At Dubai Design Week 2025, the “Dome of Inclusion” opened its doors, inviting visitors to experience a bold intersection of design, creativity, and inclusivity
Dubai Holding Entertainment, a leading force in the UAE’s leisure and attractions sector, proudly unveiled the “Dome of Inclusion” at Dubai Design Week 2025 — an awe-inspiring installation created in partnership with Canadian University Dubai’s Department of Architecture and ImInclusive, the UAE-based social enterprise for disability inclusion. The installation stood as a powerful celebration of accessibility, creativity, and the boundless artistic talents of the People of Determination community.
The Dome of Inclusion is a multisensory masterpiece, its sustainable cardboard structure of interlocking hexagons and pentagons was infused with symbolism. Each hexagon reflects one of the six guiding values that shaped the project — Collaboration, Creativity, Inclusion, Empowerment, Innovation, and Unity — while each pentagon represents the five dimensions of disability that inspired its design — physical, sensory, neurodivergent, intellectual, and psychosocial.
Suspended within the dome, soft hanging drapes, each colour and fabric chosen with intention. The inclusion of locally sourced fabrics from the UAE rooted the piece in cultural authenticity, while the artwork inside brought the structure to life.
What makes this installation truly special is the process behind it. Architecture students and faculty joined hands with commissioned artists from the People of Determination community, blending academic insight with lived experience. Together, they co-created a structure that not only celebrates inclusive design, but also shines a light on artistic abilities that are too often overlooked in society.
“We had the privilege of creating a platform that brought to the surface the extraordinary artistic abilities and creative voices of People of Determination,” said Al Anood Al Hashemi, Vice President of Organisational Culture and Impact at Dubai Holding Entertainment. “The Dome of Inclusion is an example that inclusion happens when we create together and allow every individual’s light to shine.”
Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of Dubai Culture & Arts Authority, honoured the installation with her visit during Dubai Design Week, highlighting the importance of inclusive cultural participation and the power of design to connect communities.
Presented as part of Dubai Design Week 2025, the Dome of Inclusion reinforces Dubai Holding Entertainment’s ongoing commitment to inclusive culture, creative partnerships, and purposeful placemaking.
