The Festival of Interior Design (FoID), to be held in Dubai, will highlight the integral role of interior design and provide a key venue where design professionals can discuss timely issues and showcase emerging works in the region.

The event will be held under the patronage of Sheikh Majid Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, chairman of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (DCAA), from October 22 to 25, a statement from the organisers said.

It is being organised by The Association of Professional Interior Designers (Apid), an organisation representing professional interior designers in the Gulf region, with aims of highlighting the integral role of interior design and to provide a key venue where the region’s design professionals can discuss timely issues and showcase the works of emerging talents and design firms in the region.

The announcement complements the recently announced partnership between Apid and the Dubai Events and Promotions Establishment (DEPE), which aims to attract greater participation from the retail sector during the festival.

The support of Sheikh Majid for the festival is in line with the objective to position Dubai as a vibrant and global Arabian metropolis that shapes culture and arts in the region and the rest of the world, the statement said.

Culture, arts, and heritage have been identified as vital elements essential to Dubai’s expanding economy and are also recognised as the key building blocks of civil life and public dialogue.

The support towards FoID brings Sheikh Majid’s vision one step closer towards its aim of packaging Dubai as a key destination for arts and culture.

“Dubai has strategically positioned itself as a global hub for arts and culture, playing host to many cultural and artistic endeavors and home to a thriving artistic community,” said Farida Abdulla Kamber Al Awadhi, President, Apid.

“The first Festival of Interior Design is an important undertaking that seeks to highlight Dubai as a creative centre for today’s interior design industry and place the spotlight on the emerging talent of individuals and firms in the region,” she said.

With only a few weeks left, Apid officials have confirmed that preparations for the events and activities are right on track.

One of the main attractions for the festival is the ‘Interior Design Congress,’ which will run alongside this year’s edition of the Dubai International Design Exhibition (Index 2011) and will also feature two panel discussions touching on key topics in the design industry, the statement said.

The festival will also host a ‘Product Design’ competition with the top entries to be placed on exhibit at ‘thejamjar’ and at the FoID gala dinner on October 22.

In addition, The Pavilion - Downtown Dubai, will also host four days of activities featuring design talks, movie screenings, live art and networking events, it said. – TradeArabia News Service