November 5, 2026, Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE): Canadian University Dubai (CUD) welcomed a VIP delegation from Dubai Holding Entertainment, led by CEO Fernando Eiroa, to experience “A Seat at the Table”, an interactive installation developed by CUD’s School of Architecture and Interior Design for Dubai Design Week 2026 at Dubai Design District (d3).
Presented by Dubai Holding Entertainment in collaboration with CUD and ImInclusive | Disability Inclusion Service, with technical and material support from Rumett, the installation brings together five sensory artworks co-created by artists of Determination, CUD students and design enthusiasts. Inspired by the UAE’s cultural and environmental heritage, the works invite visitors to experience familiar places and traditions through someone else’s senses and memories.
From Workshop to Installation
The installation took shape at CUD, where students from the School of Architecture and Interior Design joined artists from the People of Determination community for two days of creative exploration through the “A Seat at the Table” co-design workshop. Inspired by the UAE’s cultural heritage and natural landscapes, participants explored five sensory atmospheres, examining how the senses shape the way we experience and create art, and bringing their individual perspectives into a shared creative process.
Zeineb Naouar Ep Fares, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Interior Design, who led the workshop, said: “A Seat at the Table is a meaningful collaboration between Canadian University Dubai, Rumett, Dubai Holding, and ImInclusive, bringing together our students and members of the People of Determination community through a shared creative experience. What makes this initiative particularly special is that People of Determination are not simply participants, but active contributors to the creative process, bringing their unique perspectives, talents, and expressions to a collective artwork. Beyond the workshop itself, this collaboration demonstrates how design and creativity can become powerful tools for inclusion, connection, and a genuine sense of belonging.”
Nicole Stewart, Director of Organizational Culture and Inclusion at Dubai Holding Entertainment, said: “Dubai Holding Entertainment have commissioned the installation for Dubai Design Week. The aim is that we can showcase to the community here in Dubai and the UAE the talents of the people of determination community that exists within the country.”
Hafsa Qadeer, Founder and CEO of ImInclusive, added: “We are actually building for Dubai Design Week. This workshop is welcoming everyone to come and explore how there are different senses playing a part in building art together.”
The project gave students the opportunity to design alongside the community and share their collective work with the public, gaining first-hand experience of inclusive co-design and of how design can give more people a role in shaping the way it is made and experienced.
The installation reflects CUD’s commitment to inclusion and to design education that connects students with the communities they design for.
Gallery
