Basima Abdulrahman (born 1986/1987) is a Kurdish Iraqi structural engineer and the founder of KESK (meaning Green in Kurdish), an Iraqi company specialized in eco-friendly architecture.[1]
Early life and education
Abdulrahman's parents moved to Baghdad, Iraq from southern Turkey; she was born in Iraq, and has both Turkish and Kurdish heritage.[2] In 2006, the Iraqi conflict drove her family to relocate to the Kurdistan region of northern Iraq.[2] As a result, Abdulrahman learned more about and became closer to her Kurdish heritage.[2]
As a child, Abdulrahman's family encouraged her to become a doctor, but she disliked biology, instead preferring math and physics.[2]
In 2011, Abdulrahman applied for a Fulbright Scholarship to study in the United States.[2] Abdulrahman attended Auburn University in the United States, where she earned a master's degree in structural and civil engineering, graduating in 2014.[1][2][3] She returned to the United States in 2016, where she completed a program by the US Green Building Council to become an accredited professional.[4]
Career
When she returned to Iraq in 2015,[4] Abdulrahman initially worked as a structural engineer for the United Nations.[5]
In 2017, Abdulrahman founded KESK Green Building Consulting, the first Iraqi company to focus on "green" architecture.[2][3] It took Abdulrahman nine months before she was able to find her first client.[5] KESK combines modern environmentally-friendly building techniques with ancient techniques, such as building dome-shaped homes from clay bricks.[3] The company also seeks to provide alternative energy sources to communities, particularly solar energy, in response to Iraq's unstable power grid.[5][6] The company was also founded in part to assist with reconstruction following the war against the Islamic State, which began in 2014.[1][3]
In 2021, Abdulrahman was one of eight entrepreneurs who won the Cartier Women's Initiative Award, with Abdulrahman representing the "Middle East & North Africa" category.[7] She received $100,000 in prize money.[7]
In November 2023, Abdulrahman was named to the BBC's 100 Women list.[1]
