Tashkeel, a leading proponent of creativity and innovation in Dubai, will showcase a wide range of initiatives as part of its major contribution to Dubai Design Week (DDW), which is a core component of the design season.

Tashkeel will be hosting its largest-ever stand at Downtown Design Editions exhibition, reflecting the increasing diversity and scale of its creative endeavours, as well as the impact that UAE-based designers are making on the global design scene. 

At the forefront of Tashkeel’s presence at stand # D5 Downtown Design Editions exhibition will be six new sustainable furniture and lighting pieces that have been conceived and created by participants in its latest Tanween Design Programme. 

These will include the FAY Pendant Light, a simple and modern lighting solution developed by Emirati designer Khadija Almazimi; the BO NAJ-MA console table by Emirati designer Majid Al Bastaki; and Taleed, a free-standing cabinet made from dyed palm tree leaves from One Third Studio, a dynamic trio of female designers. In addition, visitors to DDW can see KUNOOZ, a handmade coffee table crafted from natural materials by Osama Rashad; Kashi, a stackable and modular dynamic form of the clay block, from product designer Rimsha Kidwai; and The Sanad Collection coffee table, which celebrates the beauty of off-cut travertine stone, from Samara and The Poet Studio, a collaboration between architect Mohammad Samara and designer Khaled Al Shaer. 

“We are building and evolving Tashkeel’s Tanween Design Programme to enable emerging designers to pursue their passions and realise their visions with the full support of local manufacturers and makers,” said Karam Hoar, Marketing & Communication Manager, Tashkeel. “These six new pieces join the exciting range of sustainable, original works that Tanween has made available to collectors, providing an important insight into the depth of creativity currently at work in the UAE.” 

A common thread across the new work is the shared focus on sustainability and a considered reflection of UAE and regional culture. Taleed, for example, incorporates a new marquetry technique that uses dyed palm leaves with an indigo powder stain reminiscent of the iconic burqa'a, while Kashi’s wooden stools are each developed with a different geometric form juxtaposing Emirati and South Asian elements. The FAY Pendant Lamp promotes sustainability by using natural, locally sourced materials and the BO NAJ-MA console table is inspired by the iconic steel doors of the UAE in the 1980s, while KUNOOZ base is inspired by traditional sculpture techniques and The Sanad Collection coffee table uses discarded stone as its primary material, to raise awareness and inspire further research into similar waste streams.

Tanween Design Programme 2025

Aiming to inspire and support the next generation of creatives, Tanween, which was launched earlier in September, will be open for questions from applicants of UAE-based engineers and designers, working in pairs, inviting them to apply before 17th November. 

This open call has been central to the continuing professional development of some of the nation’s most exciting innovators who were instrumental in putting together the 2024 Tanween product range. Successful applicants will be mentored through research and material experimentation, leading to inventive and functional designs, inspired by and manufactured in the UAE. 

Tasmeem Tashkeel 

Also prominent at DDW will be Tasmeem Tashkeel, the design arm of Tashkeel, for bespoke design and art services. This commercial consultancy with studio incubators for visual art and design was established in Dubai in 2008 by Sheikha Lateefa bint Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum, with a strong emphasis on exploring national identity in its choice of materials, craft traditions and cultural influences, sourced from across the Emirates. 

Tasmeem Tashkeel offers a range of consultancy services for public and private sectors, including art and design consultancy, public art solutions, 3D rendering services and customised design manufacturing, deploying the knowledge and experience it has gained by evolving the UAE’s art and design sectors since 2008. It provides customised and off-the-shelf solutions spanning UAE-made, furniture and lighting, through to interactive engagement, and public artworks. The stand will feature a broad range of products that were made for different clients, produced and manufactured in the UAE.

In addition, Tashkeel will unveil a new collaboration with Vacheron Constantin at their store at Mall of the Emirates. A special artwork, inspired by Sheikha Lateefa's artwork "Observation of Change", and produced by Tasmeem Tashkeel, will be unveiled during DDW at its store at Mall of the Emirates.