Inside Dubai Design Week’s Upcoming 11th Edition
Regional creativity takes centre stage as Dubai Design Week returns for its 11th edition from November 4-9. Here’s what to look forward to…
The Middle East’s leading fair for high-quality and contemporary design heads back to the d3 Waterfront Terrace from November 5-9 as Dubai Design Week’s anchor event, spotlighting the latest collections, innovative products and design solutions, along with a fantastic programme of pop-up concerts, regional spotlights, talks and panel discussions. This year’s showcase of furniture, lighting, material, lifestyle objects and accessories will see returning exhibitors, such as Kohler, Poltrona Frau and Obegi Home, rub shoulders with new faces, such as Roche Bobois, Calico Wallpaper and Desalto. Don’t miss the striking pop-up from Buccellati, or for some regional inspo, BEIT Collective’s objects crafted in Lebanon, Sharjah-based 1971 Design Space’s showcase of Lina Ghalib and Nuhayr Zein, and the Designed in Saudi exhibition by the Design & Architecture Commission of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Culture.
Part of Downtown Design, Editions will showcase limited-edition art and design from both regional and international creatives across prints, photography, works on paper, ceramics, contemporary design and artist multiples. Stroll through the fair and explore Galerie Geek Art’s first regional presentation of Japanese art, Dubai-based Ila Colombo’s AI-driven practice, globally recognised david/nicolas in collaboration with Iwan Maktabi and Orient 499 debuting a new contemporary design collection, and Urbanist and Zawyeh Gallery bringing perspectives from the Levant and Palestine.
Dubai Design Week’s annual design competition returns to provide a platform for architects and designers to experiment with ideas for the public realm. This year, it centres on the theme of courtyard – a spatial typology of gathering, reflection and climate control, rooted in the region yet resonant across many cultures – in which designers and architects were invited to reimagine it as a communal urban infrastructure. This year’s winning proposal, When Does a Threshold Become a Courtyard? by UAE-based design and research studio Some Kind of Practice, is informed by the housh, the Emirati courtyard.
The ABWAB annual programme supports designers from across the West, South and East Asia, as well as Africa, commissioning installations or pavilions each year remodelled to reflect relevant global and regional contexts. This year, under the theme of In the Details, creatives explore 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.
Arguably the best part of Dubai Design Week is its accessibility to the public, allowing everyone to explore, engage and immerse themselves in the creative world. This year, there will be over 30 large-scale outdoor installations across d3, including Emirati design studio AJZAL’s reimagined majlis, using locally-sourced materials, such as stone from Sharjah and camel leather produced by artisans. Throughout the six-day event, there will be plenty to dip into. The d3 Architecture Exhibition in partnership with the Royal Institute of British Architects will showcase works by leading international and regional architectural firms on the theme of community; Swiss watchmaker Jaeger-LeCoultre will trace back the history of its iconic Reverso watch through the lens of design, architecture and culinary arts; and L’ÉCOLE Middle East, School of Jewelry Arts, supported by Van Cleef & Arpels, will unveil a world premiere exhibition, presenting a unique dialogue between the West and East through the art of jewellery, local heritage and museum artefacts.
Dubai Design Week’s workshops programme is also designed to inspire and elevate the skills of creatives of all ages across different design disciplines, while the Forum at Downtown Design will return with live talks and keynotes. This year, it’s headlined by British designer Tom Dixon in his Dubai debut, joined by one of the UK’s leading product designers Lee Broom, and French architect, interior designer and restorer, Isabelle Stanislas. Lastly, from November 8-9, Marketplace – which offers a platform to both homegrown businesses and independent makers from the UAE and across the region – will sell a curated collection of handmade homewares, jewellery, fashion and lifestyle pieces.
For more information visit: dubaidesignweek.ae
Lead image credits: Pensieri Riflessi installation for Downtown Design 2025
Imagery supplied
From Harper’s Bazaar Arabia Interiors Autumn 2025 Issue