ASUS is bringing its “Design You Can Feel” philosophy to THEA at Dubai Design District from 3–5 November 2026 during Dubai Design Week, transforming the café into an immersive space where visitors can experience ASUS through design, material, colour and lifestyle.

Visit ASUS × THEA during Dubai Design Week to step into the Zenbook experience, explore the latest products hands-on and discover how ASUS is bringing technology into the spaces where people work, create, meet and spend their everyday lives.

Taking centre stage will be the latest ASUS Zenbook 14, showcased in Arctic Blue and Komodo Coral. At the heart of its design is ASUS Ceraluminum™, a signature material that combines the durability of ceramic with the lightweight characteristics of aluminum. The finishes are designed to be seen, touched and experienced, reflecting ASUS’s belief that personal technology should create a more emotional connection with the people who use it.

Beyond Zenbook 14, visitors will also be able to explore the wider ASUS premium line-up and find the right device for their needs — whether they are students looking for everyday portability, creators requiring powerful creative tools, solopreneurs balancing productivity and mobility, or gamers looking for performance on the move.

THEA as part of the experience

Located in the heart of Dubai Design District, THEA brings together contemporary hospitality, French and Mediterranean influences, and a warm café environment. For Dubai Design Week, the venue will become part of the ASUS story itself — combining coffee, hospitality, visual design and hands-on technology in one place.

The activation extends “Design You Can Feel” beyond exhibitions and traditional retail, turning the Zenbook design language into a real-life consumer experience built around discovery, interaction and everyday lifestyle moments.

Visitors who want to continue their ASUS journey can also explore the ASUS UAE eShop, where selected 37th Anniversary offers will be available across the portfolio. The eShop offer complements the physical experience at THEA, giving visitors a simple next step after discovering the products in person.

BISSELL Middle East is celebrating the company’s 150th anniversary, marking a significant milestone in a journey defined by innovation, family leadership and a long-standing commitment to developing practical cleaning solutions for homes. From its beginnings in a small Michigan shop in 1876, BISSELL has evolved into an established home cleaning brand serving households across the GCC and international markets.

The company’s story began when Melville Bissell invented a carpet sweeper to solve a practical challenge in the crockery shop he operated with his wife, Anna. Growing customer demand transformed that invention into a family business. In 1889, Anna Bissell assumed leadership of the company and helped expand its reach beyond the United States, establishing a legacy of entrepreneurship and leadership that has continued across generations.

Over the past 150 years, BISSELL has continued to evolve alongside changing lifestyles and household needs. The company expanded from manual sweepers into carpet washers, vacuums, portable cleaners and multi-surface cleaning solutions.

“Reaching 150 years is an important milestone for BISSELL and a reflection of the values that have shaped the company across five generations. Our heritage is built on understanding real household needs and developing practical solutions that make cleaning easier and more effective. As we celebrate this anniversary, we are proud of our journey and remain focused on continuing to innovate, listen to our customers and strengthen our relevance to families across the region,” said Faten Al-Baltaji, General Manager of BISSELL META and India.

The 150th anniversary also underscores the continuity of BISSELL’s family-led heritage. Five generations after the company’s first carpet sweeper, BISSELL continues to build on its founding purpose by developing cleaning solutions designed around the practical demands of modern homes, including households with pets.

As BISSELL enters its next chapter, the milestone provides an opportunity to reflect on a century and a half of progress while reaffirming the company’s focus on innovation, customer needs and the continued development of home cleaning solutions for future generations.

From scented boyfriend sweaters to cocktails that cross continents, Murali, Co-founder of Jockamo Barnes, is turning Dubai’s cultural quirks and everyday observations into unexpected creative experiences.

In an industry where every brand wants to be culturally relevant, Murali, Co-founder of innovation studio Jockamo Barnes, is challenging the very idea of what that means. “Culture is one of the most abused words today, especially in marketing and advertising. Every agency claims it. Every brand sees it as a shortcut to relevance. But few truly understand what it means to be a part of it.”

For Murali, the answer lies in creating rather than chasing culture. At Jockamo Barnes, that translates into unconventional objects, brands and experiences rooted in human behaviour, often inspired by the contradictions of life in the UAE. ““Every project starts with a tension: two things that shouldn’t necessarily work together, but somehow do. The UAE produces them faster than anywhere I’ve lived,” he explains.

Take Boomerang, a playful inversion of hospitality inspired by a New Orleans cocktail tradition. Instead of visiting bars to be served, Murali travels with a drink to gift bartenders around the world, creating an unexpected connection between cocktail communities across continents.

Then there’s Pre-Worn Boyfriend Sweater, a tongue-in-cheek take on Dubai’s dating culture, built around the observation that “the best part of situationships are the clothes you steal; the worst part is the man.” Created with fragrance studio Oo La Lab Dubai, the scented sweaters capture three familiar dating archetypes: the Entrepreneur, the Gym Rat and the Desert Philosopher. Beyond the humour, the project explores how scent and touch can evoke memories in ways traditional advertising cannot.

A more poignant expression of this thinking is Bitter Meat, created with Aidan Frederick. Described as a love letter to the UAE’s expat experience, the project challenges the familiar narrative of Dubai as a temporary stopover. Its message, “for those who chose here,” speaks to residents who have made the country home by choice. “Reverence without romanticism. We love this place too much to put it on a postcard,” says Murali.

This creative philosophy also shapes the studio’s collaborations. The Away Kit, developed with Super Cellar for the 2026 World Cup, features more than 17 editorial posters pairing nations with culturally inspired cocktails. The insight is distinctly local: Dubai experiences the tournament as a city of away fans, where people passionately support countries they no longer live in.

For Murali, partnerships like these are about shared authorship rather than conventional sponsorship. “Super Cellar started as a client and became a co-author. That’s the model we want: invite a brand into something already in motion instead of shopping them a finished idea.”

Ultimately, Jockamo Barnes is interested in ideas that live beyond the fleeting attention of a campaign. “Advertising asks for attention. People watch it, skim past it. But it’s ignorable and avoidable. Objects earn a place in someone’s life. We’re more interested in the second.”

And perhaps that’s the studio’s most compelling proposition: culture isn’t something brands need to borrow relevance from. It’s something they can meaningfully contribute to.