Dubai Design Week, the region’s leading design festival, will return for its 11th edition from November 4 to 9 under the patronage of Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture).

 

 Presented in strategic partnership with Dubai Design District (d3), a member of TECOM Group, and supported by Dubai Culture, the 2025 edition will feature a dynamic programme of commissions, exhibitions, installations, talks and live events. 

 

Since its launch, Dubai Design Week has become a catalyst for cross-cultural exchange, spotlighting diverse practices from the region and beyond while connecting them to global audiences. Its multidisciplinary programme spans disciplines including architecture, interiors, furniture, product, graphic and experiential design, acting as a platform for dialogue, experimentation and progress. Set against the backdrop of Dubai’s cultural landscape, it continues to reflect the city’s growing role as a global meeting point for creativity and ideas.

 

Khadija Al Bastaki, Senior Vice President of Dubai Design District (d3), part of TECOM Group, said: 

“Dubai Design Week brings such a wealth of creative talent and energy to Dubai Design District each November - from here in the UAE, the region and across the globe. This year more than 1,000 acclaimed and emerging designers and brands will showcase. Dubai Design Week is representative of everything we stand for at d3: creativity; design inspiration; knowledge exchange; community; collaboration and partnership; nurturing talent from near and far; and a place and platform for dialogue and conversation on the future of the design industry. We particularly look forward to this edition of our d3 Architecture Exhibition with RIBA, which underscores the importance of architecture and community as core elements at d3.”

 

Shaima Rashed Al Suwaidi, Chief Executive Officer of Arts, Design & Literature Sector, Dubai Culture & Arts Authority said: “Dubai Design Week plays a vital role in strengthening the cultural and creative industries by providing opportunities for emerging designers, supporting entrepreneurs, and showcasing regional talent on a global stage. Through initiatives such as the special commissions for emerging talent and the Marketplace, we are reinforcing Dubai’s position as a UNESCO Creative City of Design and advancing Dubai's cultural vision of being a global centre for culture, an incubator for creativity, and a thriving hub for talent."

 

Natasha Carella, Director for Dubai Design Week, commented: “This year, our direction takes a more reflective approach, exploring design not only as a practice of innovation but also as a social connector, a civic and cultural force that shapes how we live together, communicate and build systems of care. From spatial typologies rooted across cultures and climates to a focus on material intelligence, detail and cultural nuance, the programme is intentional and human-centred, bridging heritage with contemporary. Ultimately, we’re asking: how can design bring people together across disciplines, geographies and generations?”

 

PROGRAMME HIGHLIGHTS

 

DOWNTOWN DESIGN

Downtown Design, the anchor event of the week and the region’s leading fair for high-quality and contemporary design, returns to the d3 Waterfront Terrace from November 5 to 9, showcasing the latest collections, innovative products and design solutions, complemented by a programme of pop-up concepts, regional spotlights, talks and panel discussions.

 

This year’s showcase of furniture, lighting, materials, lifestyle objects and accessories will span the globe. Returning exhibitors include Huda Lighting, Kartell, Kohler, Poltrona Frau, Obegi Home, Venini and Vitra alongside new participants Roche Bobois, Stellar Works and Calico Wallpaper, Porada, Desalto as well as French designer Stéphanie Coutas, and designer-duo Draga & Aurel, presented by Collectional. Regional highlights include BEIT Collective's objects crafted in Lebanon, the debut of 'Strata' by Pakistani designer Yousef Shabaz, the 'Designed in Saudi' exhibition by the Design & Architecture Commission of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Culture, Sharjah-based 1971 Design Space’s showcase of Lina Ghalib and Nuhayr Zein, this year’s cohort of the Athath Fellowship by MAKE in Abu Dhabi and the annual Tanween programme by Tashkeel.

 

Immersive concepts include a striking pop-up from Buccellati, conceived by designer-duo david/nicolas, the Solaire Lounge by Veuve Clicquot in collaboration with Studio Marcel Poulain, Styled Habitat presenting a concept for Nordic Homeworx and a bold hospitality installation concept by Etereo Design Studio for Cosentino.

 

EDITIONS

Alongside Downtown Design, Editions will showcase limited-edition art and design from regional and international creators, spanning prints, photography, works on paper, ceramics, contemporary design, and artist multiples. 

 

Highlights include Galerie Geek Art’s first regional presentation of Japanese art; Dubai-based Ila Colombo’s AI-driven practice; globally recognised designers david/nicholas in collaboration with Iwan Maktabi and Orient 499 debuting a new contemporary design collection; Wadi Finan Art Gallery bridges heritage with contemporary practice presenting works on paper by a selection of regional artists; and the global launch of Bureau of Innovation, presenting one-of-a-kind works by leading designers such as Tom Fereday. Returning exhibitors include Rarares Gallery, spotlighting Dubai’s emerging artists; Leila Heller Gallery with prints by Keith Haring; Rooster Gallery with a new collection by Sandra Strele; as well as Urbanist and Zawyeh Gallery, bringing perspectives from the Levant and Palestine.

 

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URBAN COMMISSIONS

Urban Commissions, Dubai Design Week’s design competition, is an annual programme that provides a platform for architects and designers to experiment with ideas for the public realm. Each edition responds to a specific theme, encouraging proposals that investigate how design can enrich civic life.

 

For 2025, the competition centres on the courtyard, a spatial typology rooted in the region yet resonant across many cultures. Long a place of gathering, reflection and climate control, the courtyard embodies a balance between openness and enclosure, privacy and exchange. This year, designers and architects were invited to reimagine it as communal urban infrastructure; drawing from its historic inclusivity while addressing contemporary needs through interaction, movement, pause and climate-responsive strategies.

 

This year’s winning proposal, When Does a Threshold Become a Courtyard?, is by UAE-based design and research studio Some Kind of Practice, founded by Omar Darwish and Abdulla Abbas. Operating at the intersection of architecture, spatial design, curation and public programming, their practice is guided by a commitment to uncovering overlooked narratives, undocumented practices and regionally grounded ways of making and living. With a methodology rooted in field research, archival engagement and collaborative processes, Some Kind of Practice frames design as a tool for making visible what is often unseen. 

 

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Their winning proposal is informed by the housh (الحوش), the Emirati courtyard, which unlike the formal courtyards of Egypt, Syria or Saudi Arabia, emerges as a byproduct of necessity; shaped by shifting walls, open thresholds, and the liwan (الليوان), as a transitional space. Drawing on fieldwork across the Emirates, the studio observed how local builders assembled with what was available—stone, CMU, Arish, or corrugated steel—creating a logic of assemblage, adaptation, and practical craft. Their proposal carries this logic forward, not by imposing form, but by setting conditions for space to emerge from the dialogue between climate, craft and community.

 

ABWAB

Abwab is a yearly programme that supports designers from across West, South and East Asia, as well as the African continent, by commissioning installations or pavilions each year thematically remodelled to reflect relevant global and regional contexts. Since its inception in 2015, Abwab has showcased the work of more than 180 designers.

 

For the 2025 edition, practitioners were invited to respond to the theme In the Details, exploring material intelligence, precision and cultural nuance through the lens of ornamentalism, an aesthetic language of meaning, memory and symbolism that has shaped architecture, objects and textiles across cultures. Abwab reframes ornament not as embellishment but as embedded knowledge, a system of visual storytelling and an act of cultural recovery. The winning pavilion will be announced at the end of September. 

 

INSTALLATIONS

Over 30 large-scale outdoor installations will transform d3 into an open-air space of design innovation, where public spaces become interactive works that invite exploration and engagement.

 

From the UAE, local architectural and design studios will showcase a diverse set of projects: UAE-based sustainable material manufacturer ARDH Collective will present a structure crafted from DuneCrete and DateForm, low-carbon materials the company has pioneered; Emirati design studio AJZAL will reimagine the majlis through locally sourced materials including stone from Sharjah and camel leather produced by artisans; EDGE Architects will showcase experimental applications of 3D-printing techniques to explore new possibilities in concrete and plastic; and The National Pavilion UAE, the country’s representation at the Venice Architecture Biennale, will present Pressure Cooker, an adaptive greenhouse prototype first presented at the 2025 Biennale that explores how architecture and food production can merge through modular systems using local soil and vegetation.

 

Complementing this, regional and international firms and institutions will introduce installations that expand the dialogue. Among prominent architectural practices, Japan’s Nikken Sekkei, will unveil CHYATAI, a modular wooden structure employing traditional sashimono joinery, while UK firm Grimshaw, in collaboration with illustrator Nora Zeid, will present an immersive installation of translucent cylinders that explore how communities form and evolve. Creative studio, Designlab Experience, will showcase a sculpture made of intricately woven baskets, paying homage to the region’s weaving traditions, while multidisciplinary studio DEOND will present a geometric pavilion composed of rice-paper panels offering a contemplative space that shifts with changing lights. The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) will reveal a new commission by Spanish-based Studio Izaskun Chinchilla Architects, and Dubai Design Week’s Automotive Sponsor BMW Middle East will present a design-led installation developed exclusively for the festival.

 

EXHIBITIONS AND ACTIVATIONS

Dubai Design Week 2025 will present a diverse mix of exhibitions, pop ups and activations, spanning immersive brand experiences, cultural collaborations and independent initiatives including: the UAE Designer Exhibition, supported by Dubai Culture, which will return with an evolved format expanding mentorship opportunities for emerging creatives; the d3 Architecture Exhibition in partnership with the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) will showcase works by leading international and regional architectural firms centred on the theme of community; an immersive pop up by Swiss watchmaker Jaeger-LeCoultre, tracing back the history of the Reverso through the lens of design, architecture and the culinary arts; Design You Can Feel by technology brand ASUS is an exploration of materiality, craftsmanship and AI, offering audiences a deeper connection to design and technology; L’ÉCOLE Middle East, School of Jewelry Arts supported by Van Cleef & Arpels is set to unveil a world premiere exhibition at their campus in d3, presenting a unique dialogue between the West and East through the art of jewellery, alongside local heritage and museum artifacts; and Bootleg Griot, an independent public library project, highlights works by artists, collectives and writers of African descent through a satellite library format that celebrates creativity, cultural exchange and accessibility. 

 

TALKS, WORKSHOPS AND MASTERCLASSES

Hosted in a dedicated Maker Space, Dubai Design Week’s workshops programme is designed to inspire and elevate skills across design disciplines, welcoming professionals and aspiring creatives of all ages, interests and levels of experience. The sessions will be led by professors from leading institutions such as the University of the Arts London (UAL) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), alongside creative leaders including Twothirds Design Bureau, a Dubai-based research-led branding and visual design studio and Kaph Books, a regional publisher of high-quality visual arts books rooted in the UAE and Lebanon. They will be joined by independent makers, design collectives and cultural organisations, expanding the programme with diverse perspectives.

 

The Forum at Downtown Design returns with live talks and keynotes, headlined by Tom Dixon in his Dubai debut. He will appear alongside other globally acclaimed voices, including one of the UK’s leading product designers, Lee Broom and French architect, interior designer and restorer Isabelle Stanislas.

 

MARKETPLACE

Dubai Design Week’s weekend Marketplace (November 8–9) is a curated outdoor retail experience set within d3 that platforms homegrown businesses and independent makers from the UAE and across the region, dedicated to handmade wares and crafted goods. Visitors can explore products ranging from homeware, jewellery, fashion and lifestyle items to sustainably made goods. This year, the Marketplace once again brings together design, culinary experiences, children’s activities and live performances, creating a vibrant community space that celebrates creativity and craft while connecting audiences of all ages. -TradeArabia News Service