Following last year’s Dubai Design Week – its inaugural edition which saw 23,000 visitors, this citywide design event takes place once again in the UAE this year from 24 to 29 October 2016. With a series of activities and showcases curated for design aficionados, designers, architects and thought leaders from over 150 of the world’s leading studios, agencies, brands and educational institutions, Dubai Design Week 2016 will cement Dubai’s status as the design capital of the MENASA region with more than 100 events taking place in Dubai Design District (d3) over six days. This year, significantly more visitors and internationally renowned exhibitors are expected to attend.
“Dubai Design Week is one of the world’s newest and most ambitious international design events, conceived to shine a spotlight on Dubai as a leading design hub, and share the UAE’s thriving design scene with the world at large,” says representatives of Dubai Design Week. “Established in 2015 by Art Dubai Group in partnership with Dubai Design District (d3), it is held under the dedicated patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice Chairman of the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority. Dubai Design Week is also supported by Dubai Design & Fashion Council and Dubai Culture & Arts Authority.”
An event that is both regional and international in scope, Dubai Design Week encompasses public and private spheres, culture, education and entertainment, and spans multiple disciplines, ranging from graphic and product design to architecture and industrial design. Panels, keynote speeches, panel discussions, public performances and and educational workshops all contribute to the greater discussion of what design means for the region and the world.
The event also coincides with Downtown Design (25-28 October), the region’s only quality-driven design trade fair, which will return for its fourth edition as the commercial centrepiece of Dubai Design Week 2016, bringing together over 100 brands from 25 countries.
Another highlight of the event is the Global Grad Show, a globally unique exhibition of innovation, inventions and technology that will transform our future, all showcased by the world’s next generation of design talent. With 135 projects from 50 of the leading universities in 30 countries on six continents, it is the largest and most diverse gathering of designers ever to take place.
Central to Dubai Design Week is a daily programme of talks and workshops held at d3 with something for everyone, from local start-ups and entrepreneurs to international visitors, the media and families. The free-to-attend programme will serve as a rich introduction to the design scene in the UAE, and build on the many events and exhibitions happening throughout the week and beyond.
Details on the talks and workshops programme will be released in late summer, along with a full list of the diverse satellite events from studios, ateliers, universities and galleries that will take place ‘Around the City’.
www.dubaidesignweek.ae
