Dubai-UAE: 9 November, 2020 – Dubai Design District has opened its doors to the world as the strategic partner of Dubai Design Week, one of the first major cultural events to return in physical form following the coronavirus pandemic.

From 9 to 14 November, thousands of visitors will return to the safe open-air setting in d3 for the sixth edition of Dubai Design Week, held under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of Dubai Culture & Arts Authority.

It will be among the first global design fairs to take place physically this year, after flagship global design events were cancelled or held virtually. And from socially-distanced pop-up dining to activations, urban interventions and outdoor installations, d3 has set the stage for the region’s flagship creative festival.

d3 has been the strategic driver of Dubai Design Week since its inception in 2015, welcoming more than 90,000 last year. It returns with a hybrid programme of physical and virtual events and activities, including the inaugural d3 Architecture Festival in partnership with RIBA Gulf.

Khadija Al Bastaki, Executive Director of d3, said: “We are proud to return as the strategic partner of Dubai Design Week for another year, having played a pivotal role in its increasingly global appeal. These extraordinary times have tested all of this and design now matters more than ever. This festival is an opportunity for all of us to come together, show the world how much the region’s creative industries have to offer and inspire the next generation of talent.

She added: “Over the years we have brought some of the region’s most impressive designers to Dubai. This year, we look forward to steering the region toward a more sustainable future with our architecture festival to encourage dialogue on identity, context and placemaking, further cementing Dubai’s status as a UNESCO Creative City of Design.”

From dining pop-ups and product launches to showroom activations and the unveiling of new installations, more than 70 d3 business partners will be participating in Dubai Design Week.

The d3 Architecture Festival in partnership with RIBA Gulf will take place between 11 and 13 November. Held under the theme of ‘Identity, Context and Placemaking in the Gulf’, the event was curated by Juan Roldan, Associate Professor in the College of Architecture, Art & Design at the American University of Sharjah. It will feature a series of live-streamed talks and workshops, as well as a showcase of some of the region’s best architecture projects, with more than 30 participating practices, including 16 from d3.

The d3 edit capsule exhibition will also be a popular attraction, shining a spotlight on the diverse work created by community residents such as jewellery designer Nadine Kanso, Lebanese architect Fadi Sarieddiine and Italian lighting design company Artemide. Visitors can also expect new product launches from the likes of Christopher Guy and Silsal Design.

Returning for another year are the outdoor installations, which have always attracted significant attention and international acclaim. This year’s thematic approach focuses on responsible design that can deliver a positive impact and some of the installations to watch out for include RE: Treat by Colab – an outdoor installation that repurposes construction scaffolding and disused Emirati finishing nets to create public seating areas.

Meanwhile, Khalid Shafar, Aljoud Lootah and Hamad Khoory have been commissioned by the American Hardwood Export Council to create convertible seating solutions.

In a world of social distancing, a series of glass greenhouses will serve as a curated pop-up concept for social distanced dining with d3 restaurant Molecule serving up a plant-based vegan menu. The dining concept will be brought to d3 by the Consulate General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

After attracting more than 200 entries, the Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation will unveil the winners of iForDesign, a project design competition supported by d3 and the community’s startup incubator in5 Design.