BEST OF THE BEST

The ultimate design accolade in the MENA region, the AD Design Awards 2021 brought together the region’s most exciting talents for an all-star celebration of creative excellence

Good design has the potential to touch the heart and transform lives. Acknowledging the positivity and resilience that runs through the MENA region’s design community, the AD Design Awards 2021 honoured exceptional people and projects that are raising the bar in the Middle East and beyond.

This year’s awards were extra special; through the past 24 months, in the midst of a global lockdown and a pandemic, architects, interior designers, product designers and creative innovators in the Middle East and North Africa strove to redefine and re-imagine the role of design in our everyday lives, proffering pioneering solutions that are rooted in our unique context, and yet, are globally resonant.

With hundreds of entries across ten categories, competition was fierce. This year we also introduced the Outstanding Achievement Award, conferred by the AD Middle East editorial team for exemplary contribution to the design in the region.

The ceremony was held at the Aura Skypool Lounge at the Palm Tower in Palm Jumierah. Whilst Dubai’s iconic cityscape served as a fitting backdrop to our celebration, the nominees and guests that came from all parts of region were proof that the awards are not just a UAE event – they are truly representative of the wider Middle East. And as the shortlist – and winners – demonstrate, the AD Design Awards 2021 signal the coming of age of a dynamic regional design scene.