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.

Education, housing and hospitals are the most important things for society.

The idea for a building or an object can come up just as quick, but there is a big difference in process.

One has to strive for a very open liberal society.

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.

Women are always told, 'You're not going to make it, its too difficult, you can't do that, don't enter this competition, you'll never win it,' - they need confidence in themselves and people around them to help them to get on.

They all come out from the same thing; all the projects are connected somehow.