Dubai Design Week opens its seventh edition armed with 260 free events

• Photography: Ashok Verma

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 With a list of 260 free activities, Dubai Design Week, the region's most prominent creative festival, kicked off today at the main festival center in Dubai Design District (d3) and across the city, and will run from 8 to 13 November, under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority and member of the Dubai Council.

 Emphasizing Dubai's leading position as a regional center for design and creativity, the seventh edition of the event presents its richest and most diverse program to date, with the participation of 430 local designers and 560 companies in a wide range of activities and events ranging from exhibitions and temporary stores, art installations and talks, advanced lessons and practical workshops available For all visitors of all ages and skills.

 Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, said: "Dubai Design Week has proven its worth as a prominent regional creative event and world-class cultural event. With unique experiences full of innovation and creativity.

This prestigious event has managed, year after year, to establish its position as a major event within the agenda of the cultural and creative industries in the world. It encourages them to get creative ideas. We can say that Dubai Design Week has gone beyond its role in displaying inspiring and practical designs, to prove its position as a platform concerned with developing innovative solutions capable of facing complex global challenges, with the potential to achieve a positive and tangible impact on the level of our daily lives as well as contributing to shaping the features of a better future for all. We can only be proud of this wonderful platform, which over the years has established its unique position on the global creative map, inviting everyone to enjoy unique experiences throughout the week.”

 Downtown Design, the region's premier exhibition of original and high-quality designs, will be held from 8 to 12 November, providing visitors with the opportunity to explore the latest trends and innovations in the world of design. The exhibition will host more than 150 regional and international designers and brands from 20 countries; It will also present a number of accompanying events, most notably: a talk show that hosts international experts in the field of design. In this year's edition, Austria, France, Hungary, Italy and Spain will present national exhibitions of the design industry in each of them. In turn, Downtown Editions, a space dedicated to displaying limited-edition designs and bespoke innovations, returns to highlight the distinctive creations of designers, design studios, brands and creative partnerships, with a special focus on the creations of the most talented designers in the region. The works of the four designers participating in the Tanween program from the Tashkeel Foundation in Dubai.

 Audiences will be able to see the multi-award winning interactive installation by NIU Studio, which blends contemporary design, technology and a multi-sensory experience.

In turn, Broadway Interiors conceptualized the lobby as a private and stimulating environment inspired by the scenery of Dubai.

Leading design studio Lulie Fisher Design Studio is also participating in a work titled The Lighthouse Cafe.

 The Middle East and North Africa Alumni Exhibition returns for its second edition to highlight the innovative projects with social impact of the region’s brightest alumni of the region’s leading universities in the fields of technology, science and design.

Design Week activities will also witness the opening of "Dubai Design District Architecture: 2040", a multimedia exhibition that brings together a number of leading architectural firms and inspiring architects working in the UAE and North Africa. The exhibition presents the concepts of architectural companies that present a vision of the city's future in line with the objectives of the Dubai Urban Plan 2040 in order to achieve sustainable urban development.

Khadija Al Bastaki, Executive Director of Dubai Design District (d3), said: “As a strategic partner of Dubai Design Week, we are pleased to launch the activities of the seventh edition of Dubai Design Week, the largest creative festival in the Middle East, which will contribute to the consolidation of Dubai’s position as a global destination for design and creativity. After being included by UNESCO in the Global Creative Cities Network.

 She added: "Organizing a festival of this magnitude comes as an affirmation of the quality of the growing and thriving creative environment provided by Dubai Design District, and in line with our vision to provide a supportive environment for the types of arts and the components of the creative community in order to enhance civilizational and cultural dialogue, empower talent and provide them with opportunities for growth at various levels. We look forward to Forward to welcome visitors who wish to learn about the most prominent developments in the creative industries and sources of inspiration and talented owners of innovative projects."

INSTALLATIONS

Visitors to the festival in Dubai Design District will be treated to 15 installations and interactive spaces in public spaces. This year witnessed the granting of the annual "Civil Works" initiative supported by "A.R.M. Holding” for a proposal entitled “Youla” designed by the “Bits to Atoms” laboratory in Beirut, which is an interactive space in the public space that aims to restore social relations to its previous state safely and enhance levels of happiness among users.

This year's "Doors" exhibition commissioned Dubai-based architect Ahmed Al Sharbasi to set up a pavilion entitled "Nature in Motion" in response to the theme of regenerative architecture and restoration design, simulating the Dubai desert and its transformation into a pioneering city in continuous development and progress.

The architectural pavilion will host an exhibition entitled "Pulp Fusion", curated and produced by Beirut-based architecture and research firm Bits and Atoms, on the impact of man on the planet.

Pop-up stores

"Al-Ula" exhibition, one of the most prominent heritage and geological destinations in the world and located in northwestern Saudi Arabia, presents an immersive experience designed by Geoforma and "Black Engineering" inspired by the exceptional rock formations in the desert and mountains of the region.

UAE Resident Designers Show 2.0 highlights the work of 30 up-and-coming designers and new local talent.

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