Would they call me a diva if I were a guy?

You have to really believe not only in yourself; you have to believe that the world is actually worth your sacrifices.

There are 360 degrees, so why stick to one?

I can't focus when there's too many things around. Whenever I used to go to the office, I used to always say, 'Tidy up.'

I have been interested in fashion since I was a kid. Then I lived in London, where it was more about costume and a personal statement of who you are than about fashion.

Contrary to popular view, I've never been patronized in the Middle East. Men maybe treat women differently, but they do not treat them with disrespect. They don't hate women. It's a very different kind of mentality.

I miss aspects of being in the Arab world - the language - and there is a tranquility in these cities with great rivers. Whether it's Cairo or Baghdad, you sit there and you think, 'This river has flown here for thousands of years.' There are magical moments in these places.