Dubai Design Week lures design and culture enthusiasts to Dubai Design District (d3) each year. Returning for its 11th edition from 4 to 9 November 2025 and held under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of Dubai Culture, the festival continues to champion creativity, innovation and design-led transformation across the region.
The festival expands across d3
Open to all, visitors can expect large-scale outdoor installations, curated exhibitions, talks, hands-on workshops and interactive activations, each designed to spark conversation and creative exchange. A curated marketplace will spotlight regional artisans, designers and culinary talent, making d3 a vibrant hub for all things design.
What’s this year’s theme about?
In alignment with the UAE’s Year of Community initiative, this year’s edition explores design as a driver of connection and collaboration. With Community as its central theme, the festival highlights how design can help us share space, strengthen civic life and build systems of care and support.
Urban Commissions and Abwab make a comeback
Urban Commissions, Dubai Design Week’s annual competition, invites architects and designers worldwide to reimagine the traditional courtyard as a modern, community-focused space. Under the theme Courtyard, participants are encouraged to explore this shared spatial form’s role as a gathering place and a vital piece of community-led urban infrastructure.
Abwab, one of the festival’s most distinctive platforms, also returns with an expanded reach, now welcoming designers from West, South, and East Asia, as well as Africa. Meaning doors in Arabic, Abwab continues to champion underrepresented voices and regionally rooted design perspectives, offering a crucial stage for immersive spatial experiences and cultural narratives.
Design fairs that push boundaries
From 5 to 9 November, Downtown Design returns to the d3 Waterfront Terrace with a stellar lineup of international and regional brands, including Lasvit, Kartell, Poltrona Frau, Roche Bobois and Stellar Works. Highlights include the Solaire Lounge by Veuve Clicquot and a special collaboration between Buccellati and design studio david/Nicolas. British designer Tom Dixon headlines The Forum with his first-ever keynote in Dubai.
Running alongside is Editions Art & Design from 6 to 9 November, with a preview on 5 November. The region’s first fair dedicated to limited-edition and collectible works, it will feature 50 exhibitors showcasing ceramics, photography, functional art, prints and more.
Spotlighting emerging voices
The UAE Designer Exhibition, supported by Dubai Culture, returns in a refreshed format focused on promoting rising talent through expanded mentorship and international exposure. The d3 Architecture Exhibition, presented in partnership with RIBA, will explore how architecture can reflect themes of inclusion, resilience and collective identity.
Designing for a collective future
Dubai Design Week continues to evolve as a global platform rooted in regional perspectives. It is a space where community, creativity and collaboration shape not only the design world but the future we build together.
Art in the Middle tip
Arrive early on weekday mornings to experience installations and exhibitions without the crowds. Don’t miss Abwab, it features some of the festival’s most immersive and culturally resonant work.
Visit: downtowndesign.com
Hayley is passionate about everything 90s, from art and fashion to music. Her love for glossy, artful coffee table books started early during her days in book publishing and has only grown since. She collects luxury magazines from around the world, enjoys exploring creative workshops around the city, and always chases dinners with a view, preferably by the beach.
