For 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 facts include:

-          Dubai Design Week, established by Art Dubai Group in 2015, has grown to include over 200 events staged across the city

-          Downtown Design doubles in size with over 150 exhibitors across 28 countries, and will feature 90 new high-end international and regional brands

-          Global Grad Show, reinforces its position as the world's largest and most diverse meeting of design graduates, showcasing 200 projects from 92 universities across 43 countries.

-          The return of the Abwab exhibition will provide visitors with a unique insight into techniques, materials and craft through 47 selected designs from 15 countries within the MENASA region

-          Casablanca takes centre stage as this design week's selected 'Iconic City' The exhibition, 'Loading...Casa' curated by Salma Lahlou will showcase works from five Moroccan designers.

-          d3 remains the home of Dubai Design Week as the event's commercial design hub and an 'open museum' of design.

-          One of the world's most influential architects, Sir David Adjaye will headline the talks programme for Dubai Design Week in conversation with Emirati commentator Sultan Sooud Al-Qassemi

William Knight, Dubai Design Week's Head of design, said: ""This year's Dubai Design Week programme truly reflects the innovative and collaborative spirit of Dubai. We're delighted to have collaborated with so many people and companies to present the largest programme of design staged in the region. The line-up contains a hugely diverse range of content, enabling local and international visitors to explore the latest design trends and the ever-developing design scene within one of the most creatively ambitious cities in the world."

Dubai Design Week is a key driver for the growth of the regional design scene. Bridging together local and international design communities, the event is a platform for designers and creatives to revel in the latest design trends as well as be inspired by emerging talents coming out of the region. The annual event brings various stakeholders in the industry together to collectively stage a fantastic programme of over 200 events from exhibitions and installations to talks and workshops.

d3's Chief Executive Officer, Mohammad Saeed Al Shehhi, says: "d3 is delighted to be the strategic partner and host of this year's Dubai Design Week. Celebrating design from across the region and further afield, Dubai Design Week truly demonstrates d3's commitment to enabling Dubai to become a leading global design platform for Dubai and the Middle East, and at the same time, ensuring d3's position as a destination for design"

Dubai Design Week's ambitious agenda aims to further connect the global design hubs with the regions burgeoning design spirit. 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.

Rawan Kashkoush, Head of Programming at Dubai Design Week said: "This year's programme is as rich and diverse as the city that hosts it. With a spirit of collaboration and innovation regional and international creatives have come together to present a brilliant showcase of Design. Dubai is an anchor point for so many regions, I am very excited to see design take flight across such diverse disciplines to share one sky. Dubai Design Week belongs to so many."

PROGRAMME SUMMARY

DOWNTOWN DESIGN

A design trade fair of discovery

The commercial centrepiece of DXBDW, the fifth edition of Downtown Design will present a wide range of thoughtfully selected best-in-class established and emerging brands from all over the world to the design professionals drawn to Dubai from across the world. The region's leading showcase of contemporary design will provide the architecture and design industry with a unique blend of exhibitors, live events, and installations along the d3 Waterfront.  This year's exhibition will showcase over 150 brands from 28 countries, featuring 90 new high-end international and regional brands.

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GLOBAL GRAD SHOW

92 universities from 43 countries around the world present the future of design

The third edition of the acclaimed annual exhibition of life-changing inventions from graduates of the world's leading design and technology universities. Curated by renowned author and designer, Brendan McGetrick, 200 innovative projects have been selected from over 470 global entries. A not for profit initiative, the Global Grad Show will welcome graduates from 92 universities to Dubai to present forward-thinking prototypes around the themes of empowerment, connection, and sustainability. This year, Global Grad Show announces the inaugural Progress Prize, which will be awarded to one exhibiting project. The winning prototype will be selected by an international jury from fields of journalism, design, manufacturing, innovation and investment and demonstrate originality of idea, social impact, international relevance and feasibility.

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ABWAB

An exhibition dedicated to exploring the design narrative of countries within the MENASA (Middle East, North Africa and South Asia) region

This year's exhibition has been designed by Dubai-based architectural studio Fahed + Architects. The structure has been constructed using borrowed and repurposed bedsprings from waste management company Bee'ah. The pavilion will house a showcase of emerging design talent from the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia (MENASA). Abwab-which translates into 'doors' in Arabic- invites audiences into the diverse design scenes of regional creative industries.  The design talents on display were selected by a high-profile international editorial board comprising of Joy Mardini, Director of JM Design Gallery; Design Commentator, Max Fraser; Sheikha Lateefa bint Maktoum, Founder and Director of Tashkeel; and Rawan Kashkoush, Creative Director of Abwab. The exhibition will host 47 design objects from 15 countries.

ICONIC CITY: LOADING...CASA

A look at Casablanca's rich and historic design scene

Casablanca has been selected as Dubai Design Week's Iconic City exhibition for 2017, as part of an annual exhibition series launched in 2015, which explores the culture, art and design scene of specific cities in the Middle East and North Africa. Curated by Salma Lahlou, 'Loading... Casa' is a simultaneous, non-linear experience, bringing together archival images, sound recordings, a short film, a monumental drawing and contemporary photography. The exhibition will comprise works by six different contributors, all from Casablanca, including interior architect Zineb Andress Arraki, graphic designer Aicha El Beloui, visual artist Mostafa Maftah, filmmaker Hicham Lasri, sound artist Anna Raimondo, and collector Mohamed Tangi.

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INSTALLATIONS

Re-interpreting the familiar and contextualising experiences

Temporary installations will be dotted across d3 including a structure that plays with light devised by Lujaine Rezk and Albert Kolambel; To celebrate the opening of their new Creative Centre at d3, London-based design studio Fredrikson Stallard present 'Prologue', a dramatic, crystal adorned piece for Swarovski; Making her debut at Dubai Design Week Paula Zuccotti will bring an intriguing showcase based on her popular book 'Everything We Touch', showcasing everything one person touches in 24 hours; Lasvit will reveal 'Silent Call' designed by Khalid Shafar, which celebrates the daily ritual of the call to prayer, Apical Reform's interactive and playful piece will create a 'My Dubai' moment for all visitors while Hani Mahfouz's 'The Skyline' re-imagines Dubai's iconic skyline through the city's cosmopolitan spirit, presented by Brandinc.

Featuring: Serac Benches by Zaha Hadid with Patrik Schumacher, presented by Italian Lab, d3 • Lattoo Stools by Coalesce Design Studio, presented by Antidote Art & Design, d3 • BETTair-HOUSE by SUPERFUTUREDESIGN* presented by Buzzi &Buzzi & FDC Interiors, d3 • The Skyline by Hani Mahfouz, presented by Brandinc., d3 • Openest by Haworth, d3 • Jungle_One by Konstantin Grcic and Magis Spun Chairs by Thomas Heatherwick presented by Super Studio, d3 • AlAreesh Collection by Aljoud Lootah in collaboration with Probas.Planting, d3 • Specular by Gafla Jewellery x Abdalla Almulla, d3 • The Dock by Omar Nakkash, presented by NAKKASH, d3 • DUBAI by Amrish Patel, presented by Apical Reform, d3 •  Every Thing We Touch by Paula Zucotti, d3 • Aidah by Boano Prišmontas + Ricardas Blazukas, d3 • The Fronds of our remains by Ruwaya Jewellery in collaboration with Shamsa Al Dhaheri, d3 • While We Wait by Elias and Yousef Anastas, Concete, Alserkal • Screen by Luajaine Rezk & Albert Kolambel, d3 •Silent call by Khalid Shafar and Lasvit, d3 • Prologue by Fredrikson Stallard for Swarovski, d3.

TALKS AND WORKSHOPS
Discussions and educational events from leading industry figures

The live events programme, opening with a keynote by one of the world's most influential architects Sir David Adjaye in conversation with Emirati commentator Sultan Sooud Al-Qassemi - features a host of gatherings, from academic conferences to keynotes from global design influencers such as PepsiCo Chief Design Officer, Mauro Porcini and the co-inventor of the Swatch Watch, Elmar Mock. In addition, Audi Middle East will host the Audi Lounge, with a string of talks on innovation. Daily workshops, staged in association with newly launched d3 co-working space Re:Urban Studio, will be host to the DXBDW official workshops and talks for design practitioners and the design curious alike. Alongside this there will be opportunities for everyone to get involved at the Makers Space, supported by Meraas, which will host workshops by Al Jalila Cultural Centre for Children, Maska, Urban Sketchers and thejamjar, among others. Furthermore, The Royal College of Art, the world's leading postgraduate Art and Design University, is hosting a series of courses exploring current areas from the design practice.

EXHIBITIONS

High impact themes and concepts addressed through design

Features of Dubai Design Week's programme include a variety of international and local design platforms hosting thought-provoking exhibitions including 'GraphicsRCA: Fifty Years and Beyond', presented by the Royal College of Art which will feature rarely seen graphic design works from the RCA archive. RADO will invite visitors to discover the latest collections with their "Portraits of Design" exhibition. This year's line-up will also include IKEA's engaging exhibition 'Let's Play for Change' that aims to bring out the child in every visitor and inspire people to integrate play into their everyday routine; Once Upon Design: New Routes for Arabian Heritage, a curated collection of contemporary product and furniture design from the UAE and the region, commissioned by Design Space 1971 (Sharjah) and curated by Noor Aldabbagh, Once Upon DESIGN marks an important moment as the heritage of materials and process embraces contemporary design in the Middle East. The Audi lounge will present the original prototype of the autonomous car for the first time in the Middle East, as well as host the Audi innovation talk's series. The Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Center will exhibit copies of the Dubai news magazine Akbar Dubai from its library collection, showcasing typography, graphics, photography, content and page layouts from the late 70s to the early 80s while the internationally recognized festival, Weltformat DXB debuts at Dubai Design Week, introducing design enthusiasts to different poster trends in Switzerland and promotes the poster medium in all its facets. The exhibition is a collaboration between Tashkeel, Welformat (a collective of graphic designers from Lucerne), Cairo-based designer Engy Aly and Mobius Design Studio's Design House, with the support of Pro-Helvetia.

SATELLITE DESIGN EVENTS ACROSS THE CITY

More than 200 events over six days in d3 and across the city

Local retailers, design brands, galleries, universities and institutions will all independently stage events, exhibitions or installations throughout Dubai to invite visitors to discover design by exploring new neighborhoods and reconnecting with the more familiar.  Head down to d3 to discover the heart of design with awe-inspiring installations and push the door to open studios within the buildings including Zaha Hadid Architects and Swarovski's Creative Center. Uncover the lesser-known design hubs of Ras-Al-Khor through DRAK's Industry to Luxury exhibition and Nad Al Sheba at Tashkeel. Wander through the heart of industrial design at Alserkal Avenue and Al Quoz and shop the best of regional design in Jumeriah's boutique and concept stores including O' de Rose's exhibition Design in Bloom, among others. In the historical neighbourhood of Al Bastakiya, the Alserkal Cultural Foundation will host an exhibition and programme highlighting local designers, while south-bound, universities and institutions in media city and Academic City will host a range of talks, workshops and exhibitions, including the American University of Dubai and Herriot Watt University.