The anchor event of Dubai Design Week and the Middle East's leading fair for high-quality and contemporary design, Downtown Design welcomed over 20,000 visitors and featured more than 300 brands and designers from over 35 countries.

Bringing together international design brands, manufacturers and studios alongside independent designers from across the region, the 2026 edition of the fair welcomed visits from Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and His Highness Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan.

An annual highlight in the global design calendar, the fair featured established names and new participants, including Ethimo, Gaggenau, Kohler, Lasvit, Preciosa, La Chance and Venini, to mention a few. Large-scale multi-brand presentations included showcases by Caspaiou, HMA Living by Alshamsi, the Italian Trade Agency, and IF HUB.

Special presentations included Aquae Mirabiles by Buccellati, a creative collaboration with Luke Edward Hall, the Clicquot Café by Veuve Clicquot, designed in collaboration with Yinka Ilori under the theme ‘Chased by the Sun’ and a showcase dedicated to the Memphis movement, by Memphis Design and presented by HMA Living, 

Maria Cristina Buccellati commented: “Downtown Design has provided an important opportunity for us to engage with the region’s growing design industry and share the craftsmanship and creative heritage that define Buccellati with the AID community and end-clients alike. The response to our participation has been particularly encouraging this year, with high-calibre visitors showing a genuine appreciation for the artistry and attention to detail behind the presentation; a highly valuable occasion to strengthen existing relationships and establish new connections in a dynamic market that continues to demonstrate a sophisticated understanding of design.”

Maryam Raeisi, Managing Director of HMA Living by Al Shamsi, added: “What stood out to us this year was the quality of the conversations and the genuine interest in our work. We met new architects, designers and clients, and it's what makes Downtown Design such an important event to participate in.”
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Regional participation included the Dubai-based incubator Tashkeel’s Tanween Design Programme, a development programme for emerging designers working in the UAE; the Athath Fellowship by MAKE in Abu Dhabi, who presented market-ready furniture prototypes by its 2026 cohort; Sharjah-based 1971-Design Space, collaborating with SILA Collective on an interactive spatial experience; and Iwan Maktabi presented new works by UAE-based designers Nadine Kanso,drawing on Arabic calligraphy and symbols of the UAE, and Omar Al Gurg, inspired by memories of the traditional majlis.

New Dubai-based material consultancy and supply house Biscuit presented an immersive colonnade of colourful and intricate materials, from terrazzo to cork and salt wood and other new participants to the fair included: UAE-based sourcing and procurement platform Trika Arabia; Dubai-based ceramic studio Slō; and design studio Contemporary Spaces, founded by siblings Alya, Maitha and Obaid Al Suwaidi, who unveiled their new furniture collection, produced in the UAE and inspired by the changing light of golden hour. 

The UAE Designer Exhibition, supported by Dubai Culture, returned with works by 30 UAE-based creatives under the theme ‘Inherited Futures’, conceived by architect and designer AlZaina Lootah. Exploring the materials, rituals, industries and ways of making that have shaped design in the UAE, the exhibition considers how a new generation of designers is reinterpreting these influences through contemporary practices.

Designed by Dubai-based architecture and interior design studio BONE, The Forum presented a programme of daily keynotes, panel discussions and industry conversations featuring more than 50 international and regional practitioners across design, architecture and creative disciplines, including names such as Tristan Auer, Katharine Pooley and Mohammed Ofali.

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