Abwab 2026 Open Call- Dubai Design Week
Opportunity type: Open Call
For: Different creatives
Deadline: 15/07/26
Rewards: Production grant + exhibition commission + presentation at Dubai Design Week 2026
Location Eligibility: Africa, Asia, UAE
About this opportunity
Abwab (meaning “doors” in Arabic) is a long-running initiative of Dubai Design Week that supports designers and creative practitioners from West, South and East Asia and across Africa. For 2026, Abwab transforms into a curated group exhibition titled In Other Words, exploring language as a lived experience and examining how meaning is spoken, translated, remembered, misread, and expressed through design. Practitioners working across visual, spatial, sonic, and digital forms are invited to submit proposals that engage with themes of communication, translation, migration, identity, and cultural exchange. Selected participants will contribute to a collective exhibition environment presented during Dubai Design Week 2026.
Rewards
- Production grant to support project development, production, and installation
- Exhibition presentation at Dubai Design Week 2026
- Opportunity to showcase work within a curated international exhibition
- Exposure to design professionals, curators, and audiences from across the region and beyond
Eligibility
- Open worldwide
- Applicants may work in disciplines including:
- Graphic design
- Typography
- Architecture
- Spatial practice
- Writing and publishing
- Research
- Sound and performance
- Digital media
- Projects must:
- Respond directly to the theme In Other Words
- Demonstrate cultural, geographical, or contextual relevance to West, South or East Asia, or Africa
- Be partially or entirely produced in the UAE
- Follow responsible exhibition design practices
- Include a clear production timeline and be ready for installation before the opening of Dubai Design Week on 3 November 2026
- Consider the future life and potential reuse of the project beyond the exhibition
Applicants must:
- Hold the intellectual property rights for submitted work
- Be available for virtual meetings with the Dubai Design Week team
- Be present in Dubai during production and installation
Entry Fee
Free
How to Apply
Apply using the link: Abwab 2026 Open Call- Dubai Design Week
All questions regarding this award should be sent to submissions@dubaidesignweek.ae
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