Ayah Alkhatib

Aya Alkhatib is a Palestinian architect, published researcher, and designer based in the United Arab Emirates. Her practice investigates how material traditions and craft knowledge can shape contemporary product and spatial design. Working through hands on experimentation and iterative prototyping, she studies how objects can record the trace of human labor and carry forms of shared memory into daily use.
Her material research includes natural Nila dyeing, testing clay bodies and glazing temperatures for slab built ceramics, and developing wood based components for furniture and small batch objects. She collaborates with local artisans, including learning wool spinning and natural pigment dyeing under the guidance of Afra Al Mansoori, adapting regional craft techniques for both commercial development and bespoke commissions.
Her approach has been supported through programs such as the Athath Fellowship with MAKE, the House of Artisans Design Prize, and the Al Hosn Emerging Talent initiative. Alkhatib holds a Bachelor of Architecture from Abu Dhabi University as a Summa Cum Laude and has published research on urban memory and regional design culture.