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Meet Emirati designer Omar Al Gurg, the curator of a highlight event at Dubai Design Week

From showcasing his own work to leading 30 designers, Al Gurg’s full-circle journey highlights his dedication and love for meaningful design

Dubai-born designer Omar Al Gurg, founder of MODU Method, a furniture design studio, returns to the UAE Designer Exhibition at Dubai Design Week, starting November 5 onwards, with a sense of fulfilment, marking a full-circle moment in his career. Having first launched his own work at the exhibition in previous years, Al Gurg now steps into the role of curator for the fifth edition of this celebrated showcase. Known for blending creativity, community, and functionality in his designs, Al Gurg has gained global recognition for his thoughtful approach, where form follows purpose.

Shaped by his architectural studies abroad, personal experiences, and the guidance of his family, Al Gurg continues to manage MODU Method alongside his family business. His designs are deeply rooted in Arab heritage and storytelling, promoting accessible design that solves practical problems while maintaining aesthetic appeal. As curator of the UAE Designer Exhibition 5.0, Al Gurg will guide 30 emerging designers under the theme of inspiring moments of tranquillity, encouraging audiences to slow down and engage with emotionally resonant, functional objects.

Taking place from November 6-9 as part of Dubai Design Week, the exhibition will be a key highlight at Downtown Design, offering a platform for designers passionate about the art of slowing down in today’s fast-paced world.

We speak to Al Gurg, who is also a passionate photographer to learn about his methods as a designer and his thoughts on the design scene in Dubai. Here are the edited excerpts:

How was the experience curating the 5th edition of the UAE Designer Exhibition? What are some of the key themes or emerging trends you're seeing from the UAE-based designers featured this year?

It’s been wonderful, kind of like a full circle moment. MODU was launched at the UAE Designer Exhibition a few years ago. I also got to meet so many new designers that are incredibly talented, and got to learn from them as well. I noticed that the upcoming designers are more adventurous and bold with their shapes and colours, which is very refreshing to see.

Your work often blends creativity, community, and functionality. How do you strike a balance between aesthetic appeal and practical problem-solving in your designs?

I think so long as we keep people in mind when we’re designing, we’ll be able to have a balance between all of those things. We need to ask, what do the people / community that we’re designing for really want out of what we’re making, then hopefully we can come to an agreement of what problems we can solve through design.

You’ve spoken about drawing inspiration from your Arab roots. How do you incorporate elements of your cultural heritage into your designs in a way that resonates with both local and global audiences?

Incorporating elements from my cultural heritage comes in naturally and subconsciously. I don’t try to force it; I try to tell a story through my designs, and make them as interactive as possible. I think that’s why people can relate to them on a more global scale.

One of your missions is to promote accessible design. What does accessible design mean to you, and how do you approach making your creations more available and functional for a wider audience?

Accessible design means catering to as many people as possible, while problem solving through form and function. I always try to let my designs have more than one function so they can have a wider range of uses. One example of that is NU, a modular block that can have different functions depending on how many you have, you can create bookshelves, coffee tables, partition walls, and even planters.

How has managing MODU Method alongside your family business shaped your approach to design and entrepreneurship? What role has your family played in your journey as a designer?

I definitely think that both roles work hand in hand with each other. I learn a lot from the creative community because of MODU Method, and it’s all information that I can potentially implement in the family business. Likewise, I learn so much from the family business when it comes to strategies and all the nitty-gritty of business, something that helps me manage MODU efficiently. I feel that my family has always supported me in my journey as a designer, which has been of great help, and, of course, I am very thankful to have their support.

Your designs have garnered some global acclaim. What are your future ambitions for expanding your reach on the international design stage, and what are some of the challenges you foresee in taking your work globally?

I’m happy to have been exposed to the international market, and I certainly hope to expand and grow within that market in the near future. Many challenges can be seen as opportunities, but one of them would be the logistics side of everything. I feel that being able to reach the international design stage, and meeting the market’s expectations can be a difficult task when it comes to shipping and delivery. But exposing MODU Method to that challenge only means that we can finally put a system in place that can cater to that sect. I’m excited about it, and willing to take on the opportunity to grow.

Storytelling is a key element in your work. Could you give us an example of a piece you’ve designed that tells a particularly meaningful story, and how that story is reflected in the final product?

Absolutely, I think the most relevant one would be Spike. It is the first piece I’ve ever designed for MODU, and the inspiration comes from the inconvenience of clutter. When I was in my national service, I started sketching to exercise my mind. I thought a nice exercise would be to solve common household problems through pieces of furniture, so I thought about what I was going through at that particular moment, which was all of my clothes stuffed into a bag instead of being hung nicely.

I think, subconsciously, what I did was I designed a coat hanger with a shape that was a little more appealing to me than other coat hangers, and made it so that the pegs could be removable and placed in many different positions depending on how many clothes or items you wanted to hang. This solved the clutter aspect not only for your wardrobe, but also the clutter on the coat hanger itself. Kids and some pets really love this piece as well, so I can comfortably say that Spike is a pleasant addition to any family.

As someone deeply involved in the UAE’s design community, how do you see the design scene in Dubai evolving, and what role do you think initiatives like Dubai Design Week play in nurturing emerging talent?

I see it evolving positively. We’re growing as a creative community, and we continue to support each other when it comes to design and business advice. I believe the design scene here is growing in a very beautiful way. Initiatives like Dubai Design Week are certainly helping facilitate the meetings between creatives. During this time, designers can meet each other and potential clients that are also interested in their field. Everyone gives valuable feedback, and it gives everyone the opportunity to grow and learn from the exposure and experience.

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