Dubai Design Week, in five stops.
The 12th edition fills d3 from Tuesday 3 to Sunday 8 November. Most of it is walk-in and free. Two things need booking: the Downtown Design fair and the Maker Space workshops.
Five placesChecked 27 October 2026Prices in AED
Dubai Design Week returns to Dubai Design District (d3) for its 12th edition, from Tuesday 3 to Sunday 8 November. The festival itself costs nothing and is open to all ages: exhibitions, commissions, installations, talks and workshops spread across the district's buildings and the spaces between them.
There is far more on the programme than one visit can hold. These are the five stops we would plan an afternoon around: the fair, the commissioning show, this year's winning public commission, a Bedouin tent with a coffee bar, and one workshop worth booking. Only the fair and the workshop need a ticket.
Hours and prices change. Check with the venue before you go.
The fair, with a Memphis Milano show
Downtown Design
The region's main contemporary design fair and the anchor of the week. Gaggenau, Kohler with the Dubai architect Agata Kurzela, Venini glass and Ethimo outdoor furniture sit alongside UAE studios such as Slō and Contemporary Spaces. Inside, a dedicated Memphis Milano exhibit and a lounge designed by Yinka Ilori.
The facts
- Where
- Dubai Design District (d3)
- When
- Open to all Thu 5 to Sat 7 Nov, 12pm to 8pm; Sun 8 Nov, 12pm to 6pm. Wed 4 Nov is invite only
- Price
- AED 80 for one day, AED 150 for four days
- How to book
- Tickets on Platinumlist, linked from downtowndesign.com
- Who it's for
- Anyone furnishing a home, and anyone who wants to see the year's new pieces in one place
downtowndesign.com (opens in a new tab)Open in Maps @downtowndesignd
Five practices, one show about language
Abwab: In Other Words
The festival's commissioning programme gives up its separate pavilions this year for one indoor group exhibition. Five practices, among them Dalia Rafeh, Kanaka Raghavan and VARUSSI, work on what gets translated, misread or left unsaid, through letterforms, textiles, structures and print.
The facts
- Where
- Dubai Design District (d3)
- When
- Daily Tue 3 to Sun 8 Nov, 10am to 10pm
- Price
- No charge
- How to book
- Walk in
- Who it's for
- Type, print and signage people, and anyone who reads in more than one script
dubaidesignweek.ae (opens in a new tab)Open in Maps @dubaidesignweek
Urban Commissions, NAO Architects
Three Gardens and a Room
This year's winning Urban Commission, by the Dubai practice NAO Architects, founded by Reem Nassour in 2023. Three planted gardens of trees, coloured walls and filtered light are set into d3's concrete, with a shared space between them to sit in the shade.
The facts
- Where
- Outdoors, Dubai Design District (d3)
- When
- Daily Tue 3 to Sun 8 Nov, 10am to 10pm
- Price
- No charge
- How to book
- Walk in. It is outdoors
- Who it's for
- Anyone who notices good shade, and anyone with a garden of their own to plan
dubaidesignweek.ae (opens in a new tab)Open in Maps @dubaidesignweek
Qahwa and aseeda in a Bedouin tent
The Desert Dweller by Ethr
The Abu Dhabi studio Ethr makes its Dubai debut with a pavilion drawn from its research into the Bedouin tent, designed by Omar Darwish with Shaheer Akbar as curator. At its centre is an Arabic coffee bar serving qahwa with aseeda, with craft, carpet-weaving and sensory workshops through the day.
The facts
- Where
- Dubai Design District (d3)
- When
- Daily Tue 3 to Sun 8 Nov, 10am to 10pm. Workshops especially after maghrib
- Price
- No charge to enter. Coffee bar prices not published
- How to book
- Walk in
- Who it's for
- Coffee people, and anyone curious about Emirati hospitality
dubaidesignweek.ae (opens in a new tab)Open in Maps @dubaidesignweek
Workshop, Saturday 3pm to 5pm
Pinhole photography with Analog The Room
Two hours on photography without a lens, led by the Dubai film lab Analog The Room. Build a pinhole camera, shoot with it on site, then develop the prints in the darkroom. Materials are provided and no experience is needed.
The facts
- Where
- Maker Space, Building 5, Dubai Design District (d3)
- When
- Sat 7 Nov, 3pm to 5pm
- Price
- AED 250, tax included
- How to book
- Book on analogtheroom.com. Limited places, ages 12 and up
- Who it's for
- Anyone with a film camera habit, and older children who like taking things apart
analogtheroom.com (opens in a new tab)Open in Maps @dubaidesignweek
How to plan the week
Abwab, the gardens and the Desert Dweller are open daily from 10am to 10pm across all six days, so they fit any evening. The fair opens to the public only from Thursday 5 November, from midday, and closes at 6pm on the final Sunday. The weekend adds the Marketplace, the festival's outdoor market for makers and independent brands, on Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 November.
For the Desert Dweller, go after sunset. The organisers say its craft and carpet-weaving sessions run at intervals through the day, especially after maghrib.
Getting there
By Metro, ride to Dubai Mall, then take the RTA D03 bus to the Dubai Design District 1 stop; shuttles run from there to the fair. By car, parking in d3 is free for the first two hours, then AED 20 an hour, and there is valet across the district and at the fair entrance. Taxis have their own drop-off points, including one at the fair's main entrance.
How we checked
Every fact here comes from the venue's own website, menu, booking page or Instagram, or from the Michelin Guide and official listings. Nobody paid to be in this guide, and nobody knew we were writing it. If something has changed, write to [email protected] and we'll correct it. How we pick a place →
Photos
- Lead photo: @downtowndesignd
- Downtown Design: @downtowndesignd
- Abwab: In Other Words: @dubaidesignweek
- Three Gardens and a Room: @dubaidesignweek
- The Desert Dweller by Ethr: @dubaidesignweek
- Pinhole photography with Analog The Room: @dubaidesignweek
