How to Best Experience Dubai’s Diverse Community Hubs

Over the years, Dubai’s creative community has grown in sync with its sky-high metropolitan backdrop. Once a quiet city with just a handful of specialist craftsmen, it now boasts a burgeoning ecosystem of artists, photographers, and designers who have found their footing in the various cultural hubs that work alongside like-minded creatives.

To wrap up our new Travel Series in Dubai, Hypebeast connects with the new generation of dreamers to find out more about their journeys. Beginning at the Moving Borderlines exhibition, we catch up with contributing photographer Afrorabian who has seen firsthand the evolution of the arts. “The creative industry is a baby, but it’s growing,” he shares. “You have people with different nationalities in one place, creating together. To me, it’s exactly how I want it to be.”

We then stop off at a specialty café, boutique streetwear store, camera workshop, ending the series at the beach with The Uncommon Club – a 200-person running community built on wellbeing, connection, and education.

Keep reading to explore the full curation in collaboration with the city’s creatives.

Foundry

If there is one place that typifies Dubai’s creative scene, it’s Foundry. Part gallery, part studio and part collaborative space, it brings different people from various creative fields together to discover art and design that push the boundaries of traditional practices.

Foundry
Boulevard Crescent, Burj Khalifa
Downtown, Dubai

Koncrete

Rethinking the region’s café culture, Koncrete pairs specialty drinks with a curated print library, original artwork and, as its name suggests, a uniquely industrial backdrop to create an inspiring coffee shop experience. As customer Ruqaia puts it, “Koncrete is about the vibes, the different aesthetics, and the art.”

Koncrete
787 Jumeira St.
Umm Suqeim 2, Dubai

FRAME

Since 2017, FRAME has been sourcing the best in global streetwear to locals in Dubai. Now, the retailer’s expansive store in Dubai Design District serves as a cornerstone of contemporary culture, where shoppers can pick up cutting-edge garments as well as collectibles, magazines, and even a bite to eat.

FRAME
Dubai Design District Building 7
Dubai

Piehaus

At the heart of the city’s creative district, Alserkal Avenue is Piehaus – a pastry restaurant that has been putting a new spin on Balkan cuisine. Lending its success to the close-knit community of local cooks, head chef Milan Jurkovic says, “The biggest wealth in Dubai is learning from other people. There is a lot of collaboration, it’s like nothing I’ve seen before.”

Piehaus
Warehouse 22a
Alserkal Avenue, Dubai

Miasan15

In a similar sentiment, head chef Rita Soueidan shares, “Chefs in Dubai like to mix influences and create their own stories.” At Maisan15, she channels this energy into producing a menu of brunch-style dishes infused with classic Middle Eastern flavors – think shakshuka and labneh or sourdough focaccia blended with saffron and medjool dates.

Miasan15
Al Barsha South
Dubai

Amongst Few

“Our contribution has always been the community space,” mentions lead creative Connor Rycroft of Amongst Few. Located a short walk from the beach, the multipurpose venue features a concept shop, café, co-working spaces and its own integrated barbershop, making it easy for anyone to spend all day there.

Amongst Few
Bahwan Complex, 966 Al Wasl Rd
Umm Suqeim, Dubai

AnalogTheRoom

Despite being in a city that favors new tech, photography studio AnalogTheRoom has put retro cameras, dark rooms, and rolls of film back on the radars of local artists. “This is the one place in Dubai that has everything associated with this format of photography,” shares founder Mohammed Kamal. “People can buy cameras, develop their film, take part in workshops or just ask us anything they want.”

AnalogTheRoom
Warehouse B23, 81 6th St.
Al Quoz, Dubai