Urban Commission 2025 winner Some Kind of Practice explores the courtyard as communal infrastructure with a project titled When Does a Threshold Become a Courtyard?

The edition presents a multidisciplinary programme with more than 30 large-scale installations and newly commissioned artworks spanning architecture, interior design, product design, and more.

Downtown Design anchors the fair with latest collections, pop-ups, regional spotlights, talks, and panel discussions, featuring both returning and new exhibitors.

Maker Space offers workshops and masterclasses on design careers, material innovation, sustainability, and digital storytelling, with registrations via the Dubai Design Week site.

Regional highlights feature BEIT Collective’s Lebanon-made objects, Strata by Yousaf Shabaz (Pakistan), and showcases like Designed in Saudi, plus Tanween and Athath Fellowship initiatives from Sharjah and Abu Dhabi.

Dubai Design Week 2025 opens its 11th edition with more than 1,000 designers, architects, and creative practitioners from over 50 countries, under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and in partnership with Dubai Design District (d3).

The festival is hosted in collaboration with d3 and supported by Dubai Culture, underscoring Dubai’s aim to be a global hub for creativity and innovation.

Key partnerships include the Dubai Design District and sustained support from Dubai Culture, with high-level attendees signaling strong governmental and industry backing.

Regional highlights bring together Emirati reinterpretations of heritage, Iranian sculptural works, and Arab world textiles and paper works from galleries like Asateer, AASSTTIINN, and Wadi Finan Art Gallery.

Immersive spaces feature the Solaire Lounge by Veuve Clicquot and a Buccellati lounge designed by david/nicolas, highlighting craftsmanship and contemporary design.

Activations showcase AI-inspired experiences such as Tobias Gutmann’s Sai Bot portraits and Arabic Sign Language jewellery workshops by Maseer Collective, alongside artist-made prints and design objects from the Art Jameel Shop.

Editions Art & Design highlights include global launches, regional debuts, and activations like AI portrait generation and Arabic Sign Language jewellery workshops.

Editions spotlights include a global furniture launch from Bureau of Innovation, Latin American craftsmanship by Latina Dsgn, and Badih Ghanem’s Remember Love? installation reinterpreting Emirati heritage.

The Dubai Design Week Marketplace brings together 90 brands spanning homeware, jewellery, fashion, and sustainable products, with culinary concepts, children’s activities, and live music.

The 2025 program spans commissions, exhibitions, installations, talks, and live events across d3, emphasizing cross-cultural exchange and Dubai’s role as a global creative hub.

Opening remarks highlighted the festival’s evolving role in nurturing Dubai’s creative ecosystem and its broader impact on art and design beyond aesthetics.

The festival runs through November 9.

Natasha Carella, Director of Dubai Design Week, emphasizes a curatorial focus on culturally rooted work, cross-cultural collaboration, and design as a social connector for inclusive futures.

The UAE Designer Exhibition boosts mentorship and visibility for emerging UAE designers, with Nada Debs highlighted as a headline mentor.

The d3 Architecture Exhibition, in partnership with the RIBA Gulf Chapter, showcases international and regional firms while expanding opportunities for UAE designers.

The program spans multiple design disciplines—architecture, interiors, furniture, product, graphic, and experiential design—fostering dialogue, experimentation, and progress.

The Forum features prominent keynote talks, including Tom Dixon on material innovation, with additional leadership voices and a dedicated Marketplace for handmade wares.

Key forum speakers include Marcel Wanders, Tom Dixon, Lee Broom, and regional leaders, with highlights on material innovation and design leadership.

Over 30 installations across d3 involve collaborations with BMW, ARDH Collective, AJZAL, The National Pavilion UAE, and studios like Nikken Sekkei and DEOND.

More than 50 workshops and masterclasses complement a marketplace of over 90 artisans and entrepreneurs.

Editions Art & Design features limited-edition works across photography, ceramics, prints, and contemporary design from regional and international creators.

Sheikha Latifa described Dubai Design Week as a platform where ideas cross borders, enabling design to solve challenges through collaboration and cultural exchange.

Khadija Al Bastaki of d3 notes the district’s energy and collaboration with Dubai Design Week, marking the first-ever d3 Awards as part of the fifth d3 Architecture Exhibition, in partnership with the RIBA Gulf Chapter.

Sheikha Latifa attended the opening alongside other high-level figures, underscoring strong support for the festival.

The inaugural d3 Awards were presented to Ohireme Uanzekin, with a 100,000 AED prize and mentorship, showcased during the d3 Architecture Exhibition.

Dubai Design Week 2025 was officially inaugurated on November 5 by Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, chairperson of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority.

Beyond the main fair, Downtown Design and Editions Art & Design curate a broad slate of talks, workshops, and live events across d3, including over 30 installations.

The event encompasses Downtown Design, substantial installations, and a series of talks and panels, with many exhibitors such as Roche Bobois and Stellar Works participating.

Abwab 2025 centers on Ornamentalism, with Maraj presenting Stories of the Isle and the Inlet, focusing on Nabih Saleh island’s ornament and local crafts.