Sharjah Expat’s Dream Home on Kerala’s ‘Dubai Road’ Left Incomplete After His Passing.
Dubai: He arrived in the UAE at the age of 27 with a designer’s eye and the determination to build something enduring. Thirteen years later, Indian expat Shafid Ebrahim had left his imprint on some of the UAE’s most recognisable commercial spaces, as well as on the colleagues who worked alongside him.
The 40-year-old interior designer died 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. He is now being remembered not only for the spaces he designed, but also for the warmth he brought to every room he entered.
As reported earlier, Shafid’s six-year-old daughter, Sanfa Fatima, survived the crash after she switched to a second car during a stop just minutes before the accident.
Designs across the UAE
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 work.
Speaking to, Thomas recalled that Shafid’s work quietly shaped everyday life across the UAE and beyond, designing the spaces where thousands of people shop, bank and dine.
Shafid was behind the design of all UAE and Saudi Arabia branches of a popular international athletic apparel and footwear brand, along with multiple branches of four leading UAE banks. His portfolio also included outlets of a well-known Dubai jewellery showroom, branches of a global coffee chain, and a restaurant in The Dubai Mall, among others.
“His projects included the offices of many major companies in the UAE,” said Thomas, who had travelled to Kerala to attend Shafid’s funeral.
“Our own office was designed by him eight years ago,” he added.
Beyond commercial work, Shafid also contributed his creative skills to the church attended by Thomas’s family, designing logos for student activities and community events, always doing so willingly and without hesitation.Eight films, eight pitch decks
For Thomas, a Malayalam film producer, Shafid was also a creative collaborator behind the scenes. He designed pitch decks—visual presentations used to explain and market film concepts.
“He had been with me since my second movie and worked on at least eight films so far. His name is in the thank-you credits of our movies,” said Thomas.
These include recent productions Bharathanatyam and its sequel Bharathanatyam 2 – Mohiniyattam.
13 hours a day, side by side
For Jijil Rajan, assistant design manager at the firm, the loss is deeply personal. He and Shafid had been close friends for nine years, ever since Jijil joined the company, sharing almost every hour of their working day.
Shafid, who chose not to obtain a UAE driving licence despite being an avid driver in Kerala, commuted daily with colleagues — a close-knit group of designers 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,” Jijil recalled.
“In our company and in our friends’ circle, he was the first person everyone would call for help… He never used to say no,” he said.
Thomas described him as someone who brought positive energy wherever he went — a passionate photographer, a soulful singer, a man with a distinctive sense of style who loved to travel.
He had married after establishing his career in the UAE, with his wife and daughter visiting him in Sharjah, where he lived alone.
The house on ‘Dubai Road’
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 carried deep personal meaning 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 completed 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 construction was completed,” said Jijil.
“Initially, he had another plot, but he didn’t like it much and bought a new one. He loved this plot. It has a special connection with Dubai because 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.”
