UAE’s Interior Design, Furniture Market Reaching $35B by 2031.

MILAN — In the UAE’s desert landscape full of possibilities, new cities are being built from the sandy vastness. In and around the Gulf nation, of which Dubai remains a major hub, a construction boom is just one major driver of the nation’s design and furniture industry, which is expected to reach $35 billion by 2031, according to data from Mordor Intelligence.

Dubai Design Week‘s director Natasha Carella told WWD on Thursday that both the design week itself and the broader industry are growing stronger as a result. Set to unfurl Tuesday, the six-day event expects more than 1,000 participants from 50 countries and 150,000 visitors, up from just 90 participants and about 30,000 visitors when it started in 2015.

Carella pointed out that Dubai Design District alone now houses more than 1,100 creative businesses. Under the aegis of a “Community” theme, the 11th edition of the event will include a global roster and new projects such as the second chapter of Editions, showcasing limited edition art and design and the introduction of programs like the Maker Space, a directory and community connecting designers with local manufacturers. 

Downtown Design fair, Dubai Design Week’s anchor event, will include the Dubai Design Week debut of Italian jeweler Buccellati and industrial designer Tom Dixon at the city’s d3 Waterfront Terrace. Buccellati will showcase a pop-up collaboration with Milan-Beirut-San Francisco-based design studio David/Nicolas. Como, Italy-based studio Draga & Aurel, founded in 2007 by Draga Obradovic and Aurel K. Basedow, will make its debut at Downtown Design in Dubai with a site-specific installation.

The amount of regional designers also continues to grow and shape the Gulf’s evolving design language. In Dubai, Aljoud Lootah is one of the country’s most recognizable design figures, known for translating Emirati heritage into contemporary design through precise geometry, craftsmanship and narrative depth, Carella said. UAE designer Omar Al Gurg, founder of Modu Studio, is known for his playful, multifunctional modular furniture and installations. 

Urban Commissions, Dubai Design Week’s annual competition, invited design-forward minds to reinterpret the courtyard’s historic role as an inclusive gathering space.

This year’s winning proposal was “When Does a Threshold Become a Courtyard?” by UAE-based design and research studio Some Kind of Practice. It was founded by Omar Darwish and Abdulla Abbas, who underscored the purpose of the traditional Emirati courtyard in a contemporary age.

“What’s interesting in the UAE is how this growth is being driven by a true multistakeholder effort, with the public and private sectors, academia and cultural institutions all working together to build an ecosystem that supports creativity, production and innovation,” Carella said. She added that in parallel the UAE’s manufacturing capabilities have expanded significantly, meaning more making and building is happening in areas like Al Quoz in Dubai, Sharjah and Ajman.

A Growing Population

Due to Russian and Indian migration, the jet-set population is a key driver of new design events and the design industry and economy as a whole. The nation’s central bank estimates its economy is expected to grow 4.9 percent in 2025, up from an earlier forecast of 4.4 percent. The UAE’s Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre reported a total of 11.29 million residents at the end 2024. Mid-year 2025 estimates showed that total rose to about 11.35 million residents, with expatriates making up the clear majority of residents. There are more than 200 nationalities in Dubai.

“The influx of residents and new businesses is creating new markets and communities, and with that, expanded opportunities for designers and creative industries to respond to evolving needs across scales, from public realm to product,” Carella said.

She highlighted that Dubai’s creative industries contributed 4.6 percent of the entire UAE economy in 2022 and supports more than 175,000 jobs and 47,000 enterprises total.

New Cities in the Desert

New communities are emerging at an unprecedented pace.

Situated in Al Mamoura along Sheikh Zayed Road, a new city will connect Abu Dhabi and Dubai. The sustainable community was unveiled on Oct. 6 by Mira Developments, which is known in the region for building branded and fully furnished homes in collaboration with leading lifestyle brands, including Bentley Home, Etro Home, Elie Saab, Trussardi and John Richmond. The master plan envisages the area as a car-free city. Two five-star hotels, apartments, town houses and villas, schools, three mosques, a mall, two universities and two world-class museums are part of the project.

Another community is Al Jurf, a premium waterfront real estate project located between Dubai and Abu Dhabi, which is expected to be completed by the second quarter of 2028. Italy’s Oniro Group, which owns the licenses to produce Roberto Cavalli Home Interiors, Gianfranco Ferré Home and Etro Home Interiors, teamed up for the development of Jacob & Co. Beachfront Living by Ohana, a project curated by Ohana Development, a major player in the Middle East’s luxury real estate sector.

“Dubai has a unique ability to adapt and evolve rapidly. The pace of development and responsiveness of its infrastructure continue to support the growth of the design and creative community in meaningful way,” Carella said.

Growing as a Region

Dubai Design Week is also fostering a sense of camaraderie across the region as a growing class of luxury consumers drives an uptick in new design events — from Riyadh to Doha.

Across the Middle East, new design events to supply the region’s real estate and hospitality boom shows no signs of slowing.

Downtown Design Dubai, the Middle East‘s leading contemporary design fair since 2012, cut the ribbon on Downtown Design Riyadh, Saudi Arabia’s first design trade show, in May. Salone del Mobile.Milano will also host its first Saudi event in Riyadh from Nov. 26 to 28, ahead of a larger event planned for 2026. Design Doha, a biennial event emerged on the international calendar in 2024 and Amman Design Week will return for its fourth edition in October 2026.

Saudi Arabia will also see the return of the design event Tanween at The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture’s (Ithra) in the city of Dhahran Nov. 17 to 22.

For the first time, Tanween will partner with Dubai Design Week, reflecting Ithra’s efforts to strengthen regional collaboration and dialogue within the design ecosystem.

The invite-only itinerant art and design showcase Nomad Design Fair is also gearing up to host the first Abu Dhabi edition from Nov. 19 to 22 and will take over Terminal 1 at the Abu Dhabi International Airport.

Carella said that working together is key.

“Collaboration across the region is essential; we can only truly thrive if we work together. Ultimately, we share the same ambition: to amplify regional voices, engage with international audiences and contribute meaningfully to the global design dialogue,” she said.

Dubai, however, in terms of events, remains a major connecting point in the region, she said.

“Dubai continues to play a distinctive role in the region’s creative landscape. Its diversity, in audiences, industries and cultural mix, creates an environment where design can thrive, supported by a strong ecosystem that connects culture, commerce and community,” Carella said.