UAE Launches Open Design Competition for 2025 Venice Biennale Pavilion
The United Arab Emirates has announced an open international competition inviting creative proposals for the conceptual design of its National Pavilion at the 20th International Architecture Exhibition of the Venice Biennale. The prestigious event runs from May to November 2025 in Italy.
Architects, designers, artists, historians, and researchers with professional, academic, or lived experience in the UAE or the broader MENASA region (Middle East, North Africa, South Asia) are encouraged to participate. The core challenge is to develop conceptual proposals that uncover and present an untold architectural history of the Emirates.
Proposals must align with the Biennale’s mission as a global platform for idea exchange. They should offer compelling concepts rooted in local, regional, and global contexts while engaging in a meaningful dialogue with the history and themes of previous UAE National Pavilion exhibitions.
Eligibility extends to UAE citizens, residents, and international candidates possessing relevant regional experience and understanding. Applications for 2025 Venice Biennale Pavilion can be submitted individually or by teams. Crucially, while the competition is open to non-residents, any team submission must include at least one member residing in the UAE.
Angela Migally, Executive Director of the Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation and Commissioner of the UAE National Pavilion, emphasized the Biennale’s role as a hub for new ideas and discussions. She stated that the open competition provides a significant opportunity for talented individuals in the UAE to engage with international architectural discourse, leveraging local expertise to explore architectural issues both within the Emirates and globally.
Laila Binbrek, Director of the UAE National Pavilion, highlighted the pavilion’s commitment to fostering new research and cultural initiatives with worldwide relevance. She noted the competition’s increasing openness each year, actively inviting both local and international participants to contribute to architectural dialogue and its role in addressing future challenges.
The UAE National Pavilion will host information sessions for interested applicants in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Specific dates for these sessions will be announced at a later time.
The deadline for submitting competition entries is midnight UAE time (GMT+4) on September 30, 2025. Shortlisted finalists will be invited to present full proposals in the competition’s second stage. Complete competition details and application instructions are available on the official UAE National Pavilion website.
Source: WAM
