[gallery td_select_gallery_slide="slide" ids="16985,16986,16987,16984,16983"] Mariam Nihal Saudi Gazette Saudi architect Rana Al Kadi, originally from Madinah, set foot in the industry around 14 years ago when jobs for females were limited. "And the only requirement needed for any professional job was fluent English," Al Kadi who is passionate about Islamic Architectural Heritage told Saudi Gazette in an exclusive interview. "I had the opportunity to be the first female Saudi to work in the field of Petroleum Graphic Illustrations with my engineering background while women were not allowed to enter refineries in Saudi Arabia." After getting a masters degree in human resource development, she thought more about her career development. "It was the turning point of my career path and moved my career from petroleum to architectural history, the root stories of the Islamic heritage. Since then this has become my profession, influence and passion." She is currently part of the Architectural Heritage Organization in Europe. "We are specialists of various disciplines including architects, archaeologists, historians, geologists, landscape and urban designers." The aim is to preserve historical monuments of various projects based on international standards. She aims to apply her study in preservation and restoration to Saudi Arabia in the future. "My dream is to propose and work with relevant sectors to preserve my country ́s heritage and history to future generations." Following is a full transcript of our interview with the young Saudi architect, who hopes to revive architectural heritage of Islamic civilizations. SG: Tell us about the field- your focus, and how does your background affect your choices? RAK: I have been working for three years in the field of Architectural Heritage with IPCE organization. This Field was part of my doctoral studies. And since I am originally from Al Madinah Al Munawarah and living far away from its atmospheric culture, I am eager to understand my hometown culture and traditions that I had never had the chance to experience. I heard of a lot of stories from my grandma while visiting her. It really made me want to explore the city of the Prophet of Islam, Mohammed (Peace be upon him). SG: Discuss the role of Islamic Architectural history plays with Saudi heritage and how's it relevant to what you do? RAK: In my opinion, architectural heritage is just like a tree. It cannot grow tall without strong roots to support it. For our society, these roots are our heritage. Given this understanding, I try to advocate the importance of heritage through lectures, workshops and social media programs to raise awareness on the significance of Islamic architecture history. Although it is a personal approach, I believe that my passion for Islamic history can revive architectural heritage of historical Islamic civilizations and can create a great impact for Islamic Society. SG: Not a lot of young Saudi girls are seen in this field. How did restoration and conservation come to mind and how did you know you wanted to pursue it? RAK: Growing up in a family with a strong belonging to traditions and cultures built an indirect obsession and curiosity for Madinah and its culture, tradition and heritage. This obsession brought up lots of questions for me. I started to collect literature in history, photos and antiques. It started as a hobby then a field of study, and now it is my life style of living. SG: How's that decision affecting you today? RAK: This decision has created an attractive professional personality in the field of historical architecture. It helped me to present my country and Islamic heritage globally with a new representation of professional Saudi women, which is different from the image that media portrays. SG: Describe a typical day in your life. RAK: I wake up before the sunrise, take a shower, pray and get ready for the day, eat breakfast, get my stuff together, then go to school. When I finish, I take the bus back home. When I finish work, I rest for a while, and then go for a walk with an attitude of appreciating people's culture, city planning, and architecture. In addition, I try to absorb new places in the city. I try to travel on weekends and attend conferences. To cut a long story short, I truly try to do my best every day for my career, my city, my people and my country. Currently, I am focusing on research papers in my field of study so as to contribute to academics and document history. SG: Talk us through your journey of design and arts as a young Saudi woman abroad. RAK: Living abroad brought a key change in my way of thinking. Spain is considered the second greatest country in the world in preserving their historical monuments. I have attended lots of conferences and lectures there. It made me understand the value of the countries' heritage much better than before. It occurred to me that it is important to remind our society to see the real value of heritage and look at proper ways to preserve it. Being a Saudi female in this field was a credit. However being a female with such a profession in Europe is a big question. They have so many questions about my country, such as women rights and way of living In Saudi Arabia. It raised and opened doors to lots of dialogue between people and me from different backgrounds and cultures. Sometimes, I was the scapegoat of meetings. SG: Tell us about your new project in Saudi. RAK: I am involved in a private project of preserving a historical district in Saudi Arabia which takes you back to the old days but is set in contemporary times. The district will be served by technological applications and devices. SG: Aspirations? RAK: Build on my background in education and career experience, communicate, share knowledge and influence others in a diverse world about me as an individual, my culture and architectural background in preservation, restoration and highlight Islamic architectural heritage.
