DUBAI DESIGN WEEK 2025
FLUXX PICKS FOR THIS YEAR’S EVENT
Now in its 11th edition, Dubai Design Week returns as the region’s leading festival dedicated to creativity, innovation, and cultural exchange. Held under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and in strategic partnership with Dubai Design District (d3), the annual event continues to amplify regional talent while fostering global dialogue.
Uniting designers, makers, and creative thinkers from across the Middle East and beyond, Dubai Design Week explores the power of design to shape a better collective future. Over the years, it has evolved into a platform for discovery and collaboration, where cross-cultural perspectives from West and South Asia and the wider Global South converge in one inspiring destination.
This year’s programme spans installations, exhibitions, workshops, talks, and marketplaces, alongside Downtown Design, the region’s leading contemporary design fair, and Editions, the Middle East’s first limited-edition art and design fair. Together, they form a vibrant ecosystem celebrating the many ways design connects us.
At The Fluxx, we’ll be highlighting the installations, collaborations, and emerging designers we’re most excited to see at Dubai Design Week 2025, offering our take on what to look out for across the city’s creative landscape.
DOWNTOWN DESIGN
A top pick for The Fluxx this year is Downtown Design, the Middle East’s leading design fair and the vibrant heart of Dubai Design Week. Set within d3’s creative district, the fair has established itself as a global meeting point for contemporary design — uniting established international brands, emerging studios, and regional talent under one roof.
This year’s edition celebrates the dialogue between innovation and craftsmanship, presenting a curated selection of high-quality contemporary design, limited-edition pieces, and bespoke commissions. Its strength lies not only in its exhibitions but also in the platform it provides for commercial exchange, creative collaboration, and cultural visibility within the region’s design landscape.
Beyond the fair’s striking installations and displays, immersive experiences, panel discussions, and masterclasses offer valuable insight into the evolving nature of design, sustainability, and material innovation. The atmosphere is one of connection, where designers, collectors, architects, and enthusiasts come together to explore the ideas shaping the future of design in the Middle East and beyond.
At The Fluxx, we’re particularly drawn to the emerging designers redefining the region’s creative identity and the innovative concepts that blur the boundaries between art, design, and functionality.
d3 Awards
A major highlight of Dubai Design Week 2025 is the launch of the inaugural d3 Awards, created by Dubai Design District (d3) to champion emerging talent from across the Middle East and North Africa. Focusing on architecture for its first edition, the awards invite designers to submit conceptual proposals for community-driven spatial design, with shortlisted works showcased during the week and the winner receiving AED 100,000.
Celebrating innovation, material exploration, and human-centred design, the d3 Awards provide an important platform for the next generation of MENA creatives, underscoring Dubai’s growing influence as a global hub for experimentation, cross-cultural exchange, and forward-thinking design.
Editions
Running alongside Downtown Design, Editions marks the Middle East’s first fair dedicated to limited-edition art and design, presenting high-quality works at varied price points to engage a wider audience. Featuring over 50 regional and international galleries, studios, and collectives, the fair showcases photography, ceramics, prints, works on paper, and contemporary design, opening new pathways to connect with creative talent.
As part of Dubai Design Week 2025, Editions bridges the worlds of Downtown Design and Art Dubai, reinforcing the region’s commitment to innovation, experimentation, and creative exchange. At The Fluxx, we’re especially drawn to the fair’s diverse and exploratory works, which highlight the growing dialogue between art and design.
