,400 people — the largest in Qatar. The Sheikh insisted: "We are proud to have Emirati women designing our biggest Auditorium ... you have done an excellent job.”

These experiences convinced me to give back to my community. Working with government authorities, I am one of the founders of the Emirates Business Women Council and Dubai Business Women Council. The role of mothers in society became increasingly clear to me. My own mother raised us after my father passed when I was just five, constantly sharing his wisdom: how he cared about others, even animals, and that he was the first to donate a hospital building in addition to the traditional mosque, and insisted his daughters pursue education. "Dubai will boom," he'd say, looking at the desert. Through her, his vision lived on.

I understood then what I understand even more deeply now: if you want to build a thriving community invest and uplift your women. Women are the central pillar like the pole of a tent that holds everything together. Women are the ones who raise the next generation and create the true foundation of society when we support them in their real roles. We strengthen the entire family structure and in turn the whole community.

In 1996, I received my first Gulf Awards as the Gulf Woman Executive of the Year award and was listed among the 100 most influential Arab women, and many more further. These recognitions came with responsibility to mentor others and have a bigger role in empowering our women in UAE.

As one of the founders of the Association of Professional Interior Designers (APID) we established the association to build bridges between professionals, students, contractors, and suppliers. By bringing everyone together into a thriving interior design community, among our aims is to help students grow, enhance their creativity, and become more creative and stronger designers.
Just before COVID, I organised our largest gathering in partnership with IFI (International Federation of Interior Architects and Designers). We hosted over 450 attendees for four days of speakers and workshops. The airports closed the day after we concluded. 

APID remains the only Arab organisation in IFI, bridging regional and global design communities. Throughout these endeavours, my design philosophy has remained consistent. I work with varied styles because our people appreciate diversity rather than repetition. Every colour possesses beauty depending on application.  Growing up in Dubai's desert landscape, one instinctively craves colour to enliven the neutral backdrop. Personally, I favour "modern classic" environments. Classic elements provide warmth, whilst modern aspects ensure functionality. My real inspiration comes from observing nature — the deep sea's colours, marine life's amazing combinations. Everything teaches us about colour, form, and function.

To young people navigating today's complex world, I offer this:  growth and success come from wishing the best for everyone around you. When we lift each other, whether Emirati or expats, Muslims or Christians from east or west, we build a shared future together. Let competition inspire excellence and collaboration so we all thrive in healthy years and more meaningful ways.
Looking at today's Dubai skyline compared to my childhood memories, the transformation seems miraculous. Yet certain truths endure. We still seek beauty elevating daily experience. We still need gathering spaces that support community. Most importantly, we need each other: local wisdom combined with international expertise, traditional values enhanced by contemporary innovation.

My journey has shown me that true success lies in understanding and bridging differences rather than simply taking sides. The desert of my youth revealed infinite possibilities to those who learned to see. In every project, I seek to create that same discovery for others, designing spaces that reveal richness in simplicity, warmth in modernity, and harmony between the traditional and contemporary — just as Dubai itself has done.