Asaad Nadim was a professor of Folklore with a specialization in traditional arts, crafts and architecture. His achieved his PhD from Indiana University and taught at the American University of Cairo and the Folklore Institute. He worked extensively on applied folklore, restoration and the urban conservation of historic areas. In 1979, he founded the National Art Development Institute of Mashrabeya (NADIM) which focused on traditional woodwork, and was head of the restoration project of the Al-Darb Al-Asfar area. He later became the founding director of the Egyptian Folklore Archive Project.