Cairo Design Week 2025

Cairo Design Week 2025 runs from 20 to 29 November, activating the city through three official districts — Heliopolis, Zamalek, and Downtown — each shaped by dedicated curators, partners, and sponsors. Under the theme “Design, So I Can See You”, the edition explores how design expresses identity across individuals, communities, and cultures.

Heliopolis serves as the main hub, where Art Deco and Neo-Islamic architecture frames installations that link memory and modernity. Ghurnata Palace hosts the Fashion Design District, presented by Mai Galal with Maison Pyramide, while Showland introduces the Makerspace Exhibition with Creative Districts, Studio 34, and Base Studios. The district theme, “Second Skin”, examines texture and layered identity, guided by Karim El Hayawan and Nehal Leheta.

Across the Nile, Zamalek becomes a space for reflection. Venues such as Aisha Fahmy Palace, the Islamic Ceramic Museum, and the Greater Cairo Library form a sensory environment shaped by the theme “In Between Islands”, curated by Hala Saleh. The district considers balance between movement and stillness, and between tradition and innovation.

Downtown transforms into a site for contextual and empathetic design. Under Karim Mekhtigian’s curatorship, “Toward a More Human Design Language” reflects on how design responds to urban realities through care and connection.

Cairo Design Week also extends to the Islamic Ceramics Museum, where the CDW Stage hosts talks, panels, and workshops on urban innovation, craft, sustainability, and technology. For the first time, the Design Walk Initiative, created with Barefoot, offers guided routes across districts, combining history, architecture, and contemporary design.

Cairo Design Week 2025 opens on 20 November. Full programmes and venues are available at cairodesignweek.net.