Trustee Faye Behbehani is an independent cultural and heritage consultant. She received her bachelor's in Business Management and International Studies from Bentley College, USA, in 2003 and her master's in the History of Art and Architecture of the Islamic Middle East from SOAS, University of London, in 2023. She [...]

Trustee Rima Al-Safadi was raised and educated in Damascus, Syria graduating with a BA in English Literature & Civilisation from Damascus University. Rima brings a diverse range of skills and experience to her role as Trustee, having founded and managing various businesses including ‘The Glass Art’, ‘Wow Flowers’ and ‘Dania [...]

Trustee Rabya Alfadl was raised in Saudi Arabia and educated in the USA. She graduated in Psychology from Wellesley College, Massachusetts,  and then completed a range of executive management and leadership courses and a Diploma in Behavioural Science at The London School of Economics. Having worked in marketing, brand management, [...]

Trustee Sara A. Alireza, was born in London, raised and educated in Saudi Arabia and the UK. Having graduated from The London School of Economics in industrial and business economics, Sara worked for Banque Baring Brothers, Switzerland as an analyst focusing on emerging markets. In 2005, she became a trustee [...]

Founder & Trustee Shahnaz Bagherzade was born in Iran, with a high school degree ‘Abitur’ from Germany. She holds an MPhil in Islamic Art & Architecture from Oxford University and supports various charities preserving the material culture of the Islamic world. She is a member of the Trust's Academic [...]

Founder & Trustee Hamida A. Alireza, was born in USA, raised and educated in Switzerland. In 1987, she founded The Barakat Trust, together with Shahnaz Bagherzade and Tarik Alireza. She has overseen the Trust’s evolution, funding more than 500 students in a range of specialisations across the globe over 35 [...]