The Forum hosted leading global and regional design voices through live talks, panel discussions and keynotes, fostering dialogue and exchange within the international design community.

As Dubai Design Week’s flagship talks programme, The Forum brought together renowned speakers, designers and innovators from across the world. Each year, it presented a curated series of live talks, panel discussions and keynotes exploring the most relevant ideas shaping the global and regional design landscape.

The 2025 edition, set within a newly designed space by architect and designer Roula Salamoun, continued its legacy of fostering meaningful dialogue in one of the world’s fastest-growing creative markets. Over the years, The Forum welcomed design icons such as Lidewij Edelkoort, Kelly Hoppen, India Mahdavi, Christian Louboutin, Sabine Marcelis, Lina Ghotmeh and Sebastian Herkner.

The programme that year was headlined by Tom Dixon in his Dubai debut, alongside Lee Broom, David Hicks and regional leaders including Rabah Saeid, Pallavi Dean and Omar Al Gurg, reaffirming The Forum’s role as a vital platform for conversation, connection and creative insight.