Indian expat designer who died with wife in Kerala crash remembered for shaping UAE spaces, Malayalam films

Dubai: He arrived in the UAE as a 27-year-old with a designer's eye and the determination to build something lasting. Thirteen years later, Indian expat Shafid Ebrahim had left his mark on some of the most recognisable commercial spaces across the UAE and on the people who worked beside him every day.

The 40-year-old interior designer was killed along with his wife Shahina Shafid, 32, and her cousin Jahana Sherin, 26, in a road accident in Kerala's Malappuram district in the early hours of Friday. Now,he is being remembered not just for the buildings he shaped, but for the warmth he brought to every room he walked into.

As reported by Gulf News earlier, Shafid's six-year-old daughter, Sanfa Fatima, survived the crash after she switched to a second car during a pit stop minutes before the accident.

Shafid had been working with a Dubai-based interior design firm owned by businessman and Malayalam film producer Thomas Thiruvalla for 13 years, specialising in 3D modelling and detailed interior design.

Speaking to Gulf News, Thomas recalled that Shafid’s portfolio quietly touched everyday life in the UAE and beyond as he had shaped the spaces where thousands of people shop, bank and dine.

Shafid designed all branches of a popular international athletic apparel and footwear brand across the UAE and Saudi Arabia, multiple branches of four well-known banks in the UAE, outlets of a prominent Dubai jewellery showroom, branches of a famous global coffee shop, and a restaurant in Dubai Mall among others.

"His projects included the buildings of many big companies in the UAE," said Thomas who had flown to Kerala to attend the funeral of Shafid.

"Our own office was designed by him eight years ago,” he said.

Beyond commercial spaces, Shafid also contributed his skills to the church Thomas's family attends, designing logos for student activities and community events, always without hesitation.

For Thomas, who produces Malayalam films, Shafid was also a creative partner behind the scenes. He designed the pitch decks, the visual aids used to present and explain a film concept.

"He had been with me since my second movie and worked on at least eight movies so far. His name is there in the thank-you cards of our films," said Thomas.

These include recent hits Bharathanatyam and its sequel Bharathanatyam 2- Mohiniyattam.

For Jijil Rajan, assistant design manager at the firm, the loss is personal. The two men had been friends for nine years, ever since Jijil joined the company. They shared almost every hour of every working day.

Shafid, who chose not to obtain a UAE driving licence despite being an avid driver back in Kerala, commuted daily with his colleagues, a group of designer friends including Jijil who travelled together.

“We used to leave Sharjah at 6.50am, sit next to each other in the office and leave by 7pm, reaching home by 8-8.30pm," recalled Jijil.

"In our company and in our friends' circle, he was the first one everyone would call for any help…He never used to say no,” Jijil said.

Thomas described him as someone who brought positive energy wherever he went: a passionate photographer, a soulful singer, and a man who dressed to stand out and loved to travel.

He had married after settling into his career in the UAE, and his wife and daughter used to visit him in Sharjah, where he lived alone.

Perhaps the most poignant detail of Shafid's life is the home he will never get to live in.

In Keechery, in Kerala's Thrissur district, Shafid had been building his dream house on a street locally known as Dubai Road: a name that held a personal significance for a man who had spent his adult life working in the emirate.

He had poured himself into the project with the same precision he brought to his professional work. The 3D designs and landscaping plans were all done by him. The home had just reached the roof-concreting stage when he died.

"He had already designed everything and arranged the landscaping even before the house construction was over," said Jijil.

"Initially he had another plot, but he didn't like it much and bought a new one. He loved that plot. It has a special connection with Dubai since it is located on a street known as Dubai Road."

"His house was his biggest dream. He had dreamt of living in that house. We cannot believe he is no longer there to live in it."