Abwab translates as ‘doors’ in Arabic and is an annually remodeled exhibition dedicated to commissioning work from across the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia with a purpose to promote design talent and stimulate information exchange, uniquely experienced at Dubai Design Week.

Abwab has for five consecutive years acted as a united platform for design talent from the UAE and the wider region, inviting visitors into the creative landscapes of neighbouring communities.

Last year, Abwab launched an open call for the region’s designers and architects to submit proposals for an architectural or design pavilion to be constructed at the centre of Dubai Design District (d3), responding to a theme centered around design installations and their role in shaping public space.

The 2020 Abwab commission was awarded to Iraqi designer Hozan Zangana for his proposal ‘Fata Morgana’. Conceptually building a modern-day city in an open-plan arrangement of seating components around a central origin point and with pillars symbolic for each of the seven Emirates, ‘Fata Morgana’ responds to today’s requirement for physical distancing.

Find out more about the Abwab 2020 Pavilion: