Design fair Design Miami is expanding into the MENA region through a partnership with cultural enterprise Alserkal, which will see them launch a collectible design show in Dubai from 2027.

As well as the design fair, the initiative will include “design-led activations”, and will be shaped by Middle Eastern and UAE perspectives.

“We see a great opportunity”

It marks the first time Design Miami is working in the Middle Eastern North Africa (MENA) region.

“Alserkal has played a crucial role in building and shaping an international creative district in Dubai,” Design Miami CEO Jen Roberts said.

“Through this partnership, we see a great opportunity to exemplify our shared values and belief that design is a global language,” she continued.

“Together, we can create a meaningful platform that celebrates both the region’s cultural heritage while highlighting its spirit of innovation – a platform to connect the global networks of collectors and designers we have built over the years.”

Alserkal, which is located in a former industrial site, houses artists, designers, entrepreneurs and cultural practitioners.

“Middle Eastern debut is a natural trajectory”

“Partnering with Design Miami to launch this Middle Eastern debut is a natural trajectory not only for us as institutions, but for the cultural landscape we are part of,” Alserkal executive director Vilma Jurkute said.

“Alserkal has been instrumental in developing MENA’s arts ecosystem and its publics over the past 15 years, and we see design as the next chapter in that growth.”

Design Miami is currently underway in Miami. The event also has a Paris edition, where technology brand Apple recently unveiled its Designers of Tomorrow.

Last year’s edition of Design Miami saw creatives the Haas Brothers tell Dezeen why they “almost got kicked out of Design Miami”.

Earlier this year, French champagne house Perrier-Jouët and Design Miami launched the inaugural Design for Nature Award in Paris.

The photography is courtesy of Alserkal Avenue.

Alserkal x Design Miami will launch in Dubai in 2027. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.

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