Cyril Zammit is a Paris-born, Dubai-based expert in cultural strategy and design. With over three decades of experience, he has played a pivotal role in shaping global arts and design initiatives.

His career began in 1991 at the Institut Français in Prague, followed by a tenure at the French Embassy in London’s Cultural Department. In 1998, he moved to Switzerland to oversee sponsorship for the Montreux Jazz Festival and later spearheaded the launch of the UBS Verbier Festival Youth Orchestra. As part of UBS’s International Sponsorship team, he also managed partnerships with Art Basel and Art Basel Miami Beach.

In 2005, Cyril joined HSBC Private Bank (Suisse) as Senior Marketing & Communications Manager, securing and overseeing sponsorship for Design Miami/ and Design Miami/Basel. His move to Abu Dhabi in 2009 saw him take on a leadership role at the Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC), where he managed sponsorship, the funding for cultural projects and the launch of Abu Dhabi Art.

Recognising the potential for collectible and limited-edition design in the region, Cyril founded, for the Art Dubai Group, Design Days Dubai in 2012 and later played a key role in launching Dubai Design Week in 2015. His expertise led him to Dubai Culture & Arts Authority in 2017, where he advised Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Chairperson and the International Relations Office.

In 2020, Cyril joined the Office of Public and Cultural Diplomacy at the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation, working alongside HE Zaki Nusseibeh and HE Omar Saif Ghobash as an expert in cultural affairs.

Since 2017, Cyril has operated as an independent design advisor and consultant, working with designers, galleries, and institutions across the UAE, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia. In March 2022, he was appointed Strategic Advisor to the Uzbekistan Art & Culture Development Foundation and in May 2023, he joined L’ÉCOLE Middle East, School of Jewellery Arts as a consultant. Since December 2023, he is also Design Consultant for the Royal Commission for AlUla, Saudi Arabia.

A recognised leader in the global creative ecosystem, Cyril continues to shape the dialogue around design, arts and cultural diplomacy.

Social and Personal Engagement

France

• Le French Design 100 Awards - Jury member (2022)

Italy

• EDIT Napoli - Jury member (October 2024)

Qatar

• ‘Crafting Futures - Exploring the Intersection of Craft and Design for Future Creation’ Talk at Doha Design Biennial - Moderator (February 2024)

Saudi Arabia

• Royal Commission for AlUla - Design Consultant (from December 2023)

• National Pavilion of Saudi Arabia, Venice Architecture Biennale 2023 - Assistant Curator (May - November 2023)

• AlUla Design Awards - Jury member (Product Design, 2022 & 2023)

• Saudi Design Festival - Speaker, Moderator and Mentor (2022 & 2023)

• Ithra - Instructor (Series of classes on ‘Event Management’, December 2022 and March, June & December 2023)

Taiwan

• ‘The Taiwanese Craft Equation’ Exhibition and booth by The Natonal Taiwanese Craft Research and Development Institute - International Curator (國際策展人) - Maison&Objet, September 2022.

• ‘Neo-Taiwanese Craftsmanship’ Exhibition by The National Taiwanese Craft Research and Development Institute - International Curator (國際策展人) - March 2022

United Arab Emirates

• Commercial Interior Design Awards - Jury member (June-September 2024)

• Commercial Interior Design Hospitality Awards - Jury member (May-June 2024)

• Dubai Design Week - Urban Commissions - Jury member (2023 & 2024)

• L’ECOLE Middle East, School of Jewelry Arts - Consultant (Since May 2023)

• Dubai Design Week 2022 - Curator ‘UAE Design’ Exhibition & ‘Source, Resource, Outsource’ Talk Series

• Alliance Française, Dubai - Board member (Sept. 2021 - Dec. 2023)

• Esquire Middle East - Resident Design Expert (since 2020)

• Emirati Futurism Award - Jury member (Design, 2021)

• Audi Innovation Award - Jury member (2016, 2018, 2020)

• Van Cleef & Arpels Middle East Emergent Designer Prize - Jury member (2013, 2015, 2021)

Uzbekistan

• ‘Crafting Uzbekistan - Tradition in Threads’ at Design Doha Biennial - Co-curator (February 2024)

• ‘The Uzbek Chapter’ - Homo Faber Guide - Moderator ‘The Power of Craft’ (Bukhara, May 2023)

• ‘Handmade, Heartmade - Nada Debs’ - Moderator (Tashkent, January 2023)

• Uzbekistan Economic Forum - Moderator ‘The Creative Economy as a Cultural Dividend’ (November 2022)

• Art & Culture Development Foundation - Strategic Advisor (March 2021 - onwards)