Meet the Team

Aisha Nasser Al Sowaidi, Director

Aisha is a multidisciplinary designer based in Qatar. Her design practice and research explore themes of home, nostalgia, childhood, memory, heritage, and Doha’s rapid growth. These themes are reflected in the design collection Bear with Me – a series of bear-shaped objects including candles, mirrors, and screen panels – igniting past childhood memories and serving as a metaphor for Qatar’s present rapid urbanisation. Aisha’s reflective installation, The State of You, was included in the 2018 London Design Biennale, and her Central Midkhan design is currently on show in the National Museum of Qatar. Both works engage the viewer in a sensory experience by releasing traditional Qatari household scents, namely oud and cardamon, to ignite the feeling of home and the past. 

Aisha was an artist-in-residence and curatorial assistant at the Fire Station Doha before becoming the director for Qatar Museum’s latest design hub, Liwan Design Studios and Labs. Through her various positions at Qatar Museums, she has continued to amplify Qatar’s role as an emerging cultural centre. She holds an MFA in Design Studies and a BA in Graphic Design from Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar.

Khalid Albaih, Head of Programmes 

Khalid is a Romanian born, award-winning Sudanese artist and political cartoonist. As a creative cultural producer, he plans, designs, organises and manages artistic projects that have a cultural impact on the public that will interact with them. Khalid has been based in Doha since 1990 and has been a part of the QM family for more than a decade taking various positions. Before becoming head of programs at Liwan, he was head of installation and design of public art at QM. Also known as @Khalidalbaih, when he is not sharpening his pencil to produce some witty artwork, his work is regularly featured across various publications and channels. 

Arshee Ansari, Programmes Coordinator 

Arshee is a programmes coordinator at Liwan, responsible for the smooth functioning of public and member-only programmes. Brought up between Mumbai and Doha, she is interested in working with community-centric projects and exploring the unique role of culture and design in the MENA region. Arshee is an avid bookworm, enjoys Korean BBQ, and is the person to talk to if you want to follow-up on your follow-up. She holds a BA in Sociology from Mumbai University, Sophia College. 

Dzena Berbic, Head of Communications 

Dzena is head of communications at Liwan. She has worked at the intersection of communications, content development and programmes in the US, Europe and the Middle East. Previously, she curated public programmes and conducted research on the Middle East at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, a leading global think-tank. She has worked across different story-telling-driven environments and various creative industries, including The Chicago Design Museum and Informa, UAE. Dzena holds a BA in English Literature and MA in International Relations from Queen Mary University, London.

Amna Ahmad Al Muhannad, Community Outreach Coordinator

Amna is a multidisciplinary artist and designer. She is a Qatari fashion designer for a women’s lifestyle brand named Terzi. Her designs reimagine and blend the traditional Qatari abaya with elements of different global fashion styles. She currently serves as the community outreach coordinator at Liwan where she connects Doha’s bustling design community to Liwan. Amna holds a BA from Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts, Qatar, majoring in fashion design and art history.

Latifa Fahad Al Dolaimi, Shared Services Coordinator

Latifa is the shared service coordinator at Liwan, and manages communication between Liwan and its parent organisation, Qatar Museums. She ensures that the Liwan building is running smoothly, and provides administrative support on the many projects undertaken by Liwan. Also known as the resident cat-whisperer, she hopes to start her own business one day. Latifa holds a BA from London Metropolitan University majoring in business management.