Amman — Amman Design Week 2026 is expanding its program this year, with exhibitions and artistic activities in Iraq Al-Amir, west of the capital, as well as in Aqaba, which is hosting events for the first time. The program brings together design, nature, heritage and local crafts.
اضافة اعلان
In Iraq Al-Amir, exhibitions move beyond the urban setting into a green valley surrounded by olive terraces, fig trees and archaeological sites. The area preserves long-standing craft traditions, including papermaking and weaving, which continue to be practiced by the Iraq Al-Amir Women’s Cooperative Society.
Venues hosting the artworks include Qasr Al-Abd, the Iraq Al-Amir Women’s Cooperative Society and Naqsh Collective. The works explore the area’s historical memory and the relationship between local materials, nature and sustainable manufacturing methods.
At Qasr Al-Abd, artist Dima Srouji’s work “Ahl Al-Bayt” (People of the House) draws on accounts from 1904 describing the abundance of water for which the area was then known. The work imagines the natural elements surrounding the palace as its original “inhabitants.” It is distributed among the palace ruins and features fig fruits and glass snails crafted by Palestinian artisans, referencing the springs, streams and natural life that have shaped the area for centuries.
Designer Qais Al-Rawi and designer Julia Körner present “Lamella Series in Clay,” a work combining local clay with 3D-printing techniques. Inspired by the gills of mushrooms, the piece explores how natural systems can inform the development of more sustainable forms and manufacturing methods.
The Iraq Al-Amir Women’s Cooperative Society welcomes visitors daily from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Visitors can take part in workshops on pottery, handmade papermaking, weaving and soapmaking, as well as sample traditional Jordanian dishes prepared by women from the area. Participation fees range from JD 5 to JD 15.
Meanwhile, Jo Navigators is organizing free guided tours of Iraq Al-Amir on October 8, 10 and 16. The tours depart from Al-Hangar in Ras Al-Ain and include Naqsh Collective, the caves and Qasr Al-Abd, where Srouji’s work is on display, before continuing to the Iraq Al-Amir Women’s Cooperative Society. The tours offer participants an opportunity to discover the area through its archaeological heritage, crafts, natural surroundings and local community.
In Aqaba, Amman Design Week is presenting events for the first time at Ayla Oasis, in partnership with Wujood Foundation. The program includes an exhibition, workshops and public events exploring design in the context of the city and its distinctive natural landscape and cultural heritage.
The exhibition features four works by Bahraini-Danish, New South, Tasneem Zureikat and Yazeed Khaldoun Balqar. It runs until October 17. The works draw on diverse cultural and material practices and engage with the oasis and its layers of everyday practices, material environments and cultural memory.
The Aqaba program opens with a talk by Dr. Khaldoun Hijazin, followed by a guided tour of the installations led by the participating designers. An open discussion will then explore this year’s theme, “Accretions,” and the oasis as a space for transformation and exchange.
Wujood is hosting and co-organizing the Aqaba events, building on its role in providing a space for creative and artistic experimentation on the Gulf of Aqaba. The foundation brings together contemporary Arab artistic perspectives and international art practices, seeking to build bridges across different artistic disciplines and help establish the Red Sea region as a hub for creativity and dialogue.
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