Dubai Design Week presents elite designs from the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia at its famous annual exhibition Abwab

Under the generous patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and in partnership with Dubai Design District (d3), Dubai Design Week is witnessing the return of its famous exhibition “Abwab” to be launched as part of its activities for this year. The pavilion hosts an exhibition of emerging design talents from the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia. The "Abwab" exhibition provides its audience with the opportunity to learn about the rich reality of design within the regional creative industries sector.

In this context, Rawan Qashkoush, Creative Director of the “Abwab” initiative and director of programming at Dubai Design Week, says: “Abwab is an architectural project dedicated to showcasing the designs of a thriving creative community from three regions with Dubai at its center. The exhibition looks forward to building bridges of communication between these divergent areas through design.”

Dubai-based Fahd and Architects has designed the "Abwab" exhibition pavilion within the external corridors of the Dubai Design District (d3). The company built the structure using recycled bed springs supplied by Bee’ah Waste Management Company, so that the exhibition pavilion shines against the large block of buildings spread around it, as if it were a group of coral reefs in a pier. It is worth noting that the design of the structure was inspired by the magic and radiance of nature, and used to build the family springs that appear in the form of a coil mesh window for daylight that reflects the structure’s patterns on the displayed works and the exhibition space around them.

Fahad Majeed, founder and chief engineer at Fahd and Architects, says: “The Abwab pavilion is an embodiment of hope, highlighting the most associated value – reuse and recycling – at a time when we are witnessing the emergence of new design standards. unconventional. The structure has been designed as a contemporary and warm space, and can also be seen as an artistic expression.”

The regional design talents participating in the exhibition were chosen by a panel of world-class editors: Joe Mardini, Director of J. Mother. Design Gallery»; Max Fraser, design commentator; Sheikha Latifa bint Maktoum, founder and director of Tashkeel; and Rawan Kashkoush, Creative Director of Abwab. The exhibition will host 47 designs from 15 countries, selected through the “Design Dominoes” process, which involves each participating designer nominating another designer to participate in the exhibition, with the aim of celebrating the regional design community. This selection process resulted in 250 designers being contacted and 99 submissions received.

The works selected to participate in the exhibition reflect strong cultural roots or local production techniques. A strong trend towards testing and exploring materials and reinterpreting production techniques was evident in many of the submissions, indicating an interesting growth in the design industry. The designs on display show that the three most important things produced in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia are: chairs, lamps, and utensils. The most popular designs were from the United Arab Emirates, Lebanon and Morocco, followed in second place by designs from Egypt, India and Kuwait.

The exhibits are arranged in a way that will take the visitor on an appraisal journey into the world of design. The participating designs are presented within eight groups that are linked together through a series of concepts: interpretation, intersection, geometry, simulation, sensory perception, craftsmanship, nostalgia, and recycling. For the first time, the exhibits will be available for purchase throughout Design Week.