Dubai Design Week is back for its 11th edition, and yes, the city’s creative pulse is officially beating at 180 BPM. Kicking off today, the six-day design takeover brings together over 1,000 designers, architects, and brilliant minds from 50+ countries. Under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and in strategic partnership with Dubai Design District (d3), this year’s edition is more global, more experimental, and more Dubai than ever.
And because we know scrolling > reading, in this Instagram carousel you’ll spot BURO’s Editor’s personal favorite design picks, the ones truly worth stopping for.
From jaw-dropping installations at d3 to the region’s most-anticipated design fair Downtown Design, this year isn’t about “what’s trending”, it’s about the ideas, cultural conversations and future-shaping visions we actually need. As Natasha Carella, Director of Dubai Design Week, put it, design has never been just about objects; it’s a social connector shaping how we live, communicate and imagine tomorrow.
So, where should your eyes (and phone camera) go first? Here’s your BURO-approved cheat sheet.
START WITH THE STAR OF THE WEEK: DOWNTOWN DESIGN (5–9 November)
Welcome to the design world’s it-girl of the week: Downtown Design, the fair that sets the tone (and aesthetic) for the region. Expect fresh collections, innovative furniture, pop-up concepts, and design solutions that will make you rethink your living room… and possibly your life.
Returning icons you’ll spot: Huda Lighting, Kartell, Poltrona Frau, Kohler, Venini.
Newcomers worth the hype: Roche Bobois, Stellar Works, Calico Wallpaper, Porada and a chic French invasion by Stéphanie Coutas.
From the region? Beirut’s BEIT Collective makes a poetic comeback, while Saudi’s “Designed in Saudi” showcase proves that design in the Kingdom is entering a very exciting era.
Make time for The Forum at Downtown Design, where industry rockstars like Tom Dixon, Marcel Wanders and Lee Broom will drop the kind of design wisdom you’ll casually quote at dinner parties all year.
COLLECTIBLE ART MEETS DESIGN AT EDITIONS (5–9 November)
Art lovers and collectors, this one’s your playground. Editions brings limited-edition design, artist multiples, and conversation-starting pieces together under one stylish roof. Expect installations blending tradition, AI, craft and future-led storytelling.
One to watch: Swiss artist Tobias Gutmann’s SAI BOT drawing algorithmic portraits live, yes, AI finally found a way to get artsy.
THE TWO BIG COMMISSIONS YOU CAN’T MISS
ABWAB: CRAFT, CULTURE & A STORY-DRIVEN SHOWSTOPPER
This year’s theme, In the Details, is a celebration of ornamentalism, the hidden stories and symbolism behind design traditions. The winning pavilion, Stories of the Isle and the Inlet by Maraj (Bahrain), transforms Nabih Saleh Island into a poetic textile universe of embroidered ecologies, local craft and memory. Pack tissues, it’s touching.
URBAN COMMISSIONS: THE COURTYARD, REIMAGINED
This year asks one question: When does a threshold become a courtyard?
The winning project by UAE-based Some Kind of Practice turns local architecture, materials and Emirati culture into a community-first, modular space meant for gathering, pausing, and belonging. It’s a loving ode to the region’s social DNA.
THE INAUGURAL d3 AWARDS: A NEW DESIGNER TO KNOW
Meet Ohireme Uanzekin, the first-ever winner of the d3 Awards, spotlighting rising regional talent. A prize of AED 100,000 and a mentorship later, trust us, you’ll be hearing this name again.
INSTALLATIONS: THE ONES THAT WILL TAKE OVER YOUR FEED
More than 30 large-scale installations turn d3 into an open-air design safari. A few must-sees:
• BMW x Bricklab — metallic exterior meets sculpted calm interior (luxury inside-out).
• ARDH Collective — sustainable materials that may just change the future of construction.
• AJZAL — a redefined majlis with an earthy, Emirati soul.
• Annabelle Schneider x ArtKōrero’s INTERLUDE — wellness, but make it sensory, design-led and very camera-friendly.
• WCI Lab’s Breath Print — because watching your breath turn into art is the kind of poetic tech we came for.
MARKETPLACE (8–9 November)
Consider this the “Souk of the Future”. Over 90 local brands bring handcrafted goods, design objects, homeware, jewelry, and lifestyle treasures. It’s also family-friendly and… dangerously shop-worthy.
WORKSHOPS, MASTERCLASSES & TALKS
Whether you want to learn ceramics, portfolio storytelling, zine-making or AR-enhanced digital culture, the week is packed with hands-on creative labs. Designers, students, parents, and creatives-who-won’t-admit-it-yet, there’s something with your name on it.
SO, WHY DOES THIS MATTER?
Because design isn’t just “pretty things”. It’s identity. It’s culture. It’s the blueprint of how we live and how we’ll evolve. And this year, Dubai proves once again that it is not following the conversation, it’s leading it.
Swipe through to see our Editor’s shortlist of must-see pieces, the ones that made us stop, stare and feel something.
Ready? Let’s go design-hunting.
