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Dubai Design Week unveils host of free events and activities for new season

This year’s edition to focus on innovations that can have positive impact on future of the planet

Published: Wed 9 Nov 2022, 9:23 PM

Updated: Wed 9 Nov 2022, 10:05 PM

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An exciting line-up of free-to-attend events and activities have been lined up for the eighth edition of Dubai Design Week which opened on Wednesday in d3.

This year’s event focuses on design for a more sustainable future under the theme ‘Design With Impact’.

“This year’s edition explores design innovations that can have a positive impact on the future of the planet. By showcasing designs for a sustainable future, the event will foster meaningful conversations on how design can accelerate efforts to protect the environment," said Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of Dubai Culture & Arts Authority and Member of the Dubai Council.

"Dubai Design Week will also help raise the ability of creative industries to be at the forefront of global efforts to advance sustainability and human wellbeing.”

A microcosm of the global industry

The headline event of Dubai Design Week, Downtown Design, features over 200 international and regional brands as well as designers, installations and collection premieres.

Highlights of the event include an interactive new-media installation by Canadian Studio Iregular; a line-up of live talks and panel discussions and a series of exhibitions embodying Dubai Design Week’s theme Design With Impact, including debuts by Stella McCartney, OBMI and Grounded Design.

Visitors can explore over 20 large-scale installations developed by world-renowned and emerging regional talent.

As part of these 20+ installations, Dubai Design District will be running its annual d3 Architecture Exhibition in parallel to Dubai Design Week. Bringing some of the brightest minds in the regional and international architectural space together, the third edition of the exhibition will present a collection of architectural works that explore how design can promote a sustainable future.

The large-scale, immersive installations will demonstrate the innovation of sustainable materials and designs, such as a pavilion made of shell waste by Fadaa Space, and spark conversations on how design can have a positive impact on the environment. The innovative exhibits, which are made of sustainable materials like date waste, old fishing nets and demolished materials that have been upcycled or repurposed will be held for the first time at various locations across d3.

New exhibitions

This year Dubai Design Week’s programme is hosting three new exhibitions including:

  • Matter-ials featuring a series of indoor installations that underscore prominent environmental issues and symbolise the opportunity created by materials that matter.
  • Designing Women, a multi-disciplinary showcase where visitors journey through a vibrant display of aesthetics and statement designs within indoor installations and design pieces
  • Design in the Metaverse, which offers visitors an immersive exploration of how metaverse technologies are pushing the boundaries of design.

The annual UAE Designer Exhibition, curated this year by Cyril Zammit, has a purpose-built space designed by the dynamic Emirati architecture duo at Studio D.04.

For design professionals and the culturally curious there will be over 100 talks and workshops with a line-up of compelling keynotes and panel discussions.

The Downton Design Forum will focus on the business of design and will host high-profile international speakers including multi-award-winning interior designer Kelly Hoppen CBE, Florence-based designer Duccio Maria Gambi and renowned regional experts such as Kuwaiti architect Jassim Al Saddah.

The Maker Space will be full of dynamic workshops for design enthusiasts of all levels and ages. The programme includes workshops such as Mycelium Experiment. Maska celebrates the gift of giving with a workshop that upcycles fabrics to wrap gifts for orphans.

Showcase for homegrown products

Design Market by FLTRD will offer a retail experience full of homegrown offerings that span from homeware to ready-to-wear and will expand on the weekend to offer the best in local artisanal products, in addition to family activities.

in5, will be launching Atypical, a permanent pop-up store that showcases a variety of products developed by start-ups based in its design-focused innovation centre.

Platform for talent

Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation (DIDI) will also be showcasing its talent and vision at Dubai Design Week this week, presenting its most extensive line-up of programming to date. The event will feature a number of emerging and established Emirati design figures such as Khalid Shafar of Khalid Shafar Design Studio, Salem Al-Qassimi of Fikra Design Studio and Murshed Mohammad of Drivu.

The university will also host an array of workshops and classes, all of which are open to the public. Topics and themes featured include sustainability, humanised technology, designing for outer space, digital reality, shapeshifting robotics, designing for circularity, 3D visualization tools, AI and much more.

Dubai Design Week is a free-to-attend event and visitors can download the Dubai Design Week app to know more details.



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