Design Days Dubai ends on a high note

Dubai / Emirates Business

Design Days Dubai, held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, and held in partnership with Dubai Culture & Arts Authority, wraps up its fifth edition as its most successful to-date.
The Middle East and South Asia’s only collectable design fair was opened by HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum with a weekend visit from HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, and Ruler of Dubai and many other local and regional dignitaries.
Design Days Dubai, which presents purchasable and highly desirable contemporary design, closed its doors on March 18, having staged a record-breaking fair for 2016; attracting increased visitor numbers of 13,500 people and having featured 185 designers from 37 countries and more than 750 pieces of collectible design on display.
Returning to the prestigious temporary location of The Venue, next to the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, in Downtown Dubai, Design Days Dubai has the continued generous support of returning sponsors: French high-jewellery maison Van Cleef & Arpels, Emaar, Audi and Dubai Design District (d3).
Design Days Dubai’s fair director, Cyril Zammit, said: “We are proud that in Design Days Dubai 2016 closes as the most successful edition yet. The fair saw the highest visitor numbers and was again the world’s most diverse international design fair. The mood within the fair across exhibitors and visitors alike was electric in its positivity, the public programme well-attended and exhibitors reported strong sales. With a record 50 percent of design on display was from the UAE and MENASA region, Dubai has again reinforced its position as the regional centre of design and we look forward to continuing that fantastic momentum throughout to return in 2017 for our 6th edition.”

A SUCCESSFUL SHOW FOR EXHIBITORS
Exhibiting galleries and solo designers reported strong interest and sales over the course of the fair, citing the fair’s increasing development of broad international and regional networks which, for the first time this year, included a dedicated professional buyers preview (targeting architects, interior designers, specifiers) and an #Empty bloggers/instagramers preview, as well as the popular annual ladies and VIP collectors previews.
First time solo exhibitor Loulwa Al-Radwan, Kuwait, said: “It’s a great platform for someone like me and has given me great exposure. It’s the first time that I have exhibited as an independent designer and I feel that I have really benefited. I’ve made contacts, sold some pieces, have met many new galleries and I’m now also looking at some possible future collaborations.”