Dubai Design Week Announces 2025 Program Highlights
Dubai Design Week returns for its 11th edition from November 4 to 9, 2025, unveiling a vibrant program that reinforces the city’s role as a regional hub for creativity, innovation, and design dialogue.
At the heart of the week’s events is Downtown Design, the anchor exhibition that will showcase a dynamic range of innovative products and design solutions. The event will be enriched by a curated schedule of pop-up concepts, talks, and panel discussions, transforming Dubai into a focal point for international and regional design communities.
Among this year’s standouts are design expressions that reflect regional craftsmanship and contemporary aesthetics. BEIT Collective, known for its objects crafted in Lebanon, will present a selection of finely made design pieces. Debuting on the global stage is “Strata“, an evocative new work by Pakistani designer Yousef Shabaz. The “Designed in Saudi” exhibition, curated by the Design & Architecture Commission of Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Culture, will also be a focal point, highlighting the Kingdom’s growing influence in the global design landscape.
Complementing the main showcase is Editions, a segment dedicated to limited-edition works in various media, including prints, photography, ceramics, works on paper, and artist multiples. This program aims to foster a deeper appreciation of collectable design and offer collectors a diverse range of accessible art and design expressions.
The annual Urban Commissions competition challenged participants to rethink traditional spatial constructs with this year’s theme centered on the courtyard. Entrants were tasked with reimagining it as communal urban infrastructure. The winning submission, “When Does a Threshold Become a Courtyard?“, was designed by Some Kind of Practice, a UAE-based studio founded by Omar Darwish and Abdulla Abbas.
One of the week’s signature initiatives, Abwab (which means “doors”), returns to spotlight emerging talent from West, South, and East Asia, as well as the African continent. Designers were asked to respond to this year’s theme, “In the Details“, delving into material intelligence, precision, and cultural nuance through the distinctive lens of ornamentalism.
“This year, our direction takes a more reflective approach, exploring design not only as a practice of innovation but also as a social connector, a civic and cultural force that shapes how we live together, communicate and build systems of care,” said Natasha Carella, director for Dubai Design Week.
The 2025 edition of Dubai Design Week promises a multifaceted exploration of design’s role in shaping both tactile environments and intangible connections across borders and communities.
Team V.DIR-EM-UAE
