The Arab British Centre is delighted to present its new team

Nadia, Rosa, and Amani

The Arab British Centre is proud to announce an all new team. Nadia El-Sebai, Amani Hassan and Rosa Pérez joined the Arab British Centre in 2015. Together they bring a wealth of knowledge, experience, and enthusiasm to the Arab British Centre!

Executive Director: Nadia El-Sebai joined The Arab British Centre after working for the UK’s cultural relations organisation, the British Council, for nearly ten years. She has lived and worked in the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Kuwait, and Qatar, and has extensive experience of managing arts and cultural relations programmes across the Middle East. Over the past three years Nadia worked to develop partnerships between cultural institutions in the UK and Gulf countries, and manage large scale inter-cultural programmes in the United Kingdom.

Programme Director: Amani Hassan recently returned to the UK from Doha, where she worked as Project Manager in the Office of Strategic Cultural Relations at Qatar Museums. During her time there, Amani was involved in the planning and delivery of large scale, bi-lateral Years of Culture between Qatar and the UK, Brazil, and Turkey. Some of her recent projects include the Pearls exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum in 2013 and an outdoor Brazilian Festival at the Museum of the Islamic Art Park in Doha in 2014.

Communications and Events Officer: Rosa Pérez moved to London in 2012 after spending two years in Egypt, where she worked at the Spanish Embassy in Cairo, the UNDP and as a Spanish teacher at the Spanish Cultural Centre. During her time in Cairo, Rosa was involved in various cultural and community projects during a crucial turning point in Egypt’s history. After completing her MA in Near and Middle Eastern Studies at SOAS, Rosa joined Caabu, in 2013, before becoming Communications and Events Officer at the Arab British Centre.

Together, the team will continue to improve the British public’s understanding of the Arab World by supporting cultural events across the UK, and by developing the centre’s own cultural initiatives that will connect UK audiences to Arab culture.

Things to know about the new team

On Talent:

Nadia is half Syrian and half Welsh and was born in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Her experiences from the Middle East greatly influence her creative pursuits, and she trained as a contemporary jeweller before starting her career in cultural relations.  When she has time Nadia likes to experiment with contemporary craft and dream about jewellery!

Amani is a citizen of the world, but when it comes to food she is very French! Born and raised in Paris to Palestinian and American parents, she is an excellent cook! She started a catering business with a close friend and has organised many gastronomic events in London. Look out for some delectable culinary initiatives at the Arab British Centre very soon!

Rosa is 100% Spanish but is a true Egyptian at heart! She speaks Arabic like a ‘bul bul’ (nightingale in Arabic), and loves classic Egyptian cinema and Arabic music.

On Dancing:

Rosa is part of a Palestinian Dabke troupe and loves to dance to Sha3by (popular) Arabic music. Amani can belly dance too…but only in front of a mirror! Sadly, after being forced to dance at weddings by Syrian relatives, Nadia is too traumatised to belly dance ever again.

On Music:

On the Arab British Centre playlist this afternoon is 47 SOUL, Alsarah & The Nubatones Yasmine Hamdan, Oum Kalthoum… and Bob Marley.