Dubai Design Week will celebrate its 11th edition this November with its largest ever presence across Dubai Design District (d3), bringing together designers and creative practitioners to collaborate and explore the evolving role of design in shaping a better collective future.

This annual celebration of creativity and culture is being held in strategic partnership with d3, a member of Tecom Group and supported by Dubai Culture.

Since 2015, Dubai Design Week has grown into a global platform with a strong emphasis on cross-cultural exchange and on amplifying voices from West and South Asia, as well as the wider Global South (encompassing countries across Africa, Latin America, most of Asia and Oceania).

To be held from November 4 to 9, the 2025 edition of Dubai Design Week will explore a central theme of ‘Community’, in response to the UAE’s wider ‘Year of Community’ initiative.

This year’s programme reflects this theme through a focus on social cohesion, participation and shared experiences. Design will be explored not only as a practice of innovation, but as a social connector, and as a civic and cultural tool that can shape how we live together, communicate, and build lasting systems of care.

Dubai Design Week will be held from November 4 to 9.

Through exhibitions, fairs, large-scale installations, talks and workshops, the festival engages with the narratives of our time, creating a space for dialogue, experimentation and progress, harnessing its position as a regional melting pot and creative hub.

Key venues are located across d3, a global creative ecosystem dedicated to design, fashion, architecture and art.

Urban Commissions is Dubai Design Week’s annual competition open to proposals from global practices, giving international architects and designers the opportunity to shape public spaces through thoughtful, community-driven design.

Under the theme ‘Courtyard’, Urban Commissions calls on practitioners to reflect on this shared spatial form and explore its multifaceted role as a gathering place and community-led urban infrastructure.

Abwab, meaning ‘doors’ in Arabic, is a long-running feature at Dubai Design Week. Newly expanded to welcome applicants from across West, South and East Asia, as well as the African continent, it reflects an ongoing commitment to surfacing design perspectives that can be often underrepresented on global platforms.

This year’s theme, ‘In the Details’, invites practitioners to create immersive spatial experiences, exploring ornamental details and engaging with historic cultural forms.

Outdoor installations from designers, architects, collectives, creative practitioners, and design-led brands, will explore design’s potential to foster inclusive, community-focused environments through the use of sustainable and socially responsible methods and materials.

Downtown Design

Downtown Design, the Middle East’s leading fair for quality and contemporary design, returns to the d3 Waterfront Terrace from November 5 to 9, showcasing the latest collections and design innovations from around the world.

Returning exhibitors including Lasvit, Kartell, Poltrona Frau, Obegi Home, Venini, and Vitra will present new concepts alongside those from new participants Roche Bobois, Stellar Works, Frama, Porada and Desalto.

Designer duo Draga & Aurel will present a solo exhibition for Collectional, and French designer Stephanie Coutas will showcase high-end interiors and collectible design pieces.

The fair will feature experiential concepts and immersive installations including the Solaire Lounge by Veuve Clicquot and a pop-up collaboration between Buccellati and design studio david/Nicolas.