Her Excellency Farida Abdulla Kambar Al Awadhi, founder of Cinmar Design and co-founder and President of the Association of Professional Interior Designers (UAE), has proposed establishing an international platform to connect designers and manufacturers across Eurasia, facilitate knowledge exchange and help creative businesses enter new markets. She presented the initiative on November 3 at the international festival-forum Russian Creative Week — Eurasia in Ufa, Russia.
Speaking at the plenary session “Russia and Eurasia: United by Shared Values,” Al Awadhi emphasised that successful international cooperation begins not with selling a product, but with understanding the culture, traditions and needs of potential customers.
According to Al Awadhi, designers, manufacturers and property developers should focus on complementing one another’s strengths rather than competing. Building trust, respecting cultural differences and understanding consumer preferences are essential for developing sustainable international partnerships.
As a practical step, she proposed creating an international platform that would enable designers and manufacturers from different countries to showcase their products to international audiences, exchange expertise, identify potential partners and explore opportunities in new markets.
Al Awadhi also highlighted the importance of attracting investment to support such initiatives and creating opportunities for talented designers and creative entrepreneurs.
Another central theme of her remarks was the role of cultural heritage in contemporary design. According to Al Awadhi, traditional ornaments, textures, craftsmanship and handmade techniques can be reinterpreted and incorporated into modern fashion, interiors and other creative products.
“You should be proud of your language and your culture. Your language is something you should always take pride in,” Al Awadhi emphasised.
She noted that preserving cultural identity does not mean limiting creativity to traditional forms. Instead, designers can draw inspiration from their heritage while developing products that respond to contemporary lifestyles and international consumer demand.
Al Awadhi also shared her impressions of Bashkortostan, explaining that local handmade products, toys and jewellery had already inspired new ideas. She expressed interest in bringing some of these products to the UAE, highlighting their potential appeal to international audiences.
The discussion formed part of the plenary session “Russia and Eurasia: United by Shared Values,” held on November 3 during the international festival-forum Russian Creative Week — Eurasia in Ufa. Participants explored opportunities for international creative cooperation, investment, intellectual property protection and the development of joint projects across Eurasia.
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 festival-forum focuses on 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.
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