How Qatari charities are working to aid the less fortunate

What better time to remember those less fortunate than during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. Fresh from hosting the hugely successful FIFA World Cup, Qatar is hoping to keep the goodwill going.

Waad Mohamad's speciality is customized abaya designs. And when just days before the World Cup final, the 974 Stadium hosted one of the biggest fashion shows in the world, it was her big break. One of her pieces featured in Qatar Fashion United by CR Runway. It was also for a charitable cause.

"I feel honoured to have been chosen to be part of this fashion show with such an eclectic collection of designers," she says. "And people from all over the world are going to be witnessing this fashion show and seeing our designs."

Her fashion house WAADdesigns was born in 2010, more of necessity than choice.

"I was a young graduate," she recalls. "Fresh out of college and I wanted a job opportunity that I wasn’t able to get. So, I created my own."

Her concept is to put a modern twist on a traditional garment.

"I design abayas which is the traditional wear which is similar to the piece I’m wearing," she explains. "I get my inspiration from anything and everything around me, literally. Whether I see someone in a nice dress, wearing a nice cut, I try my best to kind of transform this into a more modest wear."

Modest, but ready to showcase her talent on a world stage.

The CR Runway show was an intersection of fashion, music, culture and sports. It featured the works of 150 designers from six continents and more than 50 countries. That included 21 Qatar-based designers, many showcasing their work on a global stage for the first time.

They're helped by M7: Qatar’s fashion, design and innovation hub. It opened in 2020 to establish an ecosystem for