Tashkeel to Present Tanween Design Programme 2025 Collection at Dubai Design Week

From 5 -9 November, nine emerging UAE-based designers of Tanween 2025 will showcase designs that embody sustainability, contemporary design and UAE heritage

Dubai, UAE – 31 October 2025: Tashkeel will launch the Tanween Collection 2025 at Downtown Design 2025, presenting designs by UAE-based designers who were part of the Tanween Design Programme 2025. The collection of products by Tanween’s newest cohort will be presented in a showcase that reaffirms its long-standing commitment to sustainability, locally rooted design innovation, craftsmanship, and cultural identity. The products celebrate material experimentation and environmental consciousness, serving as a showcase for the UAE’s evolving design identity.

This year’s Tanween Collection showcases nine individual UAE-based designers selected via an open call. They have spent the past 11 months collaborating with engineers and scientists while researching, experimenting and prototyping their designs, with a focus on innovation and functional design. Their works explore the intersection of material innovation, cultural memory, and sustainability.

Several designs focus on light: Emirati interior designer Hessa Alghandi reclaims discarded palm wood in her sculptural pendant Lamah; Iraqi-British artist Sarah Al Dulaimi reimagines the abaya in Oculus, a wall-mounted light made from layered chiffon offcuts; and Emirati poet-designer Nasser Al Ghawi presents Al-Nawa Collection 2025, a chandelier and feature table made from thousands of date stones and eco-resin that celebrate the symbolism of the palm tree.

Furniture in the collection also reinterprets traditional craftsmanship through new materials. Alefiyah Ustad and Reem Shawkat of Clock & Cloud present Loodo, a coffee table inspired by majlis gatherings and made out of a sand-based material, while Tasneem Al Nabhani’s console Bayn wa Bayn uses palm-frond desert board to evoke the shifting landscapes of the Gulf. Jasim Alnaqbi’s jewellery cabinet Haila transforms the Emirati heirloom bangle into a sculptural object of reflection and care.

Lastly, Amna Al Shamsi and Hannaneh Rafiee of Sketch and Space Studio pay homage to the UAE’s pearl-diving heritage with Al Ghawas, a chair and companion seat crafted from reclaimed teak, metal, and naturally dyed fabric.

Following the exhibition, the designers will receive continued support from Tashkeel through funding, marketing, and sales resources to produce limited-edition product lines, helping them establish a foothold in the market.

“Tanween is more than a design program; it is an ecosystem that encourages all its participants to go on a journey of experimentation, research, and collaboration that nurtures a culture of sustainability and material innovation in the UAE,” said Salim Ahmed, Design Projects Supervisor at Tashkeel. “Each year, it provides a vital opportunity to demonstrate the depth of design talent emerging from the country and how locally made products, rooted in our craft traditions, can contribute meaningfully to the global design conversation. We’re proud to see our alumni go on to build successful careers and become notable members of the UAE design scene.”

Tanween 2026 Open Call

Alongside its showcase at Downtown Design, Tashkeel has announced the open call for Tanween 2026, inviting UAE-based designers, engineers, and architects to apply for the next cycle of the programme. Now entering its 13th edition, Tanween offers a year-long journey of research, experimentation, and mentorship that culminates in the development of new products to be unveiled during Dubai Design Week 2026. To date, 64  [RM1] designers and architects have participated in the Tanween Design Programme, with many of them now regarded as pillars of the UAE’s design community. Information on how to apply and full eligibility details for Tanween 2026 are available here

As preparations begin for the next Tanween cycle, Tashkeel remains dedicated to cultivating talent and advancing a design language that is both contemporary and deeply connected to its surroundings.