Dubai - Understanding and addressing future design challenges is the mandate of the International Design Forum (IDF), which will be held in Dubai from 27th - 29th May, under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Executive Council of Dubai. Created by Moutamarat, a Joint Venture of Tatweer, a Dubai Holding Company and Saudi Research and Publishing Company, the IDF will focus on industrial and urban design and the promotion of creativity in the Arab world.
In an effort to create value for the upcoming IDF, Moutamarat is asking key personalities and participants of the Forum about design challenges they are facing in their profession and the community at large. The Design Challenges underpin the program of the IDF and are posted on www.whatsyourdesignchallenge.com.
On the occasion of the Milan Furniture Fair on the 19th of April, Moutamarat also launched a blog, developed by Marcus Fairs of Dezeen, which will provide regular updates on the IDF, interviews of speakers and news on design developments in the Arab world. The blog will continue right up until the IDF itself in May, when it will provide rolling coverage of the entire Forum.
"With the blog we want to document the content we get out of the IDF," said Fairs. "The interaction with the sites and the IDF will form the first online design archive in the Arab world and will hopefully find interesting projects and connect people."
Moutamarat also held a private brainstorming at the Salone de Mobile in Milan with key board members and special guests including Peter Zec, President of Red Dot, Sheikh Majed Al Sabah, CEO of Villa Moda, Stefano Boeri, Editor-in-Chief of Abitare, and special guests Marcel Wanders and Marcus Fairs. Facilitated by Architects of Group Genius, the debate explored each guest's thoughts on the Design Challenges faced by the Arab and international design communities.
Sheikh Majed brought the message home, linking the IDF with Arab world development: "The IDF provides guidelines that can help the Arab world develop itself with respect to its own culture. Improving design in our part of the world is very critical and we need to align people from the private and public sectors and identify the needs of each region so we can provide tailor-made prototypes."
The International Design Forum blog can be accessed via Dezeen, one of the most popular architecture and design blogs in the world, attracting over 100,000 visitors per month (www.dezeen.com) and the IDF website (www.moutamarat.com/idf/blog). Information on the Design Challenges is available on whatsyourdesignchallenge.com and www.moutamarat.com/idf.
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About the International Design Forum
The International Design Forum, created by Moutamarat, will be held in Dubai from 27th-29th May 2007.
For further information, please see www.moutamarat.com/idf/.
Journalists wishing to attend the IDF can register for free by e-mailing design@moutamarat.com.
About Moutamarat
Moutamarat is a Joint Venture between Tatweer LLC, a Dubai Holding Company, and Saudi Research and Publishing Company.
It is a high-profile pan-Arab business initiative seeking to create business knowledge for the Arab world. It develops unique knowledge agendas in partnership with leading regional and international corporations, experts and knowledge centers and unveils these agendas through a prestigious portfolio of conferences where it gathers the most relevant decision-makers.
Moutamarat's research and initiatives are designed to inform the Arab decision-makers with real, contrasted and objective data and to effect a long-term impact on their decisions by involving them in a cumulative and incremental process of knowledge acquisition.
For further press information please contact:
Neil Byrne/Susanna Joicey-Cecil/Janine Limb
Camron
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London WC2E 9DH
Tel: 020 7420 1700
Fax: 020 7497 2753
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Website: www.camron.co.uk
Tarek Sakik
Jiwin
PO Box 39333, Dubai, UAE
Tel: (9714) 361 3593
Fax: (9714) 368 8001
Mobile: (97150) 8683669
Website: www.jiwin.ae
© Press Release 2007
