Meet our Team

Reem Allam has been the Executive Manager and Artistic Programmer of the Downtown Contemporary Arts Festival (D-CAF), Egypt’s largest international multi-disciplinary arts festival that presents theater, dance, music, film, and visual arts events from around the world. She has also worked as Head of Cairo Industry Days at Cairo International Film Festival, and as Curatorial Advisor for Theater Der Welt Festival in Germany. Allam holds a UK Master’s Degree in Arts, Festivals, and Cultural Management from QMU Edinburgh, and has been awarded the 2018 Finalist Social Impact Award by British Council's UK Alumni Awards. Over the past years, she has worked in several international festivals, including London's Shubbak Festival and AAF - Edinburgh Fringe Festival, served as juror on international jury boards for festivals such as Switzerland’s biggest Zürcher Theater Spektakel and Poland's Boska Komedia Festival, and has been awarded the ISPA (International Society of Performing Arts) fellowship for the years 2022-2024. Allam has given trainings in Arts Management, Fundraising, and Events Management at AUC Tahrir Cultural Center, Gemini Africa’s Incubator program with the African Development Bank, and Afrique Créative’s mentorship program with Agence française de développement.

Leila Debbazi joined NYU Abu Dhabi in November 2012, leading the administration for the Arts faculty under the Arts and Humanities department. She worked extensively with program heads in Film and New Media, Art and Art History, Music and Theater. In April 2015 she transitioned to The Arts Center to support the Executive Artistic Director, and was heavily involved in the preparation and launch of The Arts Center. She leads the administration for all Arts Center activities and operations, and provides support to all team members and events. She graduated from the University of Westminster with an honors degree in Arabic and International Relations.

Lana Goliath joined The Arts Center team in June 2019 as the Associate Producer. Lana moved to the UAE from South Africa in 2016 and worked at the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts foundation (ADMAF).
Goliath worked for many years at the Baxter Theatre Centre as the Personal Assistant to Lara Foot, Artistic Director of the theater and took on the role as an Administrative Producer for a community theater festival and visiting/touring productions. She also worked as the company manager on a touring production in the Netherlands in 2010, and in 2012, she completed a six week producing internship in the Edinburgh Theater Festival with the Assembly Festival team.
Goliath is also a trained African contemporary dancer and was part of the Jazzart Dance Theatre under the directorship of Alfred Hinkel in Cape Town, SA. Outside of work, Goliath teaches contemporary dance classes and challenges herself through obstacle course races.

Lulwa Hasan has been managing, designing, planning and executing events since April 2013. Hasan started her event management career in Think UP GCC, a social media PR agency dedicated to raising awareness for community-led initiatives. Hasan managed and overlooked charity-based and awareness events, participated in awareness campaigns, workshops, initiatives and collaborated with various organizations like DU Telecommunications company, Dubai Cares, UNICEF, Community Development Authority, Al Jalila Hospital, Kalimati Speech and Communication Center, UNICEF etc. In 2014, Hasan established PD Events, an event planning organization that managed corporate events and weddings. Hasan oversaw customer experience from conception through post-event, she managed on site-preparations, production, event breakdowns and budgeting ensuring a high-level service throughout all phases. Hasan managed notable events like Expo 2020 Conference: Theme Growth, Renovation of Parks Project by UNESCO x Dubai Municipality and Dubai Tourism, Vogue Ramadan Gala in City Walk Dubai, Hear My Voice: Educational and Innovation conference in Dubai Healthcare City, Al Rawi Tales animals’ event, Expo Sharjah and many more. In 2018, Hasan established The Blue Door, a brand that incorporates a multifunctional working space that has a coffee shop, flower shop and an Arabic literature library. In 2019, Hasan also worked as an Art Director and Set Designer to direct the TV show Mulhemoon; Season one and two, on Abu Dhabi TV. Outside of day-to-day work, Hasan is a Yoga instructor that teaches yoga in various gyms in Dubai. Hasan recently joined the Arts Center as Audience and Events Services Manager.

Kevin Ke is a Class of 2020 graduate from NYU Abu Dhabi’s with a BA in Theater and Economics and has been working for The Arts Center’s marketing team since. During his time at NYU Abu Dhabi, The Arts Center was pivotal to his artistic development, introducing him to ideas and artists that shape his own artistic interests in theater and dance. He is also a co-creative director of Exit 11 Performing Arts Company, an internationally based theater company founded by NYUAD alumni.

Bea Laszlo is a graduate of New York University Abu Dhabi where she earned a bachelor's degree in Music Practice with a minor in Film and New Media. Following the completion of a post-graduate training program, she started working as an Associate Producer and Administrative Assistant at The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi. As a musician, Laszlo’s interest lies in lyrical storytelling and the exploration of the conjunction of memory, time, and place. She focuses on writing lyrics with a heavy conceptual framework, attempting to find balance between the simplicity of melody and the vulnerability of words. Outside of the arts, Laszlo enjoys baking, going to the gym, and exploring places outside of home.

Sahwa Abdelmonim is a BSc Environmental Health degree holder from the University of Sharjah, UAE, and also holds a NEBOSH certificate in Health and Safety from QHSE International, Dubai. Sahwa has served five years in Louvre Abu Dhabi (2017-2022). Throughout those years she filled in as a visitor service agent, team leader, and a duty manager, leading the operational side of the visitor experience department. Sahwa has recently joined the Arts Center working as an event services associate for the box office and front of house management.

Clive Primrose has worked in marketing in the UAE since 2008. Coming from the advertising industry where he worked on large concerts, expos, government initiatives, automotive, and art and design fields, Clive joined The Arts Center team in 2016. Before coming to the UAE from South Africa, Clive organized various cultural and music events and club nights in his hometown of Johannesburg. Outside of day-to-day work he also DJed in South Africa and Dubai for the likes of 360 Degrees at Jumeirah Beach Hotel and Dubai Jazz Festival. Clive heads up communications and marketing for The Arts Center working across digital and traditional media.

Chris Pye is a seasoned production manager, master electrician and lighting designer with varied experience of touring, production and corporate work. Before joining The Arts Center, Pye was Deputy Head of Lighting at the Royal Opera House Muscat in Oman since 2010. Prior to moving to the UAE, he gained a wide experience in all aspects of the performing arts from working in notable international arts venues such as; the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, The National Theatre, London and the Mick Jagger Centre for Performing Arts. He is also an experienced programmer of lighting and AV in family entertainment centers. Examples within the UAE include Ferrari World Abu Dhabi and the Yas Island Water Park.

Reem Saleh studied film at the Lebanese American University in Beirut. She began her career as a stage and film actress and worked for 11 years in TV on various aspects of content creation and executive director for TV documentaries for Murr TV Lebanon (MTV), Rotana Enterprise and Jazeera Children’s Channel (now Jeem TV) . She also worked as assistant director on numerous productions, including Assad Fouladkar’s award-winning film When Maryam Spoke Out (2001). She has directed the short film The Naked Eye, the stage play Wings written by Arthur Kopit. Most recently Saleh released her first feature independent documentary What Comes Around shot over a period of six years in one of the poorest neighborhoods of Cairo, Rod El Farag. The film received international acclaim after its world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival in 2018 and has been touring the world since. For seven years Saleh worked for the Doha Film Institute, and headed the creative team of the Ajyal Film Festival for five years as Deputy director. She often contributes in supporting film organizations including moderating film talks and press conferences for the Berlin Film Festival. For the last few years, Saleh worked as External Relations Officer with The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi before joining The Arts Center team as Associate Director of External Relations.