The Dubai Design & Fashion Council (DDFC), established by the Dubai government to raise Dubai’s profile as a regional and global destination for design and fashion, and SRP Group, a Chinese trade development company, today announced the winners of the DDFC/SRP Silk Road Design Competition.

Egyptian product designer Mahmoud Gamal Abbas won the first prize. Among the other key winners were Hajer Tenaiji, from the UAE, Tarek Hreish from Jordan, Anas Alomaim from Kuwait, and Tallaat Haddad, an upcoming talent, also from Jordan.

Conceptualised to help develop Dubai’s design industry and broaden its synergies with China’s Belt and Road Initiative, the DDFC/SRP Silk Road Design Competition received over 40 applications from emerging designers across the MENA region spanning 14 nationalities. The designers were tasked with proposing homeware or jewellery collection designs that showcased Emirati and Arab heritage in a contemporary fashion setting.

The winners were selected by a jury comprising DDFC and SRP representatives, as well as prominent names from the region’s design industry, including Hani Asfour, Dean of the Dubai Institute for Design and Innovation (DIDI), Emirati jewellery designer Maryam Hassani, Co-founder and Principal Designer of 55FIFTY7 atelier, and Michel Vandamme, industrial designer and consultant. Prestigious Chinese guests, Professor Ma Gang and Professor Liu Bo from the China Central Academy of Fine Arts, also joined the jury.

Speaking on the novel and high-profile event, Jazia Al Dhanhani, Chief Executive Officer of DDFC, said: “DDFC has always received strong support from the local and regional design industry. We are most grateful for the time and dedication of our guest jury members. It was indeed a challenging task to select the winners from among so many excellent submissions.”

She added: “The DDFC/SRP Silk Road Design Competition is yet another example of the increasingly prominent role that the creative industries play in the cultural and economic development of Dubai and the wider region. DDFC is committed to fostering creative talent within this sector to promote its economic competitiveness through a focus on innovative thinking and community enrichment.”

She added: “A key element for the development of a strong creative industry is the support of the private sector. We are grateful to the SRP Group for joining us in this endeavour, a first step in what we hope is the beginning of a fruitful and long-term relationship with our partners from China.”

Xu Jie, Chairman of SRP Group, said: “We are pleased and encouraged to see the Silk Road Design Competition accomplish its mission and come to this beautiful conclusion. The high quality submissions we received for this event have enabled us to gain insight into the region’s unique culture. We thank DDFC for its support and incredible efforts in organising and managing this competition.”

He added: “SRP will collaborate with the winners further to develop these concepts and hopefully turn some of them into commercial products to be sold in China and across the MENA region. Against the backdrop of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, we are optimistic about future cooperation between Chinese companies and local designers to continue weaving the story of the Silk Road.”