Dubai Design Week 2026 announces programme spanning architecture and craft

Dubai Design Week 2026 has announced its programme, spanning architecture and craft. The event will take place at Dubai Design District from November 3 to 8, featuring exhibitions, public installations, talks, and workshops. Adjacent to the main event, Downtown Design, a contemporary design fair, will run from November 4 to 8. The commissioning programme, Abwab, will shift from individual pavilions to a group exhibition called In Other Words. This will gather practitioners to discuss various forms of communication.

Nao Architects, led by architect Reem Nassour, has won the Urban Commissions competition with its proposal for Three Gardens and a Room. This year's theme, Atmospheres, sees Nassour's design utilizing vegetation, color, shade, and filtered light to create three distinct gardens surrounding a shared central space. Rasha Saffarini's Taqleem will incorporate palm-tree trimming techniques to form a communal space.

Japanese firms Nikken Sekkei and Sobokuya will return with Chatai 2.0, a timber structure that combines traditional craftsmanship with gathering spaces. Other installations will explore games and domestic life, such as Alter's Playing Field, which reimagines the board game Ludo for shared play.

The UAE Designer Exhibition will return under the theme Inherited Futures, featuring AlZaina Lootah as this year's design collaborator. Craft will also be showcased in exhibitions by L’Ecole, School of Jewelry Arts, supported by Van Cleef & Arpels, and Al Jalila Cultural Centre for Children. Downtown Design will highlight work from UAE training and mentorship programs, while the Marketplace will host independent makers selling various handmade goods. The Maker Space will host workshops led by practitioners from universities and colleges.