Latest Articles
Arabs got (design) talent.
With new venues or events dedicated to design in Saudi Arabia and Qatar, the talents are unquestionably here, so it is time to duly recognise their presence…
Small Resolutions. No Revolutions
These days, one never knows what tomorrow could bring, so why stick specific goals?
The Colour of Things To Come
Fashion and Design mirror the world’s evolution… Foreseeing 2024, from reckoning to embracing authenticity
Peace Through Design - November 2023
Can the lessons of the past can better inform our present?
Dubai Design Week 2023 on Dubai One TV
On the occasion of Dubai Design Week 2023, I was invited to join DXB Today on Dubai One TV to present the event.
From AI to AR - October 2023
In September, Europe witnessed a series of design events showcasing talents from our Region… From AI (Arab Intelligence) to AR (Arab Reality). And more is announced…
Portrait - Omar Al Gurg
Through a balance of whimsy and practicality, Omar Al Gurg has become a gentle force in the emergent GCC design world. The inspired Emirati designer invites us into his modern day Majlis.
Words by Cyril Zammit
Digital Detox or Digital Reboot - September 2023
A digital reboot is a way we can check back in to see if we are up to date with the world around us.
Abundant Scarcity - Summer 2023
Venice, London…The study of our region’s past and evolution of its future. The Gulf’s contribution to the global conversation is becoming more poignant.
A Question Of Succession - May 2023
The face-off between heritage and creation. Ai can transform things in ways that the previous industrial revolution couldn’t.
Design Your Next Holiday - April 2023
New trends in travel have arisen around the nascent metaverse, ‘bleisure’ and regenerative tourism.
Cultural Fatigue? Never - March 2023
There can never be such a thing as a cultural overdose.
Super Bowls and Wonky Plates - February 2023
What we ear says a lot about who we are, but also does what we eat on.
Design Sets The Stage - January 2023
The importance of great set design is crucial to represent the world you are building
Crossroads Panel - December 2022
In an increasingly globalised world, sustaining local heritage is urgently important. With that in mind, I joined three of my peers in the latest Royal Commission for AlUla Crossroads discussion panel, where we explored the development of an authentic AlUla design style.
Unapologetic Rebel - December 2022
Being self-reliant has been one the key learnings of the past years. So what will 2023 bring?
UAE Designer Exhibition presents 16 rising talents in the Emirates - Dezeen - 17 November 2022
A regular fixture in the Dubai Design Week calendar, this year's edition was curated by Dubai-based design consultant Cyril Zammit with a focus on sustainability.
UAE Designers Exhibition - Wallpaper* - 12 November 2022
The standout exhibition in the Downtown Design tent was the UAE Designers Exhibition... Curated by Cyril Zammit and set within a booth designed by Studio D.04’s Fatima Al Zaabi and Noora Al Awar, the exhibition comprised 20 original works.
NTCRI lays Taiwan’s craft spirit on the global stage of Maison&Objet - Designboom - 7 September, 2022
Titled ‘The Taiwanese Crafts Equation’, the National Taiwan Craft Research and Development Institute exhibition brings to the international stage the aesthetic functional crafts and the entrepreneurial spirit of Taiwan.
The Shades of Summer - July/August 2022
The cross border language that colour can have is often understated
The Lighthouse - June 2022
We cannot overstate that the impact that fathers and father figures have on our lives is immense.
A Positive Future - May 2022
The future is not a place that we are going towards, but one we are creating all the time.
The Future Is Digital But It Needs Real Materials - April 2022
Materiality is the base of any society beside its value and cultural beliefs.
Into a Phygital March Madness - March 2022
Does the digital world erase the barrier between functional and artistic? I believe so!
“You can’t force a talent to go into production” - February 2022
The Lighthouse Conversations
The Stabiliser, The Settler and The New Optimist - February 2022
On the permanent reinvention of self… I Choose Optimism!
To A New Beginning - December 2021 / January 2022
What are the colours of 2022? Prepare to be surrounded with refreshing and cool tones.
And Now For The Busy Season - November 2021
In November, Dubai is the home of Design and this year more than ever…
The biggest, yes, but by far the smartest - October 2021
What the Expo2020 Dubai will showcase is a brilliant example of positive universalism.
Don’t Think Big, Think Smart - AXIS 40th Anniversary Edition - October 2021
Design is crucial to understand our current challenges, bring solutions to improve our daily lives.
A Polarising Summer - Esquire Middle East - September 2021
On the growing paradox of choice.
Forward Thinking - Esquire Middle East - July/August 2021
Trends that will shape your home (and life).
It’s a Jungle Out There - Esquire Middle East - June 2021
It’s about time to reconnect with Mother Nature.
A Contemporary Legacy - IDentity - June 2021
The opening of the Bourse de Commerce - Collection Pinault, under the guidance of Tadao Ando and Bouroullec Brothers, marks a new era for contemporary art in Paris.
The Buds Of May - Esquire Middle East - May 2021
History has a tendency to repeat itself, so it is now our chance to change it…
DZing 2020+1 inaugurates its first Algerian-French Design Biennale - and it's one worth paying attention to. - IDentity - May 2021
The biennale invites reflections on the effects that design – by integrating local culture and practices – can bring to the environment in which it acts.
NTCRI Exhibits Contemporary Objects Evolved From Traditional Taiwan Crafts - DesignBoom - April 30th, 2021
‘Design, the silent ambassador of Taiwan’.
‘Make A House Your Home’ - Esquire Middle East - April 2021
"In design", creating something genuine and original is the ultimate reflection of who you are and standing out in a crowd”.
‘Design to Explore - Design to Restore’ - Esquire Middle East - March 2021
"Beside great human vision there is a need for both designers and scientists to make that vision come true"
‘Design is collectible. But what kind of collector do you want to be?’ - IDentity (The Art Edition) - March 2021
Reflections on design.
‘Clashes of colour illustrate our need for comfort and protection’ - Esquire Middle East - February 2021
On the trends that will guide our way through the dark.
“There is a clear shift from a focus on being ‘well’ to being ‘better’ - Esquire Middle East - December 2020 - January 2021
On the region’s design answers to our irrepressible instinct of survival.
‘It generates a feeling that you cannot replicate digitally’ - Esquire Middle East - November 2020
On the importance of in-person design events.
id50 - 200th edition - August 2020
Celebrating 50 individuals who have made positive contributions to design and architecture in the Middle East and North Africa.
Khaleejesque - Anniversary issue - March 2019
On creativity and the Gulf (English / Arabic).
Casa Vogue Italia - April 2016
Design - A Dubai i giovani talenti locali possono contare su eventi mirati che ne mettono in luce al meglio le originali capacità
(In Dubai, young local talents can count on targeted events that highlight their original skills in the best possible way)
Artemest - October 2015
The Character - Cyril Zammit Introduces the Dubai Design Week. How the design business is changing in the Middle East and what is about to happen in the next few months.
Cool Hunting - October 2015
Interview with Cyril Zammit. Dubai Design Week: The Inaugural UAE Event aimes to highlight local and global designers to be become a fair of discovery.