From a young age, Emirati Suhaila Al Khazali loved handicrafts, which led her to the world of handmade carpet weaving. She later became a trainer and mentor for dozens of women within the country and beyond. Thanks to her passion and skill, she has woven a unique career that has reached Arab, European, and African countries.
At the beginning of her interview with 'Al Ittihad', Suhaila talked about how she started learning this craft. She confirmed it was a personal decision and added: 'Parallel to my experience of motherhood, I began to learn several handicrafts. I would buy handmade pieces, take them apart, and reassemble them. During that period, I also worked in the fields of flowers and ceramics before choosing handmade carpet weaving in 2007, even though the raw materials for it were not widely available in the UAE at that time.'
She continued: 'In 2009, I decided to go to the city of Tabriz to learn the basics of the craft from a renowned family that had been weaving handmade carpets for a long time. Although I only learned one knot in the first week, I continued to learn until I mastered drawing, patterning, and selecting various types of wool and silk. I went back several times to fully master how to turn a drawing into a carpet and how to arrange the colors and threads of wool and silk to form a complete work of art.'
Unforgettable moments
After this persistence in achieving her dream and her passion for a unique craft, Suhaila returned to the UAE to start her small project. She began to diligently seek funding for her project until a crucial moment came that changed her career path completely: her project won generous support from the 'Khalifa Fund' after she presented her work before a specialized committee. She explained: 'I told the committee that I don't know how to use a computer or do accounting, and that I only have my skills with a needle and thread.. After about two days, they contacted me and told me I had received the highest support and evaluation, amounting to 200,000 dirhams. Thanks to this great support, I was able to establish a complete factory for making panels from handmade carpets, and to use local and external expertise, and to start steadily producing panels from handmade carpets made of silk and wool that, thank God, have won the public's admiration.'
With pride, Suhaila Al Khazali recalls her participations in distinguished exhibitions and her pride in the certificates she received at the highest levels: 'These moments were exceptional by all measures, as they gave me a feeling of happiness, pride, and the desire to work and give more, acknowledging the favor of my country, which has given me so much.'
She continued: 'After that, my participations in many exhibitions, social events, and various occasions followed. The successes I achieved in my field inspired me to empower women in this area, so I decided to enter the field of training girls and women on the basics of handmade carpet weaving. The beginnings were with some of the female inmates of Ajman's prison, then with Ajman's Girls Club, a nursing home, and the Umm al-Mu'minin association. I also had the honor of training 40 women from Yemen. But my goal was not just training, but also a professional, social, and human qualification to enter the world of production and life with steadfastness and strength. So, I would buy the works of my trainees that did not sell, and I would resell them myself, to make sure they felt that every effort has a great moral and human value.'
A new life
With the expansion of her activities, Suhaila carried her social message beyond the UAE's borders, transferring her experience to Saudi Arabia, then to Sudan, and then to Djibuti, where she qualified 520 women. Her activities spread to Ethiopia, Iraq, and Syria, confirming: 'I believe in the ability of women, wherever they are, to start with a thread, on the path to building a new life for themselves and for those around them.'
In addition, Suhaila represented the UAE in major international exhibitions in several countries, such as Switzerland, and is currently preparing to launch new workshops in Lebanon and Hungary. She stressed that this journey will not stop: 'Every new carpet is a thread of hope that starts from the UAE and extends to the world. Therefore, I always hope to continue the journey of empowering women around the world and leaving a good mark in preserving my country's heritage, because traditional handicrafts are not just a profession, but a national identity that must be preserved, protected, and passed on to new generations to protect it from extinction.'
Awards and medals
Suhaila Al Khazali has received dozens of trophies and medals from local, Arab, and international bodies, including the 'Creativity and Development' shield from Iraq, the 'Excellence' medal from the 'Elite of Kuwait' association, and finally, the 'Creativity and Excellence' shield from the European Board in the United Kingdom. In addition, she has received many certificates of thanks and appreciation from the Al-Baha Chamber of Commerce, the Saudi Businesswomen's Committee, and a special tribute from the Festival of Fine Arts at the University of Sharjah.
