Rashed Ajlouni – Moderator, Public Programming, Guggenheim Abu Dhabi

Speakers

• Ola Znad Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) Ola Znad is an Iraqi architect, urban designer, artist, and researcher currently working at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) within the City Design Practice. Born in Baghdad and raised in Bahrain, she holds a Master’s in Architecture from University College Dublin and a Bachelor’s in Architecture from University of Bahrain.
  
  In 2018, she founded Znad Studio, a multidisciplinary practice rooted in research, craft, culture, and urban identity across scales. She is also a co-founder of the Bahrain-based initiatives Manama Lab and Design Majlis.
  
  Her work explores identity, memory, displacement, and cultural narratives through spatial and artistic practice. Ola’s projects and installations have been exhibited locally and internationally, including at the Venice Biennale, Milan Design Week, and Dubai Design Week, alongside solo exhibitions and research-driven commissions focused on material innovation and inclusive design.
• Samar Halloum American University of Sharjah Samar Halloum teaches at the College of Architecture, Art and Design at the American University of Sharjah. She is an architect, researcher, and educator whose work examines the relationship between architecture, social life, and environmental conditions. She holds a Master of Architecture from Yale University in the United States.
  
  Samar previously worked as an architect in the UAE, contributing to cultural and public projects, including the House of Wisdom in Sharjah. She also served as Design and Research Lead for the National Pavilion UAE at the Venice Architecture Biennale. Her recent work includes a solo exhibition at Jameel Arts Centre.