Dubai Design Week has released the full programme for its 2026 edition, running from November 3 to 8 at Dubai Design District, with this year's focus falling on architecture and craft. The winning entry in the Urban Commissions category is Nao Architects' "Three Gardens and a Room," a vegetation-and-light installation designed as a space for communal gathering. The Abwab programme, long presented as a series of individual pavilions, has been reshaped this year into a single group exhibition titled "In Other Words," exploring how humans communicate through gesture and symbol. Other notable installations include "Taqleem" by Emirati architect Rasha Saffarini, inspired by the traditional practice of palm-tree trimming, and "Chatai 2.0," a timber structure created by Japanese firms Nikken Sekkei and Sobokuya. Design studio aestudio contributes "InBetween What Was and What Will Be," built from reclaimed concrete. This year's UAE Designer exhibition carries the theme "Inherited Futures," examining how inherited materials, rituals and technologies continue to shape contemporary design practice. Running alongside the main programme, Downtown Design takes place from November 4 to 8, showcasing work from the Tanween Design Programme and the Athath Fellowship. A dedicated marketplace will open on November 7 and 8, bringing together independent makers alongside live performances. Designer Tristan Auer is confirmed as a keynote speaker for this year's edition, with other participating names including Yinka Ilori, Nadine Kanso and Omar Al Gurg, reflecting the event's continued pull for both regional and international design talent ahead of its November opening.