Dubai Design Week: Champions Emirati Talent

Dubai, UAE, 11 November 2024: Hala Badri, Director General of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), has visited the Dubai Design Week Marketplace as part of the tenth edition of Dubai Design Week, held under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of Dubai Culture, at Dubai Design District.

Hala Badri, accompanied by Dr. Saeed Mubarak bin Kharbash, CEO of the Arts, Design & Literature Sector at Dubai Culture, and Khulood Khoory, Director of the Projects and Events Department at Dubai Culture, toured the market, exploring a variety of works presented by a selection of emerging local brands supported by Dubai Culture. Among these brands were Presto, Lisaf Boutique, Phytè, Yello, Oud Craft, Noor Al Khamiri, Creams Botanics, SDM, and Wanait by Emirati Artisan Collective, alongside other participating brands. This initiative is part of Dubai Culture’s commitment to supporting Dubai’s cultural and creative industries, providing creative spaces for Emirati designers and artisans, enabling them to showcase their innovative ideas and projects, and inspiring them to strengthen Dubai’s design sector, thereby helping establish the emirate as a global center for culture, an incubator for creativity, and a thriving hub for talent.

During her tour, Badri praised the quality and originality of ideas presented at the marketplace, affirming Dubai Culture’s commitment to creating a sustainable creative ecosystem that supports and empowers Emirati designers, artisans, and the local projects participating in the Dubai Design Week Marketplace. Badri affirmed the importance of these works in strengthening Dubai’s cultural and creative industries by encouraging creatives to enhance their skills, transform their ideas into real projects, and contribute to the city’s growing creative economy.

Additionally, Dubai Culture continued its support for the fifth edition of the UAE Designer Exhibition, curated by Omar Al Gurg, held as part of Downtown Design, the anchor event of Dubai Design Week. This exhibition featured a collection of works by emerging Emirati and UAE-based emerging designers, in line with Dubai Design Week’s mission to cultivate regional design talent and promote cultural dialogue. Dubai Culture also championed creatives through various art installations, design projects, new commissions, pop-ups, talks, interactive workshops, and unique cultural experiences for Dubai Design Week visitors.

This event was held in strategic partnership with Dubai Design District, part of TECOM Group, and supported by Dubai Culture, encouraging attendees to explore the creativity of emerging local brands and discover a distinguished selection of handmade jewelry, sustainable fashion, art pieces, and products by artisans, entrepreneurs, and SMEs in the region.

Throughout Dubai Design Week, the Al Jalila Cultural Centre for Children offered visitors a variety of interactive workshops to develop skills and nurture talent. Participants were trained in pottery techniques on the wheel, hand building ceramics, and ceramic cup painting, among other activities. The center also featured a wide range of products and artworks in its ‘Pottery Marketplace’ as part of the Dubai Design Week Marketplace, showcasing the beauty of ceramics and exploring clay as a medium for design and artistic expression.