Top-Performing VCUarts Qatar Design Students Receive AEB Awards

Two senior students from VCUarts Qatar’s Graphic and Interior design departments were the recipients of the Arab Engineering Bureau (AEB) Awards for Design Excellence, for 2023. Two junior students were honored with AEB’s award for Creative Achievement and Potential.

This year’s ceremony, the 17th in a row, saw AEB’s GCEO and Chief Architect Mr. Ibrahim Mohamed Jaidah present the AEB Award for Design Excellence in Graphic Design to Hissa Saud Abdulaziz I Al-Ghanim. Haya Abdulla Ali ALmazroey was the recipient of the AEB Award for Design Excellence in Interior Design.

The Design Excellence awards were instituted in 2007 by Mr. Jaidah to encourage and assist outstanding graduating students from VCUarts Qatar’s graphic design and interior design departments, as they start their lives as designers and contribute to the community’s art and design landscape.

The more recently instituted AEB Awards for Creative Achievement and Potential for junior students were presented to Selma Fejzullaj (Graphic Design) and Doaa E. Emam (Interior Design). These awards aim to help junior students recognize their true potential, create leadership and encourage them to continue developing their skills through their senior year.

“As an interior designer, I’ve realized that my journey has been about more than just creating beautiful spaces. It’s been a journey of self-discovery, learning to trust my instincts, and pushing myself to be the best designer I can be. Receiving this award is a proud moment for me, and I’m grateful for the unwavering support of my parents, who have witnessed the positive impact of my pursuits. And I’m excited to see where this journey takes me next,” said ALmazroey.

“Entering VCUarts Qatar in 2018 allowed me to explore the identity that I’m proud to represent – that of a young Qatari woman. And now that I’m about to graduate, I was very happy and honored to find I was selected for the AEB Design Excellence Award. I believe that this award is just the beginning of my path in my career as an artist and a graphic designer,” said Al Ghanim. 

Mr. Jaidah addressed the gathering with the words: “I am extending my warmest congratulations to the winners of the 17th cycle of the AEB awards. Occasions like this are important to show support for talented students whose works are contributing to the design field. The awards are also a way to create a bridge between the academia and professional worlds. I am certain that these talented students will be the leaders of tomorrow in their fields and will excel in all future endeavors.”

He added, “Competing and winning are important. It’s also important that your winning comes through trial and error because both success and failure teach you what works and what doesn’t. That understanding is what makes you stronger; it gives you the confidence to take on more responsibilities or to make a difference.”

Dean Berbić, reflecting on the impact of Mr. Jaidah’s generous gesture to VCUarts Qatar, and the awards, said, “Mr. Jaidah has been a longtime friend and valued supporter of VCUarts Qatar since 2007, when the Arab Engineering Bureau first donated two awards to senior students and then added two more for two junior students. The awards were to be given to students who exhibited consistent achievement in professionalism, leadership, the ability to exert a positive influence on students, work ethic, conceptual ability, realization, innovation and presentation. Precisely the same attributes that Ibrahim himself and AEB are renowned for.

“To our winning students, you have shown exceptional creativity, ingenuity, and skill in your designs, and your work is a shining example of excellence in design. I urge you to take this recognition as a motivation to continue pursuing excellence in your design work. You have demonstrated that you have what it takes to succeed in this field, and I have no doubt that you will go on to achieve great things in your careers.”

Besides the awards, AEB and Mr. Jaidah continue to partner with VCUarts Qatar through their participation at VCUarts Qatar’s biennial international design conference Tasmeem Doha, as well as by providing internship opportunities for VCUarts Qatar students. 

AEB is one of the first architecture and design firms to be established in Qatar. Since it started more than 55 years ago, it has grown into an organization with over 600 employees engaged in sectors ranging from engineering, construction, urban planning and development, architectural design and interior design.