Why Dubai? New opportunities for Women designers

In the Framework of the Barcelona design week, the annual meeting of design, innovation and entrepreneurship, AFAEMME has participated in a panel discussion about the development of the creative industries in Dubai which took place in Barcelona last 9^th of June 2015.

Barcelona is considered one of the most creative cities in the world, the European capital of innovation, active in creative industries. At the same time, Dubai is becoming the new creative hub of the Middle-East region, with projects such as Dubai Design District, which purpose is to provide a home for the region’s creative thinkers and designers.

The creative panel shows how Catalan creative industries can become part of this growing scene in Dubai.

As the presence of many similarities with Dubai and Barcelona in terms of brand strategy, Dubai could have the same experience of Barcelona: become the creative hub of the region, destination of investors and tourists, where can be placed attractive activities related to creativity. For do that, Dubai has already a lot of key elements: infrastructures, transport and the positive perception of people of this city as a cosmopolitan international community, just as Barcelona.

The Conference was also an opportunity for AFAEMME to examine the role of women within the creative industry. In fact, one of the most influent designers of the Middle-East and Europe, Nadine Chahine, stressed the point of the different perception of professionals women in the Middle-East instead of Europe. Woman graphic designer in the Middle East is perceive as a professional woman, instead of in Germany for example where, to be a professional woman, you have to become a men.

Now AFAEMME is exploring the opportunities offered by the sector: Dubai already provides a good education system, design schools international oriented, where the most part of design students are women.