‘Erth Dubai Through Your Eyes’: New design contest opens calls for artists with Dh100,000 prize pool
Winning entries to be revealed at Sikka Art & Design Festival 2026
DUBAI – Salik Company PJSC, Dubai’s exclusive toll gate operator, has joined forces with Dubai Culture and Arts Authority to launch a new design competition that places everyday mobility at the centre of artistic expression.
Titled Erth Dubai Through Your Eyes, the initiative invites members of the creative community to reimagine the familiar Salik tag as a reflection of Dubai’s identity, heritage and creative energy. With a total prize pool of Dh100,000 ($27,000), the competition is positioned as both a cultural platform and a practical opportunity for emerging and established talent.
The open call targets artists, designers and young creatives who are keen to translate their personal view of the city into a compact yet widely visible design format. Selected works will contribute to a new generation of Salik tags, expanding the operator’s design library while reinforcing public engagement with the brand through contemporary visual language. Submissions are now being accepted, with a closing date set for 19 January 2026.
How to enter the contest
Participants are required to submit original design proposals for customised Salik tags that interpret Dubai through their own creative lens. The competition is open to artists, designers, calligraphers and graffiti artists, with an emphasis on multidisciplinary approaches that reflect the emirate’s cultural diversity and dynamic arts scene. Designs must be contemporary, previously unproduced and not displayed elsewhere, while remaining aligned with the values, traditions and social fabric of the local community.
حوّل رؤيتك الفنية لدبي إلى تصميم ملهم للجميع!
— Salik (@Salik_ae) December 18, 2025
شارك في مسابقة ''إرث دبي برؤيتك'' لتصميم بطاقة سالك، بالتعاون مع دبي للثقافة.
قدّم تصميمك عبر الموقع الإلكتروني، وكن على موعد الفوز في مهرجان سكة للفنون والتصميم 2026، مع جوائز قيمة:
المركز الأول: 15,000$
المركز الثاني:… pic.twitter.com/Gr1oi9DELJ
Entries will be reviewed by a judging committee comprising representatives from the Roads and Transport Authority, Dubai Culture and Salik. The panel will assess submissions based on creativity, originality and relevance to the competition theme, with selected works moving forward for final consideration. The initiative aims to encourage experimentation and innovation, while offering a tangible route for creatives to see their work integrated into a citywide system used daily by motorists.
How winners are chosen
The judging process is designed to spotlight emerging voices alongside established practitioners, reinforcing Dubai’s broader strategy to nurture talent and support the creative economy. Winners will be officially announced during the 14th edition of the Sikka Art & Design Festival, which will take place from 23 January to 1 February 2026 in the Al Shindagha Historic Neighbourhood.
The first-place winner will receive $15,000, followed by $7,000 for second place and $5,000 for third. In addition to the monetary awards, winning designers gain high-profile exposure through association with Salik and Dubai Culture, as well as the opportunity to contribute to a project that intersects art, design and smart mobility.
Salik chief executive Ibrahim Al Haddad said the collaboration reflects the company’s commitment to empowering talent and supporting youth creativity. He noted that the competition responds to the initiative of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and builds on the legacy of Erth Dubai by providing an innovative platform that enhances digital solutions while contributing to a smart and sustainable mobility ecosystem. He added that the project allows the next generation to shape designs that accompany customers on their daily journeys across the city.
How designs are used
Beyond the awards, the competition plays a broader role in strengthening Dubai’s cultural and creative industries. Dubai Culture’s chief executive for the Arts, Design and Literature Sector, Shaima Rashed Al Suwaidi, highlighted the importance of art in showcasing the emirate’s identity and making creative expression accessible to all. She said the partnership with Salik offers a valuable opportunity to generate fresh ideas and encourage artists to draw on Dubai’s cultural and heritage resources in their work.
The selected designs will contribute to Salik’s evolving visual identity, demonstrating how functional urban elements can also serve as platforms for storytelling and artistic expression.
Salik and Dubai Culture have confirmed that the competition is intended to engage schools, universities and the wider creative community, broadening participation and encouraging dialogue between artists and the public. With submissions open until January 2026, the call provides a clear window for creatives to develop concepts that capture their vision of Dubai and translate it into a design seen across the city’s roads.