Moutamarat's International Design Forum addresses future design challenges of the Arab world

Created by Moutamarat, a Joint Venture of Tatweer, a Dubai Holding Company and Saudi Research and Publishing Company, the IDF will focus on industrial and urban design and the promotion of creativity in the Arab world.

In an effort to create value for the upcoming IDF, Moutamarat is asking key personalities and participants of the Forum about design challenges they are facing in their profession and the community at large.

On the occasion of the Milan Furniture Fair on the 19th of April, Moutamarat also launched a blog, developed by Marcus Fairs of Dezeen, which will provide regular updates on the IDF, interviews of speakers and news on design developments in the Arab world. The blog will continue right up until the IDF itself in May, when it will provide rolling coverage of the entire Forum.

"With the blog we want to document the content we get out of the IDF," said Fairs. "The interaction with the sites and the IDF will form the first online design archive in the Arab world and will hopefully find interesting projects and connect people."

Moutamarat also held a private brainstorming at the Salone de Mobile in Milan with key board members and special guests including Peter Zec, President of Red Dot, Sheikh Majed Al Sabah, CEO of Villa Moda, Stefano Boeri, Editor-in-Chief of Abitare, and special guests Marcel Wanders and Marcus Fairs. Facilitated by Architects of Group Genius, the debate explored each guest's thoughts on the Design Challenges faced by the Arab and international design communities.

Sheikh Majed brought the message home, linking the IDF with Arab world development:

"The IDF provides guidelines that can help the Arab world develop itself with respect to its own culture. Improving design in our part of the world is very critical and we need to align people from the private and public sectors and identify the needs of each region so we can provide tailor-made prototypes."

The Design Challenges underpin the program of the IDF and are posted on www.whatsyourdesignchallenge.com.