The largest creative festival in the Middle East is back, and there’s so much to look forward to. For an artist, a designer, an aspiring designer, or even an architect, this is the place to showcase their skills and try to raise the bar. The six-day-long Dubai Design Week is as glittery and beautiful as it could get.
Dubai Design Week Dates & Venue
The dates for 2025 is yet to be announced. In 2024, it was held in November 5 to 10, 2024 Venue: The festival is carefully planned around the Dubai Design District (d3), with easy transport and accessibility in mind.
What to Expect?
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The much-awaited program includes over 250 events, ranging from architecture to graphics, most of which are free to attend. Showcasing 150 contemporary art brands from over 25 countries, it mainly focuses on bringing together different art forms and artists to merge as a community and grow in their disciplines. The festival covers various events, talks, workshops, competitions, and exhibitions over the six days, giving every person an opportunity. The design week has been carefully curated to provide a dynamic environment for learners and artists alike.
Event Highlights During Dubai Design Week
1. Installations and Exhibitions
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The festival will feature a diverse array of installations and exhibitions, highlighting both regional and international design talents. Notably, the Abwab pavilion—'Abwab' meaning 'doors' in Arabic—will present works from the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia, emphasizing sustainable design practices.
2. Downtown Design
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Taking place from November 6 to 9, Downtown Design is the region's leading fair for contemporary and high-quality design. It offers a platform for brands and designers to showcase their latest collections and innovations. The fair also hosts "The Forum," a series of talks and masterclasses featuring industry experts.
3. Workshops and Talks
Throughout the week, attendees can participate in various workshops and talks led by professionals from esteemed institutions. These sessions cover a wide range of design disciplines, including architecture, product design, and sustainable materials.
4. The Marketplace
An outdoor retail experience, The Marketplace offers visitors the chance to purchase unique designs and artisanal products from local creatives, providing a tangible memory of the festival
Tickets to Dubai Design Week
Many events and exhibitions during Dubai Design Week are free to attend. However, certain workshops and access to Downtown Design may require registration or tickets. Entry fees to workshops vary according to the choice. It usually starts around AED 100.
Past Editions of the Dubai Design Week
Yaroof - 2015 Edition
Started in the year 2015, the Dubai design week is the most well-known design week across the globe. Over the years it has grown in several participants, exhibitions, crowd and ideas. The hub has always been the Dubai Design District. 2018 attracted over 75000 visitors for different talks, events and workshops. It has been extensively helping the design region grow and provide an engaging environment for all.
The 2015 edition saw some exquisite DIY workshops along with Yaroof being the highlight of the show.
Yaroof was an installation of tightly woven threads inspired by traditional fishing.
Truss T was an installation of abstract shapes made using aluminium taking ideas from sailing boats.
2016 saw some exceptional speakers and a keynote by Aziza Chaouni on restoring the worlds oldest library inaugurated in the year 859. This edition also saw a significant turnover from historic architecture to urban development.
In 2017, local materials were sourced for the Abwab installation from India, the Middle East and West Asia. Abwab was constituted into a single pavilion in this edition of the Dubai Design Week.
Lots of furniture design and abstract installations were put up.
2018 was mainly focussing on inviting students to the design week to gather and showcase ideas. The highlight of 2018 was the installation modelled by Dr Iasef Md Rian from the University of Sharjah. Computationally modelled Pavillion with woven ropes from fishing and construction sites.
With the worlds best architects, designers and artists showcasing their works and holding workshops, The Dubai Design Week is a must-visit for anyone looking for different ideas and designs or even kickstart your design journey. If you’re in Dubai around these dates, make sure to mark your calendars and visit at least one day.
