Projects in sustainability, biodiversity protection and waste management

Dubai Design Students Creative at Sandooq Al Watan

The students' designs presented the audience with a range of sustainable solutions. From the source

Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation (DDI) participated in the Sandooq Al Watan Open Day for the first time entitled "Creativity and Innovation in the Year of Sustainability", as part of the UAE's preparations to host the COP28 climate conference.

The event was organized under the patronage of Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence and Chairman of Sandooq Al Watan.

During the Creativity and Innovation Open Day, five Emirati and Saudi design students from Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation presented a range of sustainable solutions to participants. The three innovative projects demonstrated the pivotal role that design plays in building a sustainable future, managing waste and protecting biodiversity.

One of the projects is the "Revival" project created by Lamia Al Awadhi and Fatima Lootah, which is a futuristic robot that aims to revive the soil by changing the locations of ant nests, where the robot moves from fertile soil areas to dry soil areas and pours into the ground a liquid made of sugar and the queen of ants. This robot features advanced sensor systems that determine the level of moisture in the soil, and the project "Transforming seashell into a sustainable biomaterial" designed by Dalal Jaber. This project aims to investigate ways to use seashells as a source of new biomaterials.

Another participating project is "Qahwatna", a brand of products and services created by Latifa Al Suwaidi and Latifa Al Khoury. The project aims to address the waste crisis caused by coffee preparation and bottling, as the café sector in the UAE is booming.

Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation (DIDI) offers a region's first bachelor's degree in interdisciplinary design, thanks to its world-class curriculum developed in partnership with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Parsons School of Design. The institute's courses help students in this field to enhance human-centered design thinking skills, contributing to the growth and progress of societies. The participation of Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation in this open day, organized by Sandooq Al Watan, comes in line with the Fund's efforts as a non-profit organization, to stimulate innovation in the fields of education, healthcare, social development and others.