Speakers
is the creative force behind her design offices of Mona Hussein Design House -MHDH- & Mahally. She first launched a lighting showroom ‐Temple of Light‐ in 1992 in the World Trade Center of Cairo. In 1993, Mona established -MHDH- Office, a 28-year-old company today. -MHDH- is an award-winning medium sized design firm housing 50 employees and has a design history of over 400 projects locally and internationally. It is regionally recognized for its comprehensive and individualistic design solutions for residences, offices, commercial spaces, hospitality, medical inst-
itutes, sales centers, retail spaces, exhibition booths, mock ups and yachts that are channeled through an equilibrium between a cultural environment and a contemporary design. Honing her passion for design, she expanded her interior design house to include landscape design, architecture design, product design, signage & wayfinding, branding, an interior design academy MHIDA and the MAHALLY AWARD competition. As a designer, Mona Hussein understands the importance of creating unique and
inspiring yet functional spaces for her clients whether the project is residential, commercial, hospitality, architecture or landscape. Being part of an award-winning project "Designopolis", “Na3na3” restaurant which won the interior bronze A’ Design Award, “The Ripple Applique” and “The Positive & Negative” screen that won the golden A’ Design Award, Mona Hussein has made her mark on many of Egypt's most unique, distinctive and elegant interiors, projects and products. In addition to leading a creative and ambitious team of designers and architects, Mona Hussein keeps the creative juices flowing by
encouraging the team to seek inspiration from the smallest of details that surrounds them. She also keeps sharing with them the most recent developments internationally to ensure the team remains updated and continuously evolving through time with the rapid design world around us. "It is the understanding of the client's vision for their project and translating that into a creative yet functional design is what makes this job so gratifying." Mona Hussein.
Winning awards:
Co-Founder & Managing Partner of Style Design Hisham Ghorab is the co-founder and managing partner of Style Design, a multidisciplinary architecture and design firm based in Cairo, providing design, contracting, retail and maintenance services. His journey began over 38 years ago. After earning his bachelor’s degree in architecture from the Cairo University, he originally wanted to become an architecture professor.His life and career, however, soon took a complete turn when he started discovering
his entrepreneurial passion for creating humancentered design with a focus on positive energy and well-being, which inevitably led him to pursue a specialization in architecture, construction and interior design.His passion as an architect stems from his lifelong obsession with creating things from the ground up. From a young age, he has always tried to manipulate objects and materials to create something completely new. The simple act of shaping materials and objects to create something functional and beautiful filled him with endless satisfaction.
By further exploring various disciplines to expand his own pursuit of learning, experimentation and self-improvement, he was able to turn this passion into his current profession. When he founded Style Design with his partner Ehab El Khodary in 1989, their mission was to create timeless and inspiring spaces that provide a distinct experience for each of their clients and are tailored to their individual needs. Over the past years, Style Design has developed partnerships with a number of upscale designers and leading global brands and suppliers to successfully
serve a wide variety of projects in both local and international markets, ranging from residential and commercial properties to offices and workspaces, hospitality and F&B, education, government, healthcare and more. Today, Style Design has two stores with more than 2,000 m² of showroom space dedicated to contemporary furniture, lighting, flooring and finishing materials for office, residential, contract and outdoor use.Style Design’s recent projects include Silversands Hotel and Villas in Grenada, Tahrir Cultural Center & Cafeteria at the American University in Cairo, ZED Sales Hub (West and East) & Italiano restaurant as well-
as Al Ismaelia Headquarters and Consoleya co-working space in downtown Cairo. Each of these projects brought a different and unique experience during the design process and had its own challenges that greatly enriched the experience of Style Design’s team of experts.
is a Designer, Educator and Consultant based in Cairo, Egypt. He is an Associate Professor of Practice in the Graphic Design program, Department of the Arts at the American University in Cairo – AUC, founder of the Design studio brdge and co-founder of the Design initiative 100/100 Hundred Best Arabic Posters competition. Before joining the AUC he had built and led the Interaction and UX Design program at the German University in Cairo, GUC for the past 9 years.
With more than 15 years of Design experience his professional background covers a wide range of design disciplines such as Service Design, UX Design and Brand Identity. He has worked with clients in the automotive, financial, cultural, health and technology sector in Germany, but also from different cultural backgrounds such as Turkey, Pakistan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, UAE and South Africa.
Oliver works within the MillerKnoll (formerly Herman Miller) Insight Group, which is responsible for the commissioning, overseeing, and presenting of insights into the latest thinking in workplace design and associated issues. The subjects covered include The Future of Work, Happiness in the Workplace, Cognitive Ergonomics, Creativity in the Workplace, Agile Working and the Psychology of Collaboration. Oliver has also been a Living Office specialist since 2014, where through the Discovery Process, MillerKnoll helps organizations to purposefully consider the behaviours they feel will help them meet their business objectives and to design spaces that support those.
After completing his Masters in 2009, Oliver moved to Norway to begin a teaching career in applied Psychology before joining Herman Miller in January 2011. Since then, he has become a valued member of the Insight team working closely with the international sales force, as well as public and private sector clients. He has been involved with a variety of international office projects and has been based in Dubai since 2015 to deliver Insights throughout APMEA regions. Oliver also has an active interest in social media and technology. His valued insights can be found at @HMInsightMEA.
Regional Design and Sales Manager at Interface Neslihan Küçükaslan was born in Mardin and studied architecture at Istanbul Yildiz Technical University.She worked in different areas of the construction sector and specialized in Biophilic Design as well as Workplace Well-Being.
Neslihan speaks at universities and industry events about Human Centric Design approaches. She also organizes Biophilic Design workshops for young architects and students. Neslihan currently works under the Interface umbrella as a Key Account Manager for Turkey and Dubai.
Hands-on commercial sector leader with more than 20 years of diver’s experiences in creating a compelling change, drive a profitable business strategy and driving end - to - end business process improvement with successful and proven experience in turn a rounds and accelerating growth. Held all the managerial positions in commercial sector that enables him to ensure the energetic, and effective smart leadership techniques which assisted local and international organizations he worked in to move forward business growth.
Haytham holds an international MBA and prior to join international organization and recently joined Asfour Crystal and managed the turn and back phase, successfully achieved a new mark of business growth enabled the brand to acquire new market shares and penetrate new markets. ''
It takes a lot of patience, dedication and hard work to reach the top of one's profession and as hard to keep that position. Take for instance, Islam Haridy, who has been in business for almost 16 years his success has earned for his big belief in the fact that "Hard work always pays off. In 2011 he became the co-founder and managing partner in "Antakh furniture" the first brand to introduce the alternative furniture concept in the region then came "Ank furniture " introducing world-class furniture solutions designed and manufactured by Egyptian hands.
Since he is a big believer in entrepreneurial life he started doing business in a very early stage when he was only 16 years old Islam's brands developed a great reputation between his stakeholders and clients from end users to the most important developers and retailers in the region
Shewekar Elgharably is an interior and product designer. She is also the founder and lead designer of Shewekar design studio. After concluding her B.A. in Business Administration from the American University in Cairo, Shewekar pursued her passion for architecture and design. Living in Miami at the time, she decided to study her second B.A., in Interior Design from the Miami International University of Art and Design. Upon returning toEgypt in 2002 with renewed
inspiration, she established her own studio to creatively transform what she learned to experiential work. In 2017, she expanded her scope of work to furniture design and launched Shewekar, her signature luxury furniture and exquisite home accessories line.
Egyptian designer Karim Mekhtigian, considered by his peers to be the guru of contemporary interior design in Egypt, was born in Cairo in 1964 to a family of Armenian descent. His multicultural upbringing in Egypt’s cosmopolitan capital imbued him with a deep appreciation of Egypt’s rich cultural heritage and the multitude of influences that shape it. Mekhtigian is both Egyptian to the core and a man of the world. After completing secondary school, Mekhtigian, who was just sixteen at the time, travelled around the US and Europe for four years taking on different jobs at architectural design firms and in cinema, gaining invaluable practical experience in both fields. In 1984, Mekhtigian
went on to study Interior Design and Scenography at the E.S.A.T. (École Supérieure d’Art et Techniques). After graduating in 1989, he worked as a Designer and Art Director for several companies, both in Paris and Cairo, before opening his own design studio, ‘Dessilk,’ for handmade tableware and accessories, in Paris. In just the first two years following Dessilk’s launch, its products were recognized by such organizations as Salon Maison et Objets, Paris, Hermes Foundation, and F.N.A.C. Fond National d’Art Contemporain. In 1998, Mekhtigian founded ‘Alchemy Design Studio,’ in Cairo, offering a wide array of services, including architecture, interior and product design.
His innovative designs and flawless taste quickly established him as a leader in Egypt’s contemporary design industry, making him one of the most sought-after interior designers in Egypt. From the start, Mekhtigian distinguished himself with his ability to subtly transpose the Cairene sensorial landscape to his designs. To this day, combining cultural codes and traditions with modern visions and new technologies remains a hallmark of his design philosophy. In 2003, building on Alchemy’s success, Mekhtigian, along with his partner Mohamed Fares, opened the first Alchemy showroom for furniture and accessories in Cairo. This was followed by a second Cairo showroom in 2006 and a showroom in Bahrain in 2009. From 2005 to 2011, as a consultant to the Egyptian Industrial Modernisation Center, Mekhtigian successfully implemented a national strategy to brand Egypt as a center
for innovative furniture design. He founded the Egyptian Designers Forum with other leading Egyptian designers and secured the participation of Egyptian designers in exhibitions abroad, including Milan and Paris. His success at raising the international exposure of Egyptian designers contributed to Egypt‘s emergence as a player in the world of innovative design.After 2011 and the economic difficulties that ensued, Mekhtigian embarked on a new phase in Alchemy’s work, focusing more on architecture and commercial projects, including the design of major compounds like Seashell, for which Alchemy won the Platinum Muse Award for the design of G Hotel, and La Playa on the North coast.Mekhtigian went on to expand his scope of work, most notably offering branding and rebranding services to clients seeking to raise their company profiles to an
international level. His work on architecture and commercial projects, also expanded beyond design to the creation of branding strategies that include logos, communication and visual identity. In 2014, Mekhtigian launched his brand ‘Analogue,’ for tableware and accessories, in Milan, thus creating his own brand of high-quality, slick and contemporary handmade products crafted in Egypt. Mekhtigian has also been active in the restoration and revival of Khedival downtown Cairo. His contribution extends beyond the restoration of specific buildings to include devising long-term repositioning strategies that render renovated buildings functional and culturally alive, while preserving the social fabric of the surrounding community.
Eng. Mohamed Talaat; Founder and Chairman of MT Architects with over 20 years of solid experience in the Architecture and Engineering field. He Established Mohamed Talaat Architects with a vision of “DESIGN FOR YOU “leading a talented team of architects and interior designers, fully aware that in a fast-growing world, we have to remain up to date with the latest and most creative trends and technologies.
Mohamed Talaat is well known for his unique taste and innovative ideas, cares to design buildings and spaces that leaves a lasting and memorable impression that creates an unforgettable experience.
is born in Egypt. He graduated from Jesuites French School. He studied Mechanical Engineering at AUC & Penn State University in Pennsylvania USA. Ahmed has graduated as Mechanical Engineer with Higher Honors - Industrial & Design minor in Business Administration and Art. He is the CEO of Meuble El Chark.Ahmed was the Egyptian Furniture Export Council Chairman from 2005 till 2012. He was also on the Board of IMC (Industrial Modernization Centre) on different rounds 2011 & 2018-2020.
Ahmed is now the Chairman of the Chamber of Wood & Furniture Industries CWWFI since 2016 till now, (Federation of Egyptian Industries) FEI. He manages different design, Furniture Exhibition & Design related activities like FURNEX & +20 Egypt design.
Board Member:
Rowaida Rashed is the director of Design and Innovation at Ökoplan Engineering Consultations, and is one of four associate partners, who seek out new exchange and business opportunities, as well as develop and maintain the firm’s corporate identity and brand. Rowaida joined the firm 25 years ago, where she established a long experience working on many projects in city planning, urban design and architectural design. She earned her doctorate degree from the Institute of Urbanism, Graz University of Technology, Austria.
Besides her duties at Ökoplan, she is currently an Associate Professor at the Department of Urban Planning, Faculty of Engineering, Ain Shams University. Her teaching and research both focus on ecological urban design and regenerative practices. She has worked on numerous projects inside and outside Egypt.
Mohamad Baitie Business Development Director, GLC Paints With a master’s Degree in interior architecture, Mohamad has an expansive knowledge of color, color forecasting, color design and architectural coatings. With over 18 years of experience in marketing and communication in the paint industry, working for one of the top multinational paint brands.
He has lead the brand identity transformation of GLC Paints and is thoroughly involved in product research and development within the organization.
is the director of Design and Innovation at Ökoplan Engineering Consultations, and is one of four associate partners, who seek out new exchange and business opportunities, as well as develop and maintain the firm’s corporate identity and brand. Natalie joined the firm 13 years ago, with a total of 27 years of experience, working on a wide range of projects in city planning, urban design and architectural design.
She received her master’s degree in Sustainable Development from Cairo University, in addition to a professional diploma in Environmental Engineering from the American University in Cairo. She has taken part in many of Ökoplan’s major projects, especially national mega developments, in addition to many more inside and outside Egypt.
A story of endless pursuit of passion was birthed in 1963, within a stand-alone, 300m glass workshop, in Basateen, Cairo. Tarek Bahr, an initially Business Faculty graduate, sculpted his love for Interior design into a vision of carving a new space within a very narrow industry, glass, where art adds an essence of craftsmanship to a rather lifeless sheet. Bahr challenged an engraved mindset of systematic, industrial workers by nurturing younger folks to understand the depth of artistic innovation, and reflecting those teachings into timeless designs. By introducing the art of glass fabrication into the Egyptian market, Bahr managed to create a brandable name for glass consultation. "Your Glass Advisor" was a firmly held concept by Bahr.
Tarek Bahr is a success story that was built, with the help of his partners' hands, and later reflected through the sub-companies, Arab Union Glass and Decorative steel, that emerged from behind Decorative Glass, to be the first, and almost the only, holding within the middle east to offer a 360 glass design and installation services, Showcasing its work within multiple refined events and exhibitions to collaborations with top-notch designers. Bahr created a resonating mantra from which many promising results have emerged within the Egyptian glass industry. He's your glass advisor.
Eng. Elhamy Elkerdany is a quality oriented design professional with over 45 years of hands-on experience in architectural design, project, and construction management in the Middle East, Canada, and the USA. He masters the coordination of design, bid, construction documents, and contract administration techniques. He has extensive experience in business development and representing owners in the coordination of major construction field operations and lease back promotional activities, operation management, design development in addition to property and asset management.
During the past 28 years, he mainly focused on the operation and management of shopping centers. Starting 2018, he became the Vice President, for Commercial and Administrative Projects at Talaat Mostafa Group. He is also the General Manager of KAD Commercial Property Management Ltd since 2012. Since 2003 till 2012, He was the General Manager of CityStars. From 1997 till 2002 He was the President of Fantasy Homes in Texas. He was also the Director of Operations, First Arabian Real Estate and Tourism Investment from 1993 till 1997.
He was a Senior Architect, for a year since 1991 at ASA Consultant Group in Egypt. He also worked as a Senior Architect in Kuwait National Petroleum Co. in Kuwait from 1981 till 1990. He got his Bachelor of Sciences in Architecture, Cairo, Egypt, in 1977; as well as Real Estate Diploma / Property Management (Principals of Real Estate I & II, and Law of Contracts, ACC, Austin in Texas in 1999.
He is also acting as the Architectural Consultant to the Minster of Supplies and Internal Trade.Eng. Elhamy is a Board Member of the Egyptian British Business Council (Ministry of Trade & Industry) and also the Executive Board Member of the Egyptian-British Chamber of Commerce. He is a Board Member of the World Trade Chambers, Paris and Board member of the Egyptian Franchise
Development Association.Eng. Elhamy is currently an Ex- Board Member of the Federation of Egyptian Chambers of Commerce and an Ex- President of Egyptian Council of Shopping Centers.
Tarek Sobhy, graduated in 1981 with highest honors. He started work in the University of Helwan as a TA teacher assistant before getting a PHD in Landscape years later, under the study title: “The behavior and attitude of people in plazas (evaluation of the effects of design concepts & landscape features). The road for being a professor was a hectic and long one but very important.Tarek is not only dedicated to his profession in terms of planning and design but he has a true affinity for the outdoors, which enables him to deliver unique outdoor living spaces across the region. As a landscape architect, he believes landscape design is moving the world into a phase were landscape is recognized as the most comprehensive of the arts.
Bringing and integrating people with the outdoor world together in an environment that is beneficial for both. So it’s very important to create a living space that connects people at all time with their daily routine Dr. Tarek Sobhy was awarded with “Landscape Middle East Awards 2019” in Dubai, UAE, for his outstanding contribution in shaping the region’s landscape industry from its infancy into the successful and vibrant section it has become today. The process of design is always a challenge for Dr. Tarek, where he needs to create new ideas out of his imagination and transferring it to the user of the outdoor space.
Ph.D. is the president & CEO of Tatweer Misr and a Founding Member of its Board of Directors, a position he held since mid. 2014. Drawing on his extensive planning and business management experience, Dr. Shalaby supervises the day-to-day management of the company, including the business development and the strategic planning for Tatweer Misr’s projects. In addition to his work with Tatweer Misr, Dr. Shalaby is also a Professor of Architecture and Urban Development at the Department
of Architectural Engineering at Cairo University, Egypt, a Former Visiting Assistant Professor at the Department of City and Regional Planning at Cornell University, USA. Dr. Shalaby also holds prestigious positions including being Co-Chair of Real Estate committee at the American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt (AmCham), Vice- Chairman of the Real Estate Export Council and Board Member at the Egyptian-Emirati Business Council. Prior to the inception of Tatweer Misr, Dr. Shalaby spent a year working at El Mostakbal for Urban Development, where he held the position of Advisor to the Chairman. During his time with El Mostakbal, Dr. Shalaby played an integral role in the development of Mostakbal City; one of the largest mixed-use urban developments in the New Cairo area. An established engineer in the field of architecture, urban development and a real estate expert in his own right,
Dr. Shalaby has over 25 years of experience as an architecture consultant and in developing and managing real estate portfolios in Egypt. Dr. Shalaby held prestigious positions whilst working with Al Fawares Holding where he was responsible for real estate investments in addition to his work for the Egyptian Ministry of Housing, Utilities and Urban Communities as a Technical Advisor to the Minister. Dr. Shalaby holds a bachelor’s degree in Architectural Engineering , which he received in 1993. Afterwards, he pursed his studies receiving his master’s degree in 1998, followed by his PhD in Urban Planning, which he received in 2003 through a joint program between Cairo University, Egypt and Cornell University, USA.
Karim El Hayawan and Nehal Leheta, Cofounders and principal designers of Design Point Studios Interiors & Architecture. Specializing in high end residential, landscape and commercial projects, as well as set design, event design and product design.
The studios’ diverse design ethos stems from the diversity of the founders’ interests, in addition to founding Design Point Studios-in Cairo in 2002, Leheta is also the author of the award nominated Cook Book Authentic Egyptian Cooking from the table of Abou El Sid. El Hayawan is continuously inspired by his hometown Cairo, relentlessly seeking visual vocabulary that defines the complexities of the ever-expanding urban metropolis; he began to develop his photography under the mentorship of Alaa Abdel Naby of Reuters. His work has been exhibited at the “Contemporary Arab Photography Biennale”
at the Institut Du Monde Arabe inParis, The Grid Cape Town Biennale in South Africa, the off-Biennale in Cairo titled “Something Else”, Abu Dhabi Art at Hafez Gallery, Cite Internationale Des Arts Paris, Art D’Egypt and Darb1718 in Cairo, in addition to the Egyptian pavilion at Dak’art Biennale. His work has been featured in numerous publications throughout the region.
Highly talented and accomplished chief architect with proven expertise in design, development, and implementation at enterprise level and large scale projects. Over 25 years of experience in architecture, interior design, project coordination and field representation of a variety of building types, especially in residential buildings and hotel design including landmark hotels and luxurious compounds.
Chief design officer in NEWGIZA since 2007. In recent years, have developed an interest in combining a thorough knowledge of architecture criteria with the advantages of design techniques in the architectural design in one of the biggest residential compounds in Egypt.
Distinctively passionate and Proficient Engineer, an expert in harmonizing latest manufacturing technology with exquisite furniture designs to provide efficient and productive work environments as well as personalized luxury home furniture for residential projects. Over 20 years of experience in Office and Home Furniture Manufacturing, Designs Industrialization, and work environments needs.
CEO of Mohm Office Furniture which had redefined workplaces in the Egyptian Market from the traditional workplaces into spaces that employees love to work at. Founder of Aurea Furniture which was the first Egyptian manufacturer to bring the essence of the Italian Furniture and design to the Egyptian homes.
