DUBAI, 4th November, 2026 (WAM) -- H.H. Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), inaugurated the 12th edition of Dubai Design Week, the region’s leading design festival, being held at Dubai Design District (d3) from 3 to 8 November 2026.
Held in strategic partnership with Dubai Design District (d3), a member of TECOM Group, and supported by Dubai Culture, this year’s edition brings together designers, architects and creative practitioners from more than 50 countries. The festival provides a platform to exchange ideas, develop partnerships and connect regional talent with international audiences.
Dubai Design Week 2026 presents a multidisciplinary programme of more than 40 installations, exhibitions, commissions and activations, alongside talks, workshops and public experiences exploring the relationship between design, cultural heritage and contemporary creative practice. The programme highlights regional talent and gives emerging designers opportunities to develop and present new work.
H.H. Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum highlighted Dubai Design Week’s role in advancing the emirate’s cultural and creative industries, supporting talent and bringing local and international creative communities together. She emphasised how design can carry cultural identity forward, inspire innovation and respond to people’s changing needs.
H.H. Sheikha Latifa said: “Over the years, Dubai Design Week has played an important role in strengthening Dubai’s design sector, bringing together creative talent, industry leaders and new perspectives while creating opportunities for ideas to develop and flourish. Its impact is reflected in the success of emerging designers, the collaborations it has inspired and the creative ventures that have gained visibility and opportunities to grow through successive editions.
As Dubai’s creative economy continues to grow, we remain committed to building on this progress, supporting new generations of designers and empowering them to develop innovative ideas and practical solutions that enrich people’s lives, create economic value and contribute to our city’s future.”
Dubai Design Week’s programme spans architecture, interiors, furniture, product design and contemporary craft. Highlights include Downtown Design, the Middle East’s leading fair for high-quality contemporary design, which presents more than 300 brands and designers from over 35 countries.
The fair features new collections from international design houses, regional showcases and special presentations. Its talks programme, The Forum, brings together more than 30 international and regional practitioners to discuss craftsmanship, material innovation and the future of design.
The UAE Designer Exhibition, supported by Dubai Culture, presents work by 30 UAE-based creatives under the theme ‘Inherited Futures,’ conceived by Emirati architect and designer AlZaina Lootah. The exhibition explores how a new generation of designers is reinterpreting the materials, rituals and craftsmanship that have shaped the UAE’s creative identity, connecting traditional knowledge with contemporary practice.
Abwab, Dubai Design Week’s longstanding commissioning programme supporting creative practitioners from across Asia and Africa, introduces a new exhibition format this year. Under the theme ‘In Other Words,’ five newly commissioned works explore how language, memory and cultural knowledge are communicated through design.
Urban Commissions, Dubai Design Week’s annual design competition dedicated to public spaces, presents this year’s winning proposal, ‘Three Gardens and a Room,’ by NAO, the Dubai-based architecture practice founded by Reem Nassour. The installation brings together planting, shade, filtered light and different materials to create three interconnected gardens around a shared space, inviting visitors to gather, pause and connect.
Across d3, more than 20 installations by UAE-based, regional and international practices explore architecture, sustainability and public space. An extensive programme of exhibitions, talks and more than 50 hands-on workshops, including sessions at the Maker Space, made by MillerKnoll, invites visitors of different ages to explore design through creative practice.
Al Jalila Cultural Centre for Children’s ‘Clay Vocabulary Exhibition’ brings together workshops, a pottery marketplace and a children’s exhibition featuring work from the Young Emirati Potters Programme. The programme celebrates local ceramic practitioners and gives young artists opportunities to experiment, learn and share their work.
The Dubai Design Week Marketplace, taking place on 7th and 8th November, brings together more than 80 independent makers, artisans and creative businesses from the UAE and wider region. With handmade ceramics, jewellery, fashion, homeware and lifestyle products, the Marketplace connects creative entrepreneurs with visitors and offers insight into the skills and processes behind their work.
Through its exhibitions, commissions, industry discussions and public activities, Dubai Design Week helps designers develop their practice, build international connections and reach new audiences, contributing to Dubai’s cultural life and creative economy.