Under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Design Week returns from 4–9 November 2025 for its 11th edition, promising its most expansive and inclusive programme to date. Set across the dynamic Dubai Design District (d3), this year’s edition coincides with the UAE’s “Year of Community,” shaping a festival that celebrates not just design innovation, but its social and cultural impact on how we live and interact.
Anchored around the theme of Community, the 2025 edition explores design as a social connector and a civic tool for cohesion, inclusion, and collective creativity. As the Middle East’s leading design festival, Dubai Design Week continues to cement its role as a global platform spotlighting cross-cultural exchange and amplifying voices from the Global South, including South Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Oceania.
Among the highlights is the return of Urban Commissions, which this year invites global designers to respond to the spatial significance of the “courtyard” — a symbol of gathering and shared space. This thoughtful brief underscores the event’s commitment to public-facing, community-centred design and reimagining shared urban infrastructure.
Abwab, the festival’s long-running regional pavilion programme, expands its geographical remit in 2025 to include participants from across West, South and East Asia, and Africa. Under the theme In the Details, designers are invited to engage with ornamentation and cultural motifs to create immersive spatial storytelling that speaks to heritage and contemporary life alike.
Visitors can expect a vibrant calendar of exhibitions, installations, and activations that range from experimental architecture and sustainable product design to multimedia public art. Outdoor installations at d3’s Waterfront and creative district will showcase how design can be a catalyst for inclusion and wellbeing, while Maker Space will host hands-on workshops from local artisans and global practitioners for all ages and skill levels.
Downtown Design returns from 5–9 November to bring together leading international design houses such as Lasvit, Poltrona Frau, Kartell, and Vitra, along with regional innovators and new participants including Roche Bobois and Stellar Works. A special highlight will be a solo showcase by Draga & Aurel, and a pop-up installation by Buccellati in collaboration with david/Nicolas. British design icon Tom Dixon will headline The Forum, bringing his insights to Dubai for the first time.
Following a successful debut last year, Editions Art & Design will once again take place from 6–9 November with a preview on the 5th. It will showcase limited-edition and collectible works across ceramics, photography, sculpture, and contemporary design from 50 regional and international exhibitors, marking it as the Middle East’s first and only fair of its kind.
For architecture enthusiasts, the 2025 d3 Architecture Exhibition—held in collaboration with the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA)—will focus on resilience, openness, and ambition in the built environment, echoing the ethos of the Year of Community. Meanwhile, the UAE Designer Exhibition will return in an evolved format that emphasises mentorship, access, and international showcasing for next-gen creatives from across the Emirates.
This year’s Dubai Design Week is not just a festival—it’s a call to action for designers and the public alike to reimagine the role of design in building more connected, conscious communities. As Dubai continues to grow as a global creative capital, this edition underscores the power of design to influence everyday life, spark dialogue, and inspire change.
