identity Design Awards 2026 in Dubai

identity Design Awards 2026 in Dubai returns on Friday 20 November with a gala evening at JW Marriott Marquis Dubai in Business Bay, the twelfth time the awards have been presented. Run by identity, the Middle East magazine for contemporary design, interiors and architecture, the night celebrates the region’s leading design talent across interiors, architecture and furniture. Doors open at 6pm, the evening begins at 7pm, and entry is for guests aged 21 and over.

About the awards

identity magazine was launched in 2002 by Motivate Media Group and has covered design, interiors and architecture in the region ever since. The awards followed in 2015, created to recognise the best work being produced across the Middle East, and have run every year since, including a virtual ceremony in 2020.

Entries are submitted online and judged independently by an international jury. The judges look for innovation, sustainability and aesthetic quality, and the winners are revealed on the night, so the gala is the moment a year of projects finally gets its result. In previous years a shortlist has been announced ahead of the ceremony, and seats and tables for the gala have been booked through Platinumlist.

The three pillars: interiors, architecture and furniture

The awards are organised around three areas of design:

• Interior design: from homes to offices, where the inside of a space is the star.
• Architecture: buildings and projects across the region, recognising the firms behind them.
• Furniture and product design: the makers and designers of the pieces that fill those spaces.

Across these pillars, recent editions have handed out awards in around 20 categories.

Recent editions

The gala moves around Dubai’s hotels. The tenth edition in 2024 was held at The Forum by Banyan Tree Dubai and celebrated Middle Eastern projects across 20 design categories; among the winners pictured that night were the Ajman Rulers Court by ROAR and the residential interior En Fuego by Bishop Design. The eleventh edition took place on 20 November 2025 at W Dubai, The Palm, with sponsors including CASAMIA UAE, Studio971, Gaggenau and ClayArk, and a trophy made by Sans Souci.

For 2026, the ceremony moves to JW Marriott Marquis in Business Bay, on Sheikh Zayed Road.

The awards are backed by a long list of industry sponsors. Casa Mia has been Platinum Sponsor in both recent years, with Studio971 returning as a Gold Sponsor, and the 2024 Gold line-up also included ROCA and LAUFEN. In 2025 the partners extended to a gift partner, The White Company, a beverage partner, African + Eastern, and a vote processing partner, Jacobsons.

What the evening is like

The heart of the night is the announcement of winners, category by category, with names, projects and acceptance moments building through the evening. Around that, it is a social night for the design industry, a place to reconnect with peers, meet clients and collaborators and get a sense of where regional design is heading. Firms that have entered will want to be in the room when their category is called.

The event is billed as a gala. Specific dinner and seating details are not set out on the ticket page, so check your booking for what is included. The evening is filmed for promotional use, and guests may appear in the footage.

The venue: JW Marriott Marquis Dubai

JW Marriott Marquis Dubai stands on Sheikh Zayed Road in Business Bay and is reached directly from the highway. Valet and self-parking are both offered on site. By Metro, Business Bay station on the Red Line is the closest stop, followed by a short taxi ride or walk. If you take a cab, ask for the JW Marriott Marquis Hotel Dubai in Business Bay.

Entry rules and good to know

The gala is strictly for guests aged 21 and over, and you may be asked for photo ID or proof of booking at the door. Entry is first come, first served, so arriving in good time after doors open at 6pm is sensible. Lost or stolen tickets are not replaced, and disruptive guests may be removed.

Tickets are non-refundable unless the event is cancelled, although Platinumlist’s resale option allows you to pass a ticket to another buyer. The organisers may adjust the running order, seating or layout, and will give advance notice of significant changes.

Who it suits

This is a grown-up industry evening for architects, interior designers, furniture makers, developers, suppliers and brands working in the built environment, as well as anyone building a network in the UAE design scene. If your studio has entered, or you simply follow regional design closely, it is the night the community gathers to celebrate its best work of the year.

For more industry and cultural events, see our business and networking listings, browse art and culture, or check things to do in November.