Dubai Design Week 2025 returns to Dubai Design District (d3) from 4–9 November, transforming the city into a global hub of creativity and innovation. The region’s most anticipated design festival brings together over 1,000 designers, architects, and creative practitioners from around the world to explore the evolving landscape of contemporary design. Through a dynamic programme of large-scale installations, exhibitions, activations, workshops, and insightful talks, the event encourages cross-disciplinary dialogue and collaboration.

Visitors can also look forward to Downtown Design - the Middle East’s leading design fair - as well as a vibrant weekend marketplace showcasing emerging talent and artisanal creations. From cutting-edge architecture and sustainable design concepts to immersive experiences and community-driven projects, Dubai Design Week 2025 continues to highlight the city’s growing role as a global design capital and a platform for ideas that inspire, connect, and shape the future.

Dubai Design Week 2025

Held at d3 a global creative ecosystem across design, fashion, architecture and art, this edition of Dubai Design Week will focus on designing for a sustainable future. This theme will be integrated across the week’s programme of activities in a range of disciplines, including architecture, product design and interiors.

#DXBDW25 Programme Highlights

Talks

More than 50 global designers and thought leaders - including renowned names such as Tom Dixon, Nada Debs, Marcel Wanders, and Rabah Saeid - will take part in thought-provoking talks and panel discussions throughout Dubai Design Week 2025. These influential figures will share their expertise, explore emerging industry trends, and offer fresh perspectives on the evolving role of design in shaping society, culture, and the built environment. From sustainability and innovation to craftsmanship and digital transformation, each conversation aims to inspire meaningful dialogue and spark new collaborations across disciplines. By bringing together such a diverse lineup of creative minds, the programme reinforces Dubai Design Week’s mission to be a catalyst for global exchange — where ideas converge, boundaries blur, and the future of design is imagined collectively.

Dubai Design Week 2025
Industrial Designer Tom Dixon

Installations

Over 30 captivating installations by leading international and regional designers - including Nikken Sekkei and the National Pavilion UAE – La Biennale di Venezia - will transform Dubai Design District (d3) into an open-air gallery of creativity and cultural storytelling. Each installation will offer a unique narrative, merging art, architecture, and innovation to engage visitors in immersive experiences that highlight the power of design as a universal language. From thought-provoking spatial concepts to interactive public works, these installations will celebrate diverse perspectives while addressing timely themes such as sustainability, identity, and the urban experience. Together, they will reimagine d3’s public spaces as a dynamic platform for inspiration and dialogue, inviting audiences to explore how design can connect communities and shape the way we experience the world around us.

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Activations

Pop-ups and activations across Dubai Design Week 2025 will bring the district to life with immersive experiences from design-led brands such as Jaeger-LeCoultre, Le Labo, and ASUS Middle East. Blending craftsmanship, innovation, and storytelling, these showcases will invite visitors to engage with design through sensory encounters, interactive displays, and live demonstrations. Alongside these brand experiences, a series of cultural collaborations and special presentations will highlight the intersection of design, art, and technology - offering fresh perspectives on how creativity shapes everyday life. Together, these activations will create a vibrant atmosphere that celebrates design as both an artistic expression and a catalyst for connection, innovation, and cultural dialogue within Dubai Design District (d3).

Abwab

This year’s winning commission, Stories of the Isle and the Inlet by Bahraini studio Maraj, delves into the rich interplay between culture, ecology, and craftsmanship. The textile-based installation explores the concept of ornamentalism, weaving together narratives inspired by the landscapes and heritage of Nabih Saleh island. Through intricate materials and layered textures, Maraj reinterprets traditional motifs to evoke the island’s natural beauty and its deep-rooted cultural identity. The work serves as both an artistic statement and an environmental reflection, inviting viewers to consider the relationship between people, place, and pattern. Positioned within Dubai Design District (d3), the installation exemplifies Dubai Design Week’s commitment to showcasing regional creativity and fostering dialogue between tradition and contemporary design practice.

Dubai Design Week 2025

Downtown Design

The region’s leading fair for contemporary design, Downtown Design, returns with an exceptional showcase of global and regional excellence. This year’s edition will feature renowned international brands such as Kartell, Poltrona Frau, and Vitra, alongside debut participants including Roche Bobois and Stellar Works. The fair will highlight the latest in furniture, lighting, and interior innovation, offering visitors an unparalleled opportunity to explore design at its finest. Beyond the exhibitions, a dynamic programme of talks, collaborations, and interactive showcases will provide insight into emerging trends and future directions within the design industry. As a key pillar of Dubai Design Week, Downtown Design continues to serve as a vital meeting point for professionals, brands, and enthusiasts - fostering connections, sparking inspiration, and reinforcing Dubai’s position as a global hub for contemporary design.

Editions Art and Design

A highlight of Downtown Design, Editions will showcase limited-edition art and design by contemporary creatives, including industrial designer Tom Fereday, Swiss artist Tobias Gutmann, Oscar Niemeyer and more.

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Workshops and Urban Comissions

Open to audiences of all ages, Dubai Design Week 2025 will host over 50 workshops offering expert-led masterclasses and hands-on sessions across diverse disciplines. Organized by universities, creatives, design studios, and cultural institutions, these interactive experiences invite participants to explore design thinking, craftsmanship, and innovation firsthand. Among the highlights, Some Kind of Practice presents When Does a Threshold Become a Courtyard?, an installation that reinterprets the traditional Emirati housh - the courtyard - as a flexible, communal space shaped by climate, craft, and the rhythms of everyday life. Together, the workshops and installations embody Dubai Design Week’s mission to nurture creativity and dialogue, bridging education, tradition, and contemporary design practice in a setting that celebrates both participation and discovery.

Exhibitions and Marketplace

Across design disciplines, Dubai Design Week 2025 will showcase exhibitions exploring innovative materials, interactive media, and architectural projects by both established architects and emerging UAE-based designers and students, highlighting the creativity shaping the future of design. Complementing these displays, the weekend Marketplace will bring together over 80 homegrown businesses, artisans, and local F&B concepts, creating a vibrant hub of creativity and commerce. Visitors can also enjoy live performances by local musicians and creators, making the Marketplace a lively space where design, culture, and community intersect. Together, these exhibitions and the Marketplace celebrate the diversity of talent, foster engagement with design in all its forms, and offer immersive experiences that connect audiences with both visionary ideas and tangible creations.

4-9 November, Dubai Design District, dubaidesignweek.ae

Dubai Design Week 2025 Programme Highlights

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