Dubai Design Week opend under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Latifa Bint Mohammed Bin Rashid

Yesterday, Her Highness Sheikha Latifa Bint Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors, Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) opens the third edition of Dubai Design Week.

The weeklong event returns with a larger more diverse programme, strengthening Dubai’s position as a global hub for the design and creative industries. Dubai Design Week will take place across the city with over 550 designers participating in a six-day celebration of ground-breaking design and ideas, free for all to attend. Key features will include the return of the Global Grad Show, Downtown design and the popular Abwab exhibition as well as an extensive programme of talks, workshops, exhibitions and installations.

Further placing Dubai on the creative map, Dubai Design Week reinforces itself as a unique platform to allow visitors to discover beyond the expected and discover the innovation, talent and design that drives Dubai forward.

Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, said: “It is with admiration that I witness the growth of the design scene here in Dubai from a humble beginning of a group of galleries, makers and design enthusiasts to flourishing into an international hub for established and emerging designers and design studios from all over the world. Feeding into Dubai’s progressive vision 2021 set by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, Dubai’s design industry has brought to life new experiences and milestones which will help shape the future of the city, some of which are spearheaded through entities such as the Dubai Design District, Dubai Design and Fashion Council, Dubai Design Week, Downtown Design and Dubai Design Days. At the heart of these initiatives, the third edition of Dubai Design Week will showcase the power of positive change through youth with the Global Grad Show, bringing together a dialogue of designers from all over the region within one space at Abwab, while Downtown Design keeps meeting the increasing demand on high quality design within the regional market—I look forward to exploring what this year’s design season will bring.”

ENDS.

Notes to Editors.

For the full programme, and more information about Dubai Design Week visit: www.dubaidesignweek.ae.

Follow Dubai Design Week’s social media channels; Instagram, Facebook and Twitter or #DubaiDesignWeek2017

For Downtown Design visit www.downtowndesign.com / @downtowndesign | #DTD2017

For Global Grad Show visit www.globalgradshow / @globalgradshow | #GGS2017

For all press enquiries, please contact:

Marie Eve Dubois                                                       Mette Degn Christensen

Wallis PR                                                                                Dubai Design Week

marie.dubois@wallispr.com                                                  mette@dubaidesignweek.ae

+971 50 420 0283                                                         +971 4 563 1418

About Dubai Design Week

Dubai Design Week is one of the world’s newest and most ambitious international design events, conceived to shine a spotlight on Dubai as a leading design hub, and share the UAE’s thriving design scene with the world at large.

Established in 2015, it is owned and managed by the Art Dubai Group and is held under the dedicated patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice Chairman, Dubai Culture and Arts Authority.

The third edition of Dubai Design Week takes place 13-18 November 2017, in locations across the city. Staged in association with Dubai Design District (d3), which acts as the hub venue, the six-day event will attract designers, architects, educators, thought-leaders, influencers and significant public audiences, through a varied and comprehensive programme of contemporary design.

By engaging and showcasing design talent in Dubai, from across the region and around the world, Dubai Design Week’s activity is carefully balanced to support and stimulate Dubai’s design economy and to engage the Design Week’s diverse audience. With a substantial marketing & communications campaign aimed at audiences locally and beyond, Dubai Design Week’s goal is to engage through inspiration, visitor experiences and networking to celebrate the positive impact and potential of design in Dubai and beyond.

Dubai Design Week 2017 is supported by Meraas, who are responsible for a unique portfolio of urban destinations in Dubai and Audi, the long supporter of Dubai Design Week that will announce the second winner of the Audi Innovation Award as part of Dubai Design Week 2017.

From 2018, Design Days Dubai will be moved from March and held during Dubai Design Week under a new format. The dates will be announced in January 2018.

About Dubai Design District

Dubai Design District, (d3), a member of TECOM Group, is a destination dedicated to design. Created to provide a home to the region’s growing number of designers, creatives and artists, d3 has fast become the hub for inspiration and innovation. Located in the heart of Dubai, just minutes away from Dubai Mall the thriving community provides a platform where individuals can unite, collaborate and create.  

The Design Quarter at d3 is fully operational with over 400 creative partners and retailers.  Visitors can discover an authentic shopping and dining experience with unique lifestyle boutiques, fashion ateliers, art galleries, design workshops and home-grown restaurants. d3 has also become a popular events space, attracting international crowds and artists to cultural exhibitions such as Dubai Design Week, Fashion Forward, Sole DXB and Meet d3.

The Creative Community, is the second phase of Dubai’s Design District due to open in 2019. The new space has three sections, a large events plaza, design-led work spaces with an industrial look and urban feel and the region’s first design university The Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation (DIDI). Visitors can enjoy a unique experience including design studios, art galleries and public spaces showcasing arts and crafts with unique and innovative retail and dining options. For more information please visit:

http://www.dubaidesigndistrict.com/

About Dubai Culture & Arts Authority

The Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) was launched on March 8, 2008 by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, in order to drive the growth of the city’s artistic and cultural landscape. The Authority has grown to play a major role in the realization of the Dubai Plan 2021, to highlight Dubai as a thriving capital for creative industries and further embed the Emirate’s credentials as a city of happy, creative and empowered people.

As part of its mandate, Dubai Culture has several initiatives that are focused on strengthening both the historic and modern cultural fabric of Dubai, including Dubai Art Season - the city’s premier umbrella arts initiative which kicks off with Emirates Airline Festival of Literature and encompasses Art Week including Art Dubai, Design Days Dubai, and SIKKA Art Fair- an annual event aimed at promoting Emirati and local artists in the UAE and the wider GCC region, Dubai Festival for Youth Theatre - an annual festival that fosters the art of theatre in the UAE and that is celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2016, and Dubai Next - a dynamic platform that aims to showcase the Emirate’s cultural ethos and its vibrant creative scene on the global stage.

The Authority’s other key initiatives include Creatopia (www.creatopia.ae) - the nation’s first government empowered virtual community that guides and nurtures the creative culture of the nation and provides a platform of information and opportunities that lead to exposure and personal growth.

Dubai Culture also plays a leading role in support of the UAE National Strategy for Reading 2026, in particular by undertaking a major refurbishment of all Dubai Public Libraries branches to transform them into state-of-art cultural and artistic hubs. Across all of its branches, Dubai Public Library also provides children and young adults with a range of educational and entertaining activities that encourage the use of its facilities. The ‘Our Summer is Filled with Culture & Arts Programme’ is a Dubai Public Library initiative which complements the UAE National Reading Strategy, with its activities open to all age groups, and which revolve around four key themes: happiness, reading, family and the future.

The Authority also manages more than 17 heritage sites across the Emirate, and is a key government stakeholder in the development of the Dubai Historical District. As the custodian Authority of Dubai’s museum sector, Dubai Culture officially launched Etihad Museum in December 2016. The museum provides platform to encourage cultural exchange and to connect Emirati youth with their culture and history. As part of the Authority mandate to support Dubai’s vision of becoming the focal point of diverse cultural exchange (regionally & globally), the museums will play a catalyst role in preserving Emirati Heritage. For more information on Dubai Culture, visit www.dubaiculture.gov.ae

About Meraas

Meraas is dedicated to making Dubai and the UAE better for people to live, work and play in. We design for a diverse mix of people to stimulate a creative urban culture where the next generation of ideas, businesses and communities can take root. Our investments ensure a better future for generations to come and stretch across different sectors including food, retail, leisure, hospitality, health and education. Our destinations which include to date – City Walk, The Beach, Boxpark, Last Exit, The Outlet Village, Kite Beach, Bluewaters, La Mer and Al Seef – are open places for communities to socialise, explore, learn, play, create and innovate; and our support for Dubai Design Week stems from our desire to see Dubai fulfil its ambition of becoming the world capital of fashion and design.

About Audi

The Audi Group, with its brands Audi, Ducati and Lamborghini, is one of the most successful manufacturers of automobiles and motorcycles in the premium segment. It is present in more than 100 markets worldwide and produces at 16 locations in 12 countries. 100 percent subsidiaries of AUDI AG include Audi Sport GmbH (Neckarsulm), Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. (Sant’Agata Bolognese, Italy) and Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A. (Bologna, Italy).

In 2016, the Audi Group delivered to customers about 1.868 million automobiles of the Audi brand, 3,457 sports cars of the Lamborghini brand and 55,451 motorcycles of the Ducati brand. In the 2016 fiscal year, AUDI AG achieved total revenue of €59.3 billion and an operating profit of €3.1 billion. At present, approximately 88,000 people work for the company all over the world, more than 60,000 of them in Germany. Audi focuses on sustainable products and technologies for the future of mobility.

AUDI AG’s commitment to the region was confirmed through the foundation of its fully owned subsidiary in 2005. The current Middle East model range comprises the Audi A3 & S3 Sedan and RS 3 Sedan/Sportback, A4 and S4, the A5/S5 Coupe, Sportback and Cabriolet and RS 5 Coupe and Cabriolet, the A6, S6, RS 6 performance, A7, S7, RS 7 & RS 7 performance, A8, A8 L, S8 & S8 plus, the Audi Q2, Q3, RS Q3 performance, Q5 & SQ5, Q7 and the Audi TT Coupe/Roadster, TTS Coupe, TT RS Coupe, the Audi R8 Coupe, R8 Coupe V10 plus as well as the R8 V10 Spyder.