Dubai has become a creative hub for the region. The emirate's appointment as the Middle East's first Unesco Creative City of Design sends out a very clear message that the city places design and creativity as a strategic factor for future sustainable urban development, and is committed to a future focused on human capacity-building and knowledge creation.
Yet, while the UAE has become synonymous internationally with innovative architectural practice, we must seek to strengthen the design-to-manufacturing chain that is at the epicentre of the product design ecosystem here.
The possibilities of integrating the nation’s culture and heritage practices with contemporary design are almost infinite. In order to conceive such products that not only imbue the spirit of the nation, but are also able to compete in today’s sophisticated global consumer market, we must close the gap between the local design and local manufacturing sectors, and foster a consumer appetite steeped in national pride – one that is hungry for products inspired by, created and manufactured in the UAE.
Over the last 10 years, practitioners from across the UAE have begun to develop a definitive design language that articulates the dynamic, multilayered fabric of our societies and reflects the rich diversity of our local resources. The collections of professionals such as Aljoud Lootah and Khalid Shafar, who are alumni of Design Road Pro – a training initiative by Tashkeel, Creative Dialogue and Dubai Culture & Arts Authority – are now being sold and exhibited worldwide.
Through programmes such as Tanween, Tashkeel's ongoing one-year design programme for emerging practitioners, and Tanween+, our latest call for small-scale products, the skills and aptitude of the UAE's talent are being fostered. We are building a sense of understanding for materials and practices inherent to the UAE, while combining them with modern processes in order to produce contemporary furniture and products that capture the unique character of this country.
By investing in the evolution of a design language, we are seeing a growing demand and passion for UAE-made items both within the retail and trade markets. In homes, hotels and offices around the country, you can now find examples of this. These include Moza, the armchair featuring bespoke elements of Sadu by Studio Muju; and Zuleika Penniman's Coral Series that echoes the country's architectural heritage via lamps, wall sconces and room dividers.
The realisation of locally designed products is still challenging. In a city like Dubai, where manufacturers are focused on delivering large quantity orders with mostly imported materials, demand for the production of small quantities in limited-edition series utilising locally sourced elements and practices is something of a hard sell.
But, after years of searching through the industrial areas of the UAE and speaking to countless manufacturers, we are beginning to gather a group of advocates who recognise the value for their businesses and their employees in collaborating on one-off and limited-edition runs with the UAE's designers. This research is available through the open access online platform Make Works UAE, which provides profiles of manufacturers, fabricators, suppliers and craftspeople who accept orders from the local design sector.
By uniting designers with those who hold the knowledge of both traditional as well as modern materials, processes and technologies, there is a great opportunity to increase UAE production of high-quality design products that reflect the past, the present and the future of this nation. The key will be in incentivising both industry and design practitioners to work together for their mutual benefit. By doing so, they will explore new applications for materials and techniques and open up opportunities, both at home and abroad, for UAE design.
Lisa Ball-Lechgar is the deputy director of Tashkeel. For more information about Tanween+, visit tashkeel.org/projects/tanween-plus-2019
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 247hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm from 1,500-3,500rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 7.8L/100km
Price: from Dh94,900
On sale: now
Buy farm-fresh food
The UAE is stepping up its game when it comes to platforms for local farms to show off and sell their produce.
In Dubai, visit Emirati Farmers Souq at The Pointe every Saturday from 8am to 2pm, which has produce from Al Ammar Farm, Omar Al Katri Farm, Hikarivege Vegetables, Rashed Farms and Al Khaleej Honey Trading, among others.
In Sharjah, the Aljada residential community will launch a new outdoor farmers’ market every Friday starting this weekend. Manbat will be held from 3pm to 8pm, and will host 30 farmers, local home-grown entrepreneurs and food stalls from the teams behind Badia Farms; Emirates Hydroponics Farms; Modern Organic Farm; Revolution Real; Astraea Farms; and Al Khaleej Food.
In Abu Dhabi, order farm produce from Food Crowd, an online grocery platform that supplies fresh and organic ingredients directly from farms such as Emirates Bio Farm, TFC, Armela Farms and mother company Al Dahra.
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End of free parking
- paid-for parking will be rolled across Abu Dhabi island on August 18
- drivers will have three working weeks leeway before fines are issued
- areas that are currently free to park - around Sheikh Zayed Bridge, Maqta Bridge, Mussaffah Bridge and the Corniche - will now require a ticket
- villa residents will need a permit to park outside their home. One vehicle is Dh800 and a second is Dh1,200.
- The penalty for failing to pay for a ticket after 10 minutes will be Dh200
- Parking on a patch of sand will incur a fine of Dh300
more from Janine di Giovanni
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
How will Gen Alpha invest?
Mark Chahwan, co-founder and chief executive of robo-advisory firm Sarwa, forecasts that Generation Alpha (born between 2010 and 2024) will start investing in their teenage years and therefore benefit from compound interest.
“Technology and education should be the main drivers to make this happen, whether it’s investing in a few clicks or their schools/parents stepping up their personal finance education skills,” he adds.
Mr Chahwan says younger generations have a higher capacity to take on risk, but for some their appetite can be more cautious because they are investing for the first time. “Schools still do not teach personal finance and stock market investing, so a lot of the learning journey can feel daunting and intimidating,” he says.
He advises millennials to not always start with an aggressive portfolio even if they can afford to take risks. “We always advise to work your way up to your risk capacity, that way you experience volatility and get used to it. Given the higher risk capacity for the younger generations, stocks are a favourite,” says Mr Chahwan.
Highlighting the role technology has played in encouraging millennials and Gen Z to invest, he says: “They were often excluded, but with lower account minimums ... a customer with $1,000 [Dh3,672] in their account has their money working for them just as hard as the portfolio of a high get-worth individual.”
Directed: Smeep Kang
Produced: Soham Rockstar Entertainment; SKE Production
Cast: Rishi Kapoor, Jimmy Sheirgill, Sunny Singh, Omkar Kapoor, Rajesh Sharma
Rating: Two out of five stars
