Dubai Design District (d3), the newest of Tecom Investments' freezone business parks, will be hosting the inaugural Dubai Design Week to celebrate the city’s reputation as the regional capital for design and culture and as a global meeting point for the international design community.

Dubai’s ambition to emerge as a global capital of culture and design has been further cemented through the official launch of this event, said senior officials at d3.

The debut Dubai Design Week, to be held in collaboration with Dubai Design & Fashion Council (DDFC), will run from October 26 to 31 under the patronage of Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the vice chairman and Dubai Culture & Arts Authority.

Established in late 2014, the DDFC aims to position Dubai as the emerging design capital of the world, and raise its profile as a regional and global destination for design and fashion.

Chaired by Dr Amina Al Rustamani, the group chief executive of Tecom Investments, and run by CEO Nez Gebreel, the council comprises 15 board members who represent a mix of key stakeholder groups, including government, academic, not-for profit and private sector experts, such as Laila Suhail, CEO at Dubai Festival and Retail Establishments Holding; Khalid Al Tayer, CEO – Retail of Al Tayer Group; Patrick Chalhoub, CEO of Chalhoub Group; and fashion designer Reem Acra.

The Dubai Design Week will be announced at the popular Urban Majlis, a quarterly platform organised by the DDFC, which is open to the wider design community for direct dialogue, and to discuss important updates and developments within the industry.

The event will showcase some of the region’s most promising talent, providing an opportunity for internationally recognised brands to gain greater exposure to the vibrant regional design scene, the officials said.

It will be staged alongside the commercial design fair, Downtown Design, the only fair in the Middle East dedicated to original and quality design, exhibiting products, as well as new trends and concepts. The event kicks off on October 27 and runs for the next three days.

In recognition of Dubai’s international outlook and position as a global hub, Dubai Design Week will enliven the city with innovative installations from local and international designers, along with an extensive programme of activities at d3, which includes partnerships with other international design weeks, an innovation show from the world’s foremost design universities, and exhibitions from UAE and international designers and design brands, they added.

DDFC’s collaboration with this event demonstrates its ongoing support for the design community in the country, said the organisers. It is closely aligned with its mandate to help facilitate the successful transition of Dubai into the emerging design capital of the world, they said.

Dubai Design Week, managed by the Art Dubai Group, along with its highly acclaimed counterpart, Art Week, solidifies Dubai’s growing reputation as a global capital of art, culture and design, supporting local talent and attracting international design brands and visitors to the emirate, said the organisers.

An educational programme of talks and workshops will also be held at d3 in support of local designers, who will have the opportunity to showcase their work to the event’s global audience.-TradeArabia News Service