Taking the fifth

The fifth edition of Dubai Design Week, the largest creative festival in the Middle East, takes place between 11 and 16 November and will comprise over 200 events taking place across Dubai. identity selects the top exhibits to visit.

- Penny mccormick

As a celebration of design and creativity in the region, Dubai Design Week is held in partnership with Dubai Design District (d3) and under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of Dubai Culture & Arts Authority. The programme of exhibitions, installations and talks reflects Dubai’s collaborative spirit and takes in public and private sectors, including business, culture and education. It also features a wide range of design disciplines – from interior, product and graphic design to architecture, materials and technology.

A key event in Dubai Design Week is Downtown Design, which will be held in a custom-built exhibition space on the d3 Waterfront, from 12 to 15 November. Downtown Editions is a specially curated section within the fair, dedicated to bespoke and limited-edition design from all around the world, with a spotlight on regional design. The exhibition will feature over 200 exhibitors. Participating designers will include Kuwaiti Meshary AlNassar, who will show a collection of sculptural marble lights inspired by his family home. Aljoud Lootah will also present a limited-edition collection of objects inspired by the Emirati wooden dowry chest, the mandoos, while equestrian culture will be represented in a debut collection by Emirati designer Hajar Abdallah.