Coming from a background in interior design and an interest in the link between people, culture, gender and religion, Dr. Nehal’s research seeks to bridge the gap between material and immaterial interior products in Middle Eastern dwellings. She has graduated with Honors from the bachelor of Science in Interior Design from the University of Bahrain in 2007. In 2009, Al Merbati completed her Master’s degree with distinction from the University for the Creative Arts in the United Kingdom, specializing in interactive exhibition design. In 2016, Dr. Al Merbati completed her PhD in the design school at De Montfort University, UK. Her PhD investigates hybrid heritage and the reproduction of mashrabiya to be revived using new technologies like 3D printing. Her research interests, conference papers and international publications are in the field of sustainable heritage and interiors, modes of production and digital crafts as well as customizations via additive manufacturing and 3D printing. She supervised more than 30 graduation students in the field of interior design. Since her return from her scholarship, Dr. Nehal has been active in the field of future sciences and smart cities. In 2017, she cofounded the UOB Digital Fabrication Workshop (Fabritech) and in 2019 she co-founded the Smart Sustainable Urbanism Lab (SSU). She teaches interior design, Islamic ornamentation and computer aided design.