Most often referred to as the UAE’s first Emirati jewellery designer, it is more accurate to describe Azza Al Qubaisi as an artist, designer and entrepreneur. A fierce advocate of all that is home grown and sustainable, she has established two governmental projects to support and develop crafts. She is also the woman behind ‘Made in UAE’, the first national platform to showcase local crafts and design, with a string of boutiques in malls across the country.

A Bachelor’s degree in silversmithing, jewellery design and allied crafts from London Guildhall University allowed her creative vision to flourish; granting the practical skills to see a project from conception to output. She returned to Abu Dhabi in 2002, setting up an independent workshop for jewellery design.

Her showroom and workshop reveal her prolific creativity, with jewellery and sculptures made from gold, silver, wood, rubber tyres, palm trees and oudh incense. Dedicated to a sustainable future for her country, she uses local materials and is inspired by the deep roots of her heritage. The natural landscape and cultural references coalesce in her pieces, from the shapes, patterns and textures of the desert to the revival of traditional ancient techniques.