Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 6th November 2021: Dubai Design District (d3) will open its doors to the 7th edition of Dubai Design Week next week, cementing Dubai’s position as a UNESCO City of Design and a global creative capital.

Running from 8-13 November, the event will present its most extensive programme to date with over 250 events. The creative platform invites designers, architects and the public to celebrate design and creativity in the UAE and beyond.  Dubai Design Week is held under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of Dubai Culture & Arts Authority.

As the region’s leading hub for art, design and culture, d3 continually seeks new ways to enable the creative community, whether it be an emerging designer paving their space in the industry or an established retailer looking to expand. It aims to provide an ecosystem that allows the region’s creatives to experiment, flourish and inspire and constantly challenges people to rethink the regular.  As the strategic driver behind Dubai Design Week since its inception in 2015, d3 provides the ideal backdrop for the design community to come together to exchange ideas, learn, collaborate and inspire - and showcase the creative talent of the UAE and wider region to the world.

Commenting on this year’s festival, Khadija Al Bastaki, Executive Director of Dubai Design District (d3), said: “As a strategic partner, we’re delighted at d3 to once again set the stage for Dubai Design Week, which is now in its 7th year. This year will present the festival’s most extensive programme to date, celebrating the bespoke and inspiring creations of local and regional artisans. Hosting the event at such a scale is testament to our ever-growing creative ecosystem at d3 and allows us to further establish ourselves as a thriving global design centre.

“This flagship event has always brought the best and brightest talents in the industry together whilst also providing a platform for our aspiring UAE-based talents to showcase their work. As the range of impactful activities unfolds, we look forward to fortifying Dubai’s status as a UNESCO Creative City of Design and conveying the dynamic design culture of ambitious designers from around the world.”

The ‘d3 Architecture Exhibition’ will return for the second year, themed around how Dubai could look in 20 years. The architecture showcase ‘2040: d3 Architecture Exhibition’, will spotlight five d3 and UAE-based architectural firms including Beyrac Architects, Dabbagh Architects, MEAN* Middle East Architecture Network, RMJM Dubai, and Tariq Khayyal Design Partners.

The exhibition will present visitors with innovative multimedia experiences and interactive installations that will take them on a journey into how Dubai could look in 2040 as well as showcase how architecture, with a human-centric approach, can contribute to enhancing happiness, well-being and quality of life in a sustainable manner.  

in5 Design, an enabling platform for design start-ups in the heart of d3, will be participating both as an exhibitor and through a series of workshops for its partners. The incubator will be showcasing its emerging design practices in a multidisciplinary exhibition titled "Underscore", showcasing some of the most fascinating projects that are being worked on in the design and technology space. Exploring the role played by technology in many of the approaches adopted by design start-ups, the innovative spectacle will include a variety of thought processes highlighting new innovative practices, products with technology-driven design, as well as user-centric design paradigms. Showcasing the works from participants including KDSV, Neo Architecture, NYXO Visionary Design, Shatha Essa, Seen Meem Interior Design, Stelyx and Uche by Amber, a broad range of concepts will be examined through these projects, ranging from culture, craft, sustainability, spirituality and wellness.

The Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation (DIDI) will also be joining the scene with two exhibitions showcasing the remarkable talents of their students in support of the next generation of innovators. The “One Grain at a Time” exhibition will showcase the work of the students from different years and cross-concentrations who are designing alternative futures, today. The exhibition will step into the future to explore concepts reflecting on the transience of time and boundlessness of space as well as an immerse visitor into a real-time transmission of the robotic arm of the university’s Fabrication Lab. Meanwhile, the “Future Today” exhibition, in collaboration with RMJM, will deliver an in-depth 360-degree overview of key driving themes within the Urban Masterplan 2040 ‘Accessibility to Infrastructure’, addressing themes including culture, landscape, mobility, environment and the urban. 

Among the other activities taking place at d3 are the UAE Designer Exhibition 2.0, unveiling works by 25 local creative talents, over 80 hands-on workshops at the Making Space, 50+ talks by regional and international industry leaders, and 15 installations and public interventions for visitors to explore in the open-air setting.  

Downtown Design, the region’s leading design fair for high-end and quality design, will make a return with an in-person showcase of 150+ international and regional exhibiting brands and talents. 

Responding to this year’s theme of regenerative architecture and restorative design, the festival’s headline commission Abwab has been awarded to Dubai-based Ahmed El-Sharabassy for his innovative proposal titled ‘Nature in Motion’. The event will also witness the MENA Grad Show showcasing more than 60 of the best social impact innovation projects from the brightest minds coming out of the region’s universities.
For a full programme of events, visitors can download the free Dubai Design Week app to stay up to date on activities and health and safety guidelines.

Visitors of Dubai Design Week can enjoy a variety of F&B outlets for unforgettable dining experiences. As one of the area’s most exciting dining destinations, guests can experience everything from French bistros, buzzing lunchtime spots, street-style bites and more all in uniquely designed setups in the creative neighbourhood.