Urban Commissions is an design competition that gives architects and designers the opportunity to develop outdoor furniture in the public domain, and can consist of anything from innovative street furniture, to shading or producing places where people can gather, as long as it has a responsible design approach.

2023 Winner

This year’s winner was architect Ahmad AlKattan with designest, unveiled at Dubai Design Week 2023.

Find out more here.

2023 Jury

Ahmad Bukhash is an experienced architect who received a Bachelor of Architecture from the Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston in 2002 and a Master's degree in Architecture from the Kyoto Institute of Technology in Japan in 2006, where he also interned with Nikken Sekkei, a leading design and build development corporation. He then worked at Dubai Properties Group as Director of Urban Planning and Design from 2007 to 2014 before joining the Dubai Development Authority, where he is currently responsible for regulating and reviewing strategic master plans for prominent private developers such as Dubai Holding, MERAAS, SHAMAL, and EMAAR. Bukhash also established his own architectural design firm, ARCHIDENTITY, in 2009 and has completed several projects across Dubai. He is also heavily engaged in the field of Architectural Education as a member of various advisory committees for the Architectural Program Development at American University of Dubai, Ajman University, Zayed University, and the University of Sharjah

Robert Shakespeare is Cracknell's Group Design Director with 33 years of experience as a design professional in the Middle East and Asia. As a Group Design Director, he has a leading role in inspiring and guiding Cracknell’s design strategies and overseeing the design and management of large scale landscape, urban design and masterplanning projects across Cracknell’s global portfolio. Robert is passionate about the creation of site responsive public and private realm landscapes, and sees the role of Landscape Architects as the key to shaping modern cities, and creating high quality integrated sustainable urban spaces that improve the live-ability of our built environment.

Cyril Zammit is a Paris-born and Dubai-based design consultant and advisor with over 30 years of experience in the cultural sector. He has worked with various cultural organizations, including the French Embassy, HSBC Private Bank and Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC) in Abu Dhabi. He is the founder of Design Days Dubai, the first fair dedicated to collectible and limited edition design in the Middle East and South Asia, and the creator of Dubai Design Week. Cyril has also worked as an expert for the Vice Chairman Board of Directors Office and the International Relations Office at Dubai Culture & Arts Authority, as well as for the Office of Public and Cultural Diplomacy at the UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation. Currently, Cyril is a strategic consultant for the Uzbekistan Art & Culture Foundation and an invited instructor for the Ithra Academy in Khobar, Saudi Arabia.