Board of Directors
APID is governed by a Board of Directors appoined as per the norms of the Memorandum of Association. The current Board took office at the end of 2009 and their term runs till end of 2012. The role of the Board is to take policy decisions of the Association and to authorise its activities on the advice of the Executive Committee.
Farida Kamber Al Awadhi : President
A graduate in Fine Art and Design from George Washington University, Washington DC, she is the founder and Managing Director of Cinmar Design, Dubai, a leading design consultancy that undertakes interior/ architectural design projects and project management. She has been the Vice President of UAE Business Women Council, Member of the Board of Emirates Business Women Council, Dubai Business Women Council and has won the award ‘Gulf Executive Women of the Year’
Hazem El Khatib : Vice President
Born in Tripoli: Lebanon , he earned a Diploma in High Studies in Interior Architecture on 1985 from the Lebanese University and a Master Degree in Interior Design on 1989 from the University of North Texas: Denton, Texas – USA. He served as Assistant Professor of Interior Design at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, North Carolina till 1991 when he traveled to the UAE to occupy different managerial positions. In 1998, he established Design Design LLC. In Dubai. In addition to his professional practice, he is an Adjunct Assistant professor of Interior Design at the American University in Dubai. Hazem El-Khatib has many publications in Interior Design periodicals as well as two television programs addressing the profession of Interior Design and the manufacturing of furniture in the UAE.
Kenneth Laidler : Past President
Chairman of KLD in Dubai, U.A.E. KLD Dubai has been operating since 1992, however, the company was formally established in 1994. He has over 30 years in the Interior Design industry and took the lead in founding APID. He was the first President of APID and held the post for 4 years. He has a Masters Degree in Design Practice from Northumberland University, UK and has been a visiting faculty at American University in Dubai. He was instrumental in bring the IFI General assembly 2009 to Dubai. Ambition is to sing jazz in New Orleans.
Gary Richard Lawton : Director
The current CEO of United Design International , Abu Dhabi, Gary is a British national and a Member of the Royal Chartered Institute of Building (Royal Chartered Building Engineer,U.K) . He is also a Member of the British Institute of Management and UK Associate Member of the Society of Surveyors. Gary has worked as Manager of the Building Division at the Crown Prince Court Projects Directorate in Bahrain and later as a Project Management & Quality Assurance consultant for GRL Consultancy. With over 20 years experience in Project Management and Interiors within the Middle East, Gary's appointment as CEO in 2007, has seen him responsible for overseeing all aspects of the business including the design studio, projects department and the finance and administration departments.
Bashar Al Yawer : Director
Born in Iraq in 1957, he completed his Bsc in Architectural Engineering from Baghdad University and thereafter successfully completed his Diploma in Planning and Urban Design. Currently the Managing Director of Guideline Décor, an Interior Design, Project Management and Planning Company, he has diversified experience for more than 25 years in large Architectural projects with strong design knowledge, coordination of building services and extensive leasing with in-house structural, mechanical and electrical engineering, government agencies and private sectors.
John Carolan
With over 25 years of interior design experience, John has been involved with such iconic projects as Burj Al Arab, Madinat Jumeirah and Emirates Towers.
