The most eagerly awaited event in the Middle East brings together companies, creatives, design studios, institutions and emerging talents. Organised in collaboration with the Dubai Design District (d3), the event offers a rich calendar of exhibitions, installations, conferences and live events, bringing together different cultures and disciplines — from architecture to product design, graphics to art — in a blend of experimentation and innovation. The theme “Community”, inspired by the Emirates’ Year of Community, explores design as a tool for social and cultural connection, capable of shaping the way we live, communicate and relate to each other.
Dubai Design Week presents a diverse mix of exhibitions, pop-ups and activations: from immersive brand experiences to cultural collaborations and independent initiatives.
Highlights include the UAE Designer Exhibition, in a new format designed to expand opportunities for emerging creatives; an experiential pop-up by Swiss watchmaker Jaeger–LeCoultre; and Design You Can Feel by ASUS, which explores the relationship between materiality, craftsmanship and artificial intelligence. L’ÉCOLE Middle East, the jewellery arts school supported by Van Cleef & Arpels, will present a world premiere exhibition dedicated to the dialogue between East and West, while Bootleg Griot, an independent public library, will highlight the works of artists, collectives and writers of African origin.
In district d3, over 30 large-scale outdoor installations will transform the square into a laboratory of innovation and interaction. Among the most significant works are: the structure by ARDH Collective, made with low-emission materials such as DuneCrete and DateForm; the reinterpretation of the majlis by AJZAL Studio, built with Sharjah stone and handcrafted camel leather.
The spirit of sharing also emerges in Urban Commissions, the annual competition that offers designers and architects a platform to develop ideas dedicated to public space.
This year’s theme, Courtyard, reinterprets the courtyard as a meeting place — a symbol of balance between openness and intimacy, between privacy and relationship — rethinking it as shared urban infrastructure.
The winning project, When Does a Threshold Become a Courtyard?, is by the Emirati studio Some Kind of Practice, founded by Omar Darwish and Abdulla Abbas.
The d3 Architecture Exhibition, organised in collaboration with the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), will also explore the theme of community through projects by leading international and regional studios.
As every year, the beating heart of Dubai Design Week will be Downtown Design, scheduled from 5 to 9 November 2025 at the d3 Waterfront Terrace. The fair will present the latest collections and design solutions with a calendar of talks, pop-ups and round tables.
Returning protagonists include Huda Lighting, Kartell, Kohler, Poltrona Frau, Venini, Vitra and Obegi Home, joined by new exhibitors such as Roche Bobois, Stellar Works, Calico Wallpaper, Porada and Desalto.
Also standing out are French designer Stéphanie Coutas and the duo Draga & Aurel, presented by Collectional.
The section dedicated to regional talent includes the BEIT Collective from Lebanon, the debut of Strata by Pakistani designer Yousef Shabaz, the Designed in Saudi exhibition promoted by the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Culture, exhibitions by Lina Ghalib and Nuhayr Zein from 1971 DesignSpace in Sharjah, and Tashkeel‘s annual Tanween programme.
Among the most engaging concepts are Buccellati‘s pop-up designed by the duo David/Nicolas, Veuve Clicquot‘s Solaire Lounge with Studio Marcel Poulain, Styled Habitat‘s installation for Nordic Homeworx, and Etereo Design Studio‘s experiential installation for Cosentino.
Alongside Downtown Design, the Editions section will feature limited edition art and design works, ranging from photography and ceramics to artist multiples and contemporary design.
New participants include Galerie Geek Art, david/nicholas in collaboration with Iwan Maktabi and Orient 499, the Wadi Finan Art Gallery, and Tom Fereday with Bureau of Innovation.
The programme concludes with Abwab, the initiative that commissions installations every year from designers from West, South and East Asia, as well as Africa.
The 2025 theme, “In the Details”, explores the intelligence of materials, precision and cultural nuances through the lens of ornamentalism, understood as a visual language and an act of cultural rediscovery.
