When I was growing up in Iraq, there was an unbroken belief in progress and a great sense of optimism. It was a moment of nation building.

Being Iraqi taught me to be very cautious.

Life in the Middle East is quite different from other places.

Good education is so important. We do need to look at the way people are taught. It not just about qualifications to get a job. It's about being educated.

I don't think that everybody in the planet should have a child. I've never had the desire I should have a kid.

Of course there is a lot of fluidity now between art, architecture and fashion - a lot more cross-pollination in the disciplines, but this isn't about competition, it's about collaboration and what these practices and processes can contribute to one another.

All the privileged can travel, see different worlds, not everyone can. I think it is important for people to have an interesting locale nearby.