We recently had the opportunity to interview Eng Ahmed Motawakel, Founder & General Manager at Rawasi Design Studio. With over a decade of experience in the architecture and planning field, Ahmed has worked on a diverse range of projects, spanning from government buildings to heritage sites.
With a goal of offering thoughtful and meaningful designs through Rawasi Design Studio, Eng. Ahmed Motawakel creates spaces that offer strong aesthetics, allowing his clients to feel connected.
The Beginning
We started the interview by asking, “Could you start by telling us about your professional journey and inspiration behind jumping into this industry?”
Ahmed shared, “My journey into architecture was driven by an early passion for art and building. From a young age, I showed a strong interest in fine arts, which became evident during my early school years. I was recognized as a visual artist and participated in several art exhibitions during middle school, and I was also featured in a local newspaper in Al-Dawadmi, Saudi Arabia, as one of the young visual artists in the region.
I also took part in several international logo design competitions, including competitions related to the FIFA World Cup. This passion continued into my university years, where I studied architecture and planning. After graduating, I began my professional career in academia as a teaching assistant, followed by working as a site engineer with the American company Diesel in Sudan.
I later moved to Saudi Arabia, where I gained diverse experience across private engineering consultancy firms and government entities, covering architectural design, site supervision, technical support, and technical office roles, and having contributed to large-scale governmental and private-sector projects which exceeded 100 million riyals in value across the GCC.
I currently work in project management, in addition to being the founder and General Manager of Rawasi Design Studio, based in Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates, specializing in architectural design, interior design, and landscape design.”
Lessons Embraced in the Journey
Interested to learn more about his experiences, we asked Eng Ahmed Motawakel, “As an expert in this field, what are a few lessons that helped you in leading your work?”
“One of the most important lessons I have learned is that the success of any business starts from within. Creating a positive, motivating, and creative work environment is essential. Selecting the right team that aligns with the company’s vision plays a major role in achieving sustainable success.
Additionally, understanding client needs and translating them into professional, technically sound, and aesthetically refined designs is key to building trust and long-term relationships, which we strongly focus on at Rawasi Design Studio,” he mentioned.
Turning Challenges into Opportunities
Challenges are a part of every professional path. To learn more, we asked Ahmed Motawakel, “Would you like to share what you feel is a major challenge in starting a business or career? And how did you overcome it?”
He reflected, “One of the biggest challenges is standing out in a highly saturated market of architectural and design firms, especially with the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence tools. This makes it essential to offer distinctive, high-quality design solutions at a reasonable cost.
We overcame this challenge by continuously keeping up with the latest materials and technological developments in the industry, while ensuring that each project carries a unique design identity and a clear architectural character.”
Offering Thoughtful Designs
Interested to learn more about Eng Ahmed Motawakel’s plans for the addition to the services he provides, we asked him to share a bit about it with our viewers.
Ahmed mentioned, “At Rawasi Design Studio, our goal is to enable our clients to stand out through thoughtful and meaningful design. We focus on integrating architectural art with nature and human experience, particularly in architecture and landscape design, to create spaces that offer strong aesthetic and human value—spaces that clients experience and connect with on a daily basis.”
Impact of AI in the Creative Field
Nowadays, AI is everywhere, and businesses are increasingly adapting to it. We asked Eng Ahmed Motawakel to share his perspective on this.
“I strongly believe that true creativity originates from humans, while artificial intelligence serves as a tool to enhance and express that creativity rather than replace it. In architecture and design, AI represents a natural extension of technological evolution, similar to the transition from hand-drawing to digital design software. These tools help us visualize and deliver ideas faster and more efficiently, without diminishing the role of the designer or their creative vision,” he shared.
Words of Wisdom for Aspiring Professionals
Lastly, we asked, “What would be your advice to beginners in this field or in any field of business?”
Eng Ahmed responded, “My advice is to commit to continuous learning, constant development, research, and perseverance. Success does not happen overnight; it is the result of accumulated effort, experience, and patience. All goals and ambitions are achievable if one remains consistent, believes in their vision, and continues moving forward with determination.”
Connect with Eng. Ahmed Motawakel on LinkedIn to gain industry insights.
Visit Rawasi Design Studio on https://rawasi-uae.com/ to learn more.
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