Hussein Alazaat is an Arab multidisciplinary designer, cultural entrepreneur, researcher, and Arabic calligraphy artist based in Amman, Jordan. He is the founder of ALAZAAT Studio, an independent design practice established in 2007, and ELHARF, a cultural platform that brings together design, publishing, education, exhibitions, and research dedicated to Arab visual culture. Through ELHARF House, he has created an open space where designers, artists, researchers, and the public gather to exchange ideas, study, create, and engage with the region's rich visual heritage.

For more than twenty years, Hussein has explored the relationship between language, culture, craftsmanship, and design. His work is rooted in the belief that the future of Arab design can only be built through a meaningful understanding of its past. By studying the evolution of writing, material culture, architecture, and visual traditions across the region, he develops contemporary design systems that preserve cultural authenticity while speaking to present day audiences.

His practice spans branding, visual identity systems, Arabic typography, calligraphy, editorial design, publishing, exhibitions, product design, public art, environmental graphics, and cultural strategy. Regardless of scale or medium, each project begins with historical investigation and evolves into a contemporary visual language that bridges scholarship with creative practice.

Throughout his career, Hussein has collaborated with governments, museums, universities, cultural institutions, international organizations, and private sector clients across the Middle East and beyond. His work has been exhibited and presented from Darat Al Funun in Amman to leading museums, biennales, and cultural platforms across the Gulf, contributing to conversations around design, identity, and the future of Arab visual culture.

His most recognized projects include designing the Arabic calligraphic elements of the fifth edition of the Jordanian banknote series, contributing Arabic typography to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, designing the official typography and numbering system for the Jordanian National Football Team during its FIFA World Cup 2026 Mondial, creating the Jordanian Pro League Trophy, and developing the visual identity for the historic downtown of Al Khobar in Saudi Arabia. His portfolio also includes public art installations and environmental works in Jordan and the United Arab Emirates that integrate language, architecture, and cultural narratives into public space.

Publishing and cultural preservation are integral to Hussein's work. Through ELHARF Publications, he produces books dedicated to Arab design, typography, calligraphy, architecture, and material culture. In 2026, Al Nadeem, one of the platform's publications, was shortlisted for the 20th Sheikh Zayed Book Award, ranking among the top three shortlisted titles in its category from a record 892 submissions.

Alongside publishing, Hussein founded The Beautiful Books Trove, an archival initiative dedicated to preserving the visual memory of the Arab world through its printed heritage. Built around the careful collection and curation of rare books, magazines, maps, manuscripts, and printed ephemera, it’s safeguards an expanding archive that documents the region's graphic and cultural history. The archive serves as an active resource for designers, scholars, students, and researchers, ensuring that these visual legacies continue to inform future generations.

Education forms another essential dimension of his practice. Hussein has developed and led workshops, lectures, masterclasses, and academic programs throughout the region, focusing on Arabic calligraphy, typography, publishing, design research, and the relationship between historical knowledge and contemporary practice. His educational approach encourages participants to think critically about design as both a cultural discipline and a tool for innovation.

His work has been exhibited, published, and presented internationally, and he has collaborated with institutions including UNESCO, the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, the Saudi National Museum in Riyadh, Ithra, and numerous cultural organizations across the Arab world. He has also served as a speaker, advisor, and jury member for international design initiatives, contributing to the advancement of Arabic typography, cultural strategy, and design education.

For Hussein, design extends beyond aesthetics. It is a process of preserving memory, interpreting history, and shaping cultural identity. Through his work across design, publishing, education, and archival practice, he continues to demonstrate how the accumulated knowledge of the Arab world can inspire meaningful contemporary experiences while remaining relevant to future generations.