| Genre: | Design Festival |
| Frequency: | Annually |
| Location: | Dubai, United Arab Emirates |
| First: | 2015 |
| Prev: | November 2022 |
| Next: | November 2023 |
| Attendance: | +130,000 in 2022 |
| Area: | Dubai |
| Patron: | Her Highness Sheikha Latifa Bint Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum |
| Organised: | Art Dubai Group, supported by Dubai Design District (d3) and Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) |
| Website: | http://www.dubaidesignweek.ae/ |
Dubai Design Week is an annual event held to celebrate and promote design and creativity in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The first Dubai Design Week took place in 2015, and is held annually at venues across the city, with Dubai Design District being the main hub.[1] With an extensive programme of free-to-attend exhibitions, talks, workshops, the 2022 festival attracted over 130,000 visitors and as such it is considered the largest creative festival in the Middle East.
Dubai Design Week is owned and managed by the Art Dubai Group (ADG). Held under the patronage of Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, staged in strategic partnership with Dubai Design District, and supported by Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, it is one of a series of initiatives aimed at developing design and innovation in Dubai by fostering a creative environment.[2]
The six-day event showcases a wide variety of design skills and disciplines including: architecture, product and furniture design, interior design, jewelry, industrial design, service design, technology, culture, art, and more.[3]
Dubai Design Week takes place across the city and at its main hub; Dubai Design District (d3), staging activations and events as part of an extensive programme which includes content from over 360 partner organisations catering to a wide variety of visitors.
Key components of Dubai Design Week include a fair for contemporary design, Downtown Design; Abwab, an interactive platform for creative talent from the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia; the Urban Commissions design competition and the Design market alongside outdoor installations, exhibitions, an extensive, hybrid talks and workshops programme.
As the commercial centrepiece of Dubai Design Week - Downtown Design is a design trade fair for contemporary design in the Middle East, showcasing a variety of commercial designs from various industries. It was originally launched in 2013 prior to Dubai Design Week but is now held annually during the week-long festival.[4] The fair exhibits product launches and latest collections from over 350 international and regional brands, designers and manufacturers alongside Downtown Editions, the fair's boutique showcase for limited-edition design with a spotlight on individual designers and collectives. The fair also hosts an extensive talks and masterclasses programme, which includes a series of industry talks, panel discussions and workshops, allowing visitors to gain valuable insight into the region's rapidly evolving design industry, design innovation and market changes.
Abwab translates as ‘doors’ in Arabic. It is Dubai Design Week's key event for highlighting regional design talent from the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia. A total of 180 designers have participated in Abwab from 2015 to 2020.