The 100: Khurshid Vakil, Co-Founder, Marina Home Interiors As co-founder of Marina Home Interiors, Khurshid Vakil has shaped one of the Middle East's most distinctive home fashion brands, known for eclectic design that bridges continents, cultures, and eras.
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This article forms part of The 100, Entrepreneur Middle East's annual guide spotlighting the most influential people across the GCC.
Khurshid Vakil is a creator of spaces — not just physical ones, but emotional ones filled with memory, beauty, and personality. As Co-Founder of Marina Home Interiors, he has shaped one of the Middle East's most distinctive home fashion brands, known for eclectic design that bridges continents, cultures, and eras. His vision has made Marina a household name associated with creativity, authenticity, and character.
Vakil's journey began with a fascination for how people live — the stories that furnishings tell, and the feeling a room can give when it reflects the identity of the person within it. He grew up inspired by craftsmanship and global aesthetics, and when he came to Dubai in its early boom years, he sensed an opportunity to build a brand that celebrated individuality rather than uniformity.
Together with his co-founder, he launched Marina Home Interiors with a bold philosophy: homes should feel alive. Instead of mass-produced sameness, Marina offered statement pieces crafted with soul — reclaimed woods, vintage-inspired metals, hand woven textures, and artistic shapes that invited conversation. Vakil personally traveled the world to curate collections, from remote artisan communities to emerging design capitals, discovering materials and makers whose work carried heritage and heart.
Under his leadership, the brand has expanded across multiple countries while staying true to its boutique spirit. Every store feels like a gallery — layered storytelling that encourages customers to explore, mix styles, and express who they are. Vakil's approach challenges traditional design rules, embracing contrasts: rustic meets modern, industrial meets organic, East meets West. His aesthetic reflects life itself — varied, evolving, unapologetically unique.
Beyond business, he is deeply supportive of creative talent and sustainability. He champions craftsmanship that preserves culture and reduces waste, bringing the value of quality over quantity into everyday living. He believes that design, at its best, nurtures wellbeing — turning homes into places of comfort, connection, and imagination.
Khurshid Vakil's influence is seen in millions of living rooms, yet his legacy is about more than furniture. It is about embracing originality, finding beauty in imperfection, and understanding that a home is not decorated — it is crafted, thoughtfully, with love.
