Dubai has witnessed a spectacular tryst with the magical world of designs this week as the city celebrated the Dubai Design Week. This has been a diverse 6-day program of keynote speeches, panel discussions, public performances and educational workshops which allowed all visitors – from local start-ups and entrepreneurs to international visitors, the media and families – the opportunity to discover and engage with design. The free-to-attend program served as a rich introduction to the design scene in the UAE, and built on the many events and exhibitions happening throughout the week and beyond. Dubai’s design community showcased the best of the city’s creativity through an extensive programme of design-dedicated events at Dubai Design Week. Various activities throughout the week hosted by local retailers, design brands, restaurants, universities and institutions, creative studios and galleries offered visitors the chance to attend workshops, launches and exhibitions, film screenings, and more.
Throughout Dubai Design Week, a diverse 6-day programme of keynote speeches, panel discussions, public performances and educational workshops allowed all visitors – from local start-ups and entrepreneurs to international visitors, the media and families – the opportunity to discover and engage with design. The free-to-attend programme served as a rich introduction to the design scene in the UAE, and built on the many events and exhibitions happening throughout the week and beyond. Dubai’s design community showcased the best of the city’s creativity through an extensive programme of design-dedicated events at Dubai Design Week. Various activities throughout the week hosted by local retailers, design brands, restaurants, universities and institutions, creative studios and galleries, offered visitors the chance to attend workshops, launches and exhibitions, and film screenings.
Projects
Abwab: Named after the Arabic word for ‘doors’, the Abwab initiative was dedicated to exploring the design narrative of countries within the MENASA region.
Downtown Design: Downtown Design, the region’s only quality-driven design trade fair, returned this time for its fourth edition as the commercial centre-piece of Dubai Design Week.
Global Grad Show: Global Grad Show was a globally unique exhibition of innovation, inventions and technology that will transform our future, all showcased by the world’s next generation of design talent.
Iconic City: Cairo Now! City Incomplete: The exhibition, ‘Iconic City: Cairo Now! City Incomplete’ takes inspiration from the Egyptian capital’s host of red brick buildings in varying stages of completion, aiming to gauge the current mood of the city’s creative scene.
Installations: In landmark locations across Dubai, a series of public, site-specific installations by renowned international, regional and local designers united and transformed the city throughout Dubai Design Week’s six days.
Courses offered in the course of this week:
Interior Design Pop-ups: This one-day taught workshop examined the history and future of interior design pop-ups and engage participants in proposing pop-up solutions to specific challenges.
Curating Design: This one-day workshop explained how to curate a design exhibition, including an overview of the subject, detailed case study and a series of practical exercises.
Products for Spaces: In this one-day workshop, participants learnt about
the techniques employed by leading global design studios. They will also have the opportunity to explore skills such as hand.