The first edition of Design Days Dubai, the Middle East and South Asia’s first fair dedicated to collectible and limited edition furniture and design objects, recorded a turnout of 8,500 high-end visitors.

The recently concluded four-day event featured several exclusive design pieces commissioned by art aficionados.  A number of collectible design objects and furniture showcased at the fair were also purchased by visitors.

In its first edition, Design Days Dubai hosted artists, design enthusiasts, and design critics, and recorded robust sales across all participating galleries. The fair also hosted some 400 participants for its education programme, including students from universities across the UAE, GCC, and the world.

Through a series of seminars, talks, workshops, panel discussions, live performances, and interactive sessions held during the fair, Design Days Dubai established itself as the flagship forum for the design industry and a catalyst that drives its growth in the region.

Cyril Zammit, fair director, Design Days Dubai, said: “This first edition of Design Days Dubai has been a great success with the participation of world class design galleries and high calibre visitors from all over the globe, including a particularly strong turn-out from the region.”

“The regional impact has been incredible with many designers, companies, students and educators from the region already contacting us with ideas of how they could be involved in 2013. Their support is hugely encouraging as we begin to look at how we can grow the event and provide not just a fair for collectible design to the local and regional community but a platform to show Middle Eastern design on an international level.”

Nada Debs, patron of Design Days Dubai, said: “Design Days Dubai was a great incentive to bring design awareness to the community. It also created a dialogue between the galleries and the Arab world, which was not available before. It also gives incentive to young aspiring designers to aim at quality workmanship and concepts in design.”

Over the course of four days, Design Days Dubai offered designers, visitors, and students the opportunity to interact and learn from some of the most respective names in the field. The show also featured rare and unique objects and furniture, from 22 of the world’s top-tier galleries.

The fair was also a meeting place, bringing together gallery owners and designers, stimulating exchange of ideas and products, further strengthening Design Days Dubai’s industry quotient.

As part of the closing day, Design Days Dubai awarded the participants of its ‘Sit in Shade,’ competition, which was held for UAE university students challenging them to create urban furniture out of recycled pallets. – TradeArabia News Service