IKEA UAE Launches 'Globally Local': Swedish Design Reinterpreted Through Emirati Art

A collaboration with artist Muhra Al Muhairi brings cultural storytelling into the heart of IKEA's design, showcasing additional efforts towards more locally connected creativity

Published: Thu 11 Dec 2025, 3:40 PM

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IKEA's Globally Local campaign celebrates the moment where global design meets the soul of local culture. It is a meeting of clean Scandinavian lines and the timeless artistry, heritage, and stories of the Emirates, brought to life through collaboration, creativity, and cultural pride.

At its heart is a creative collaboration with Emirati artist Muhra Al Muhairi, who has thoughtfully reinterpreted five classic IKEA products through a uniquely Emirati perspective. The result is a collection that blends IKEA's global design language with cultural motifs and craftsmanship from the UAE, offering pieces that feel both universally relevant and deeply connected to the place they belong.

IKEA's Scandinavian design approach is known for its democratic design principles and functionality. With Globally Local, the brand embarks on cultural storytelling, allowing Emirati heritage and identity shape and guide the narrative.

“Globally Local celebrates the point where universal design principles meet local identity,” says Carla Klumpenaar, GM of Marketing, Communications and Interior Design for IKEA UAE, Qatar, Egypt and Oman.“It shows how Scandinavian design can carry the symbols and storytelling that define Emirati heritage.”

Culture as everyday design

For Muhra, the project was a chance to bring familiar Emirati symbols into everyday spaces in a way that feels authentic and intrinsically part of the design.

“Being part of IKEA's Globally Local campaign means a lot to me,” she says.“As an Emirati artist, it feels like a true bridge between our culture and a brand recognised around the world. It's an honour to share pieces inspired by our heritage in such a meaningful way.”

She approached the work by keeping IKEA's democratic design philosophy in mind, blending functional, well-crafted lines with elements that hold memories, evoke a sense of place and express identity.

“I wanted each piece to feel like IKEA while being unmistakably Emirati,” she explains.“Strong symbols, soft lines, and colours from our natural surroundings helped me find the balance.”

The collaboration features five iconic IKEA pieces - the STILREN vase, LACK side table, GRÖNSTA chair, TOLKNING room divider, and LAUTERS floor lamp - each reimagined through Muhra's distinctive artistic style and cultural references.

“Each redesigned piece tells a story,” Klumpenaar notes.“You see symbols and methods that reflect the UAE's heritage, translated into modern, functional design that still holds the soul of local craft.”

The UAE's cultural landscape is rich in heritage, contemporary in outlook, and deeply connected to its roots. For global brands, embracing and reflecting this depth in a genuine way is becoming increasingly important.

“The Middle East has such a layered cultural fabric,” Klumpenaar says.“Our customers don't just want products, they want designs that connect with their lifestyles, values, and identities.”

Muhra adds that collaborations like this help preserve and elevate local stories in contemporary environments.

“When brands highlight local voices, it strengthens pride and encourages young creatives to see their culture as worthy of global recognition,” she says.

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