SPACE + EXPERIENCE
Urban Commissions: Atmospheres
How can light, shade, sound and material change the way a space feels? Notice what makes you slow down, gather or move on.
CINDREBAY DESIGN SAFARI / UAE 2026
Dubai.
By design.
And beyond.
Come for Dubai Design Week.
Discover a whole world of design.
From festival installations to the Louvre’s extraordinary light. Explore Dubai and Abu Dhabi with people who share your curiosity.
01—05 NOVEMBER 2026DUBAI + ABU DHABI
OUR PLANNED ACTIVITY DAYS1–5 November Dubai + Abu Dhabi
THE FESTIVALDubai Design Week 3–8 November 2026
OUR FESTIVAL VISITS3 Nov · DDW 5 Nov · Downtown Design
01 / FOLLOW YOUR CURIOSITY
Great design doesn’t
stay in one place.
Neither will we. Step into a festival, a museum, a maker’s world. Look at familiar cities through fresh eyes—and discover places you’ve been meaning to see.
Explore all five days
04 NOV · ABU DHABI
ART / ARCHITECTURE / LIGHT
Louvre Abu Dhabi
Some spaces change the way you look.
Discover the Abu Dhabi day
03 NOV · DUBAI
EXHIBITIONS / INSTALLATIONS
Dubai Design Week
02 NOV · DUBAI
LIGHT / SOUND / IMMERSION
AYA Universe
04 NOV · ABU DHABI
HERITAGE / MATERIAL / MAKING
House of Artisans
05 NOV · DUBAI
FURNITURE / LIGHTING / IDEAS
Downtown Design
And beyond: the Grand Mosque, Natural History Museum, Al Seef, Burj Khalifa and more.
ONE SHARED CURIOSITY. TWO REMARKABLE CITIES.FOR THE UAE DESIGN COMMUNITY
Students · Interior designers · Architects · Educators · Creative practitioners
02 / FIVE DAYS. MANY WAYS IN.
What catches
your eye?
Here’s the full planned activity programme, from 1–5 November. Tell us which days or individual experiences interest you. We’ll confirm the options, local fees and arrangements for UAE participants before booking.
DUBAI / ARCHITECTURE + THE CITYSee Dubai from a different angle.Burj Khalifa · Dubai Fountain · Dubai Mall · Souk Al Seef
Start above the skyline, then come down to the water. From the scale of Burj Khalifa to the lanes of Al Seef, this is a day for noticing how a city changes around you.
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Dubai Mall & Burj Khalifa
Explore the mall and the planned visit to the 124th-floor observation deck.
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Dubai Fountain
An evening encounter with water, light and the scale of the city.
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Souk Al Seef
Walk the creekside lanes and look closely at wind towers, textures and public spaces.
DUBAI / IMMERSIVE WORLDS + OPEN HORIZONSFrom digital worlds to desert skies.AYA Universe · Desert safari · BBQ dinner
Step into spaces shaped by light, colour and movement at AYA Universe. Then leave the city behind for the dunes, an evening together and a completely different sense of scale.
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AYA Universe
Explore how digital imagery, sound and spatial design create an immersive experience.
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Desert safari & BBQ dinner
Trade the skyline for open horizons, followed by dinner with the group.
DUBAI / DUBAI DESIGN WEEK + THE WATERFRONTGet inside the design conversation.Dubai Design Week at d3 · Exhibitions & installations · Group yacht ride
A day among installations, material experiments and new ideas at Dubai Design District. Bring a notebook and an open mind. Later, look back at the city from the water.
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Dubai Design Week
Our first festival visit, exploring exhibitions and installations at d3 Business Park.
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Two-hour group yacht ride
A waterfront perspective on Dubai and time to share the day's discoveries.
ABU DHABI / CRAFT + MUSEUMS + ARCHITECTUREA whole day for Abu Dhabi.Grand Mosque · House of Artisans · Natural History Museum · Louvre Abu Dhabi
Marble, woven fibres, museum spaces and the light beneath a remarkable dome. Four very different places invite us to look at the relationship between culture, materials and design.
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Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
Look at the rhythm of arches, material details and the relationship between scale and ornament.
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House of Artisans
A planned craft workshop connects Emirati making traditions with design practice. Format and access to be confirmed.
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Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi
Discover how exhibition spaces turn specimens and scientific ideas into stories.
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Louvre Abu Dhabi
Art, architecture and changing light: take time to look up as well as at the collections.
DUBAI / DOWNTOWN DESIGN + CULTURAL DISCOVERYFresh references. One more discovery.Downtown Design at d3 Waterfront Terrace · Global Village
Return to Dubai Design Week for Downtown Design: furniture, lighting, finishes and ideas for your next project. Then make room for an evening of colour and cultural discovery.
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Downtown Design
The contemporary design fair at d3 Waterfront Terrace, part of Dubai Design Week. Public opening on 5 November is from 12 noon.
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Global Village
Explore pavilions, visual storytelling and the energy of a shared evening outdoors.
This is the planned Safari route. Local participation, tickets, transport, workshop access and timings are subject to confirmation. Our festival visits are Dubai Design Week on 3 November and Downtown Design on 5 November 2026; the other visits are separate Safari activities. The travelling group departs on 6 November, with no additional local design visit scheduled that day.
03 / A FEW THINGS TO LOOK FOR
Ideas to take
into your own work.
The 2026 festival offers plenty to explore. Here are three starting points for a more attentive visit.
See the official 2026 highlightsREGIONAL DESIGN + CULTURE
UAE Designer Exhibition
“Inherited Futures” explores how heritage can inform contemporary design. Look for the relationships between material, memory and making.
PRODUCTS + CONVERSATIONS
Downtown Design & The Forum
Explore furniture, lighting and design thinking. Check the published talk schedule to see what fits your interests and visit.
04 / FROM OUR 2025 VISIT
Real people.
Plenty of curiosity.
A few moments from Cindrebay’s last Dubai Design Safari. Looking, making and finding something new to talk about.
Cindrebay Design Safari archive · November 2025. Photographs show last year’s visit; individual activities may differ in 2026.
05 / BEFORE YOU JOIN
The useful
details.
LOCAL PARTICIPATION
Register your interest.
Official fair admission & hours
Register your interest.
We’ll take it from here.
We’ll share the fee in AED, what it covers and any additional costs before you decide to book.
No payment at this stage.Registering does not reserve a place.
When is Dubai Design Week 2026?
Dubai Design Week runs from 3 to 8 November 2026 at Dubai Design District (d3). Cindrebay’s planned festival visits are on 3 November for Dubai Design Week and 5 November for Downtown Design. These are our visit dates, not the full festival dates.
Is Downtown Design part of Dubai Design Week?
Yes. Downtown Design is part of Dubai Design Week. The fair runs from 4 to 8 November 2026 at d3 Waterfront Terrace. Cindrebay’s planned group visit is on Thursday 5 November, when the fair opens to all visitors from 12 noon.
What is Cindrebay’s local Design Safari programme?
Cindrebay’s planned activity programme runs from 1 to 5 November 2026 across Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Alongside Dubai Design Week and Downtown Design, it includes AYA Universe, Burj Khalifa, Al Seef, a desert safari, a yacht ride, Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, House of Artisans, Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi, Louvre Abu Dhabi and Global Village. UAE students and practitioners can express interest in any day or individual experience. Local access, fees, facilitators and arrangements will be confirmed before booking.
How much does it cost to join Cindrebay’s visits?
The local participation fee in AED, its inclusions and any additional admission or transport costs will be shared before booking. Registering interest requires no payment and does not reserve a place or provide an event ticket.
Do I need to be a Cindrebay student?
No. We welcome design and architecture students from other institutions, practising designers, educators and people developing a serious interest in design. Tell us a little about your background when you register your interest.
Can I join just one visit?
Yes, you can express interest in any of the five activity days. If just one destination or experience appeals to you, mention it in the form. The team will confirm available local participation options, fees and arrangements before you book; selecting a day does not commit you to the whole Safari.
What are the timings and meeting points?
Activities are planned across Dubai on 1, 2, 3 and 5 November, with Abu Dhabi on 4 November. Festival visits take place at d3 Business Park on 3 November and d3 Waterfront Terrace on 5 November. Cindrebay’s exact meeting points, start and finish times, transport and facilitators will be shared before booking. Downtown Design opens to all visitors from 12 noon on 5 November.
Is festival admission included?
General entry to Dubai Design Week is free. Downtown Design has its own public ticketing and trade registration. Cindrebay participation, any admission charges, optional workshops and transport arrangements will be explained separately before booking. Registering here does not issue a festival or fair ticket.
Is there an option for working designers?
Please tell us if you can only attend after work. We are collecting availability preferences; an evening group has not yet been confirmed.
Can I join the Abu Dhabi visit?
Yes. Select 4 November in the form, even if you are not interested in the Dubai days. The planned Abu Dhabi route includes Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, House of Artisans, Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi and Louvre Abu Dhabi. Local places, transport, workshop format, museum tickets and the fee are subject to confirmation. This day is a separate Design Safari activity, not a Dubai Design Week event.
06 / JOIN THE CONVERSATION
Come with
questions.
Leave with ideas.
Tell us a little about yourself and the visits you’re interested in. The Cindrebay team will help you plan your participation.
Your visit facilitator and group meeting details will be shared with the confirmed programme.