Returning from November 4–9, 2025, Dubai Design Week will once again transform Dubai Design District (d3) into a global stage for creativity and collaboration. Held under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and presented in partnership with Dubai Culture and d3, the 11th edition will showcase a rich programme of installations, exhibitions, talks, workshops, and new commissions, celebrating Dubai’s role as the design capital of the Middle East.

Taking centre stage once again, Downtown Design returns as the week’s anchor event, taking place at the d3 Waterfront Terrace from November 5–9. Bringing together the world’s leading brands, designers, and creative studios, the fair will showcase the latest in furniture, lighting, materials, and lifestyle design. 

Here, we talk to Mette Degn-Christensen, Director of Downtown Design, to find out what to expect from this year’s edition. 

What can we expect from the 2025 edition of Downtown Design?

Downtown Design 2025 will bring together leading international names from all corners of the world and some of the region’s most compelling creative talent, cementing what has become the Middle East’s most influential platform for contemporary design, and importantly, a point of connection. 

Some of the showstoppers that visitors to this year’s fair can explore include a pop-up exhibition from Buccellati, conceived by designer-duo with David/Nicolas, Cosentino’s speak-easy, piano lounge-inspired space designed by the super talented Dubai-based Etereo design studio. I personally am impatient to uncover the wooden cabin concept that Rabah Saeid of Styled Habitat has created for Nordic Homeworx - they have quite literally built a house, reimagining Scandinavian nature through a UAE lens. 

What are some of the brands you recommend looking out for this year?

We have a great line-up of global design brands; from first-time participants such as Roche Bobois, Desalto, Draga & Aurel, Porada and Ceramicah, alongside returning names such as Kartell, Poltrona Frau and Lasvit. Obegi Home’s immersive multi-brand presentation of contemporary luxury living, and so is Caspaiou, which always has a beautiful curated space of high-end brands. Huda Lighting is back with a large-scale lighting exhibition, and Venini will present an immersive, bespoke installation. 

What can you tell us about the UAE talent that will be showcased at the event?

UAE-based talent takes centre stage, with MAKE, the Abu Dhabi-based platform for emerging designers to explore furniture design and entrepreneurship, marking their debut at the fair showcasing the latest cohort of its Athath Fellowship, the annual unveil of the culmination of Tanween Design Programme by Tashkeel, promoting sustainable design in the UAE, returns with a new cohort of nine designers for its 2025 edition, and Sharjah-based 1971 Design Space will showcase material innovation from two innovative designers respectively; Lina Ghalib and Nuhayr Zein.

Are there any other highlights that visitors should look out for?

At The Forum, placed at the centre of the fair, our talks programme once again serves as the week’s knowledge exchange anchor. This year’s space, envisioned by Lebanese designer Roula Salamoun, combines material experimentation with sculptural form to create an environment that encourages dialogue and reflection. The programme welcomes global figures such as Tom Dixon, Marcel Wanders and Lee Broom, who will explore how design responds to shifting cultural and material landscapes. 

How does this year’s event differ from previous ones?

This year’s fair is built around experience, with a human-centric focus. Visitors will step into immersive environments that tell design stories through atmosphere, materiality and mood. 

For instance, Stellar Works and Calico Wallpaper are creating a shared installation designed by Omar Al Gurg, a poetic space that merges craftsmanship with cultural dialogue, while Venini’s immersive ‘Amber Mirage’ showcase transforms glass into light and movement.

The presence from the wider region is strong, this year, with designers from Egypt, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Turkey, Iran and India, presenting work that moves between heritage and contemporary form. 

A few highlights include: a collection of contemporary, artisanal rugs by mother-son team Saira Ahsan and Yousaf Shahbaz from Pakistan, Egyptian sister design-duo Doodle & the Gang’s playful rug collection for Hands Carpets, and of course, the Designed in Saudi initiative showcasing the country’s evolving industrial design landscape. 

Tell us about this year’s Editions

Dedicated to limited-edition art and design, Editions Art & Design is back this year. We are excited to welcome new showcases. Some highlights include Bureau of Innovation, debuting with collectable works by designers such as Sophie Dries and Tom Fereday, while Galerie Geek Art will showcase works by Japanese artists including Takashi Murakami; and Latina Dsgn, bringing a vibrant Latin American perspective through furniture that celebrates heritage and handcraft.

How do you work to support upcoming designers and brands in the region with your platform? 

Emerging talent is the pulse of Dubai Design Week and Downtown Design’s role in nurturing and growing the creative eco-system. One of our key initiatives is the UAE Designer Exhibition, which has become a touchstone for local creativity, is being reformatted into a mentorship-driven programme that focuses on long-term growth and for opportunity, as it was originally by design when we launched in 2020, mindful that there was a need for this aspect in the ecosystem. 

Downtown Design has always been a launchpad for talent, but now it is also becoming a framework for designers to build sustainable, global careers from within the region.

Personally, I also stay in touch with many participants who have been presented in our platform throughout the years and enjoy watching them grow and participate in other initiatives, commissions or help facilitate introductions for their next steps.

What’s the most rewarding part of your work — and the hardest part?

It’s always amazing to see how the fair continues to grow into a genuine crossroads for design in the region and a place where you can feel conversations between cultures, materials and ideas unfolding in real time. Watching those connections expand into long-term collaborations or new opportunities for designers is the reason we do this every year. In the UAE and certainly in Dubai, it is a very dynamic scene and evolution happens fast, so it is very rewarding to be able to see the direct impact of your work.

The hardest part is probably knowing what to leave out. There is so much remarkable creativity emerging across the Emirates and the wider region, and you want to give everyone space. We are constantly balancing between the commercial and the conceptual to create an experience where the work truly comes alive so that each year, the fair remains a place of inspiration, discovery and the commissioning of new, meaningful design.

Tell us about the industry in the UAE now and why now is a great time for small upcoming businesses and designers

The country has become a place where international brands, regional studios and independent designers meet in exchange. That openness creates a ripple effect in which new kinds of design businesses emerge. What is particularly exciting is how this ecosystem naturally supports small studios and independent designers. You may find an up-and-coming UAE-based designer collaborating with an Italian brand, or a regional collective working with a global manufacturer through partnerships that might have felt out of reach just a few years ago. Platforms like Downtown Design make those conversations possible, connecting designers to a network that is uniquely local and international.

By bringing these global voices together, Downtown Design continues to act as a catalyst for the region’s creative growth, fostering collaboration, knowledge exchange and opportunity. It is also a place of inspiration and learning for emerging talent, giving designers visibility, access and confidence to take their ideas further. That mix of openness and ambition is what makes this such an exciting time to be building a design practice in the UAE. 

Find out more about Dubai Design Week and Downtown Design at dubaidesignweek.a