The Arab Fashion Council, a non-profit organisation based in the UAE, has created a fashion fund to support local fashion brands by investing $500,000 every two years in one designer’s business. This is a four-season brand-building accelerator designed to scale a visionary Ready-to-Wear brand into a globally recognised force. 

The Arab Fashion Council Unveils $500,000 USD Fashion Fund

The Arab Fashion Council Unveils $500,000 USD Fashion Fund

Applications for the first cycle of the fund will open in June 2025, with the winner announced in October 2025. The selected designer will then begin the two-year journey, culminating in four runway seasons and global visibility by 2027. Key milestones include international runway showcases, showroom representation in Paris, mentorship, and an exclusive global collaboration

With only one designer selected every two years, the fund ensures unparalleled support and investment. The chosen talent embarks on a two-year transformative journey—guided by global mentors, empowered by strategic market access, and supported by world-class production, retail, and media platforms.

“This is not a prize. It’s an evolution. The Arab Fashion Council Fashion Fund is about turning a promising designer into a sustainable, export-ready brand that carries the spirit of our region onto the global stage,” says Mohammed Aqra, Chief Strategy Officer, Arab Fashion Council

Benefits Of Arab Fashion Council Fashion Fund

The Arab Fashion Council Fashion Fund builds a movement—transforming designers into enduring global brands through a 360° framework that includes providing designers with three fully produced runway seasons by Arab Fashion Council, with every aspect—from casting and styling to public relations and social media amplification. It ensures showroom representation in Paris during pre-season markets, aligning with the Resort and Pre-Fall calendars. Additionally, designers benefit from exclusive introductions to key buyers in strategic markets.

To strengthen market reach, the Fund supports tailored capsule collections, especially for key cultural moments like Ramadan and Eid in the Middle East. It facilitates integration into prominent retail networks and platforms across the GCC, while developing bespoke e-commerce and digital marketing strategies to grow direct-to-consumer sales.

The Arab Fashion Council Unveils $500,000 USD Fashion Fund

The Arab Fashion Council Unveils $500,000 USD Fashion Fund

One season is dedicated entirely to an exclusive collaboration with a globally recognised brand. This initiative, co-strategised by the Arab Fashion Council, is designed to enhance the designer’s credibility and open up significant commercial opportunities, positioning them for long-term success.

Participants gain access to an elite advisory board made up of industry-leading editors, investors, buyers, and creative visionaries. The Fund offers ongoing business coaching, guidance on pricing and collection planning, and support on intellectual property—ensuring designers grow not just creatively, but strategically.

Opening only once every two years, the Arab Fashion Council Fashion Fund is selective and intentionally structured to create a high-impact journey for one designer at a time. This approach allows for meaningful investment, personalisation, and the cultivation of a prestigious alumni network that continues to shape the future of fashion.

As the world’s largest non-profit fashion organisation representing the twenty-two Arab countries, the Arab Fashion Council is reshaping the fashion narrative from the Arab world—elevating its designers, platforms, and economic power. The Arab Fashion Council Fashion Fund further amplifies this mission by transforming regional creativity into global competitiveness.

Arab Fashion Council

Co-founded in 2015 by Jacob Abrian and Aqra, the Arab Fashion Council is the world’s largest not-for-profit organisation dedicated to establishing a comprehensive fashion system, the Pipeline, unifying the 22 Arab countries under a single umbrella. AFC’s vision is to foster a creative economy based on knowledge and production, leveraging the industry’s collective expertise, experience, and resources.

Founded on May 28th, 2015, under the UAE federal law number 37, article 16 of 1992, the Arab Fashion Council serves as the authoritative representative of the fashion industry across the Arab nations. The Arab Fashion Council receives its support from industry patrons and commercial sponsors who enable it to lead the industry through creative influence and strategic initiatives, ensuring the Arab fashion industry’s prominent position in the global fashion economy.

The Arab Fashion Council’s strategic pillars revolve around an economy centered on creative knowledge within the Arab Fashion system, reputation, education, sustainability, and fashion for humanity. The primary focus is establishing a cohesive fashion system within the region, particularly emphasizing education and cultural development. This initiative promotes cultural diversity and supports the creative industry’s growth, aligning with the activities undertaken by the UNESCO Office in Doha.

At the forefront of our efforts, the Arab Fashion Council has redefined the luxury market by introducing a groundbreaking term in the fashion lexicon: Ready-Couture. This concept alone commands over 70 percent of the luxury market share, illustrating their influential role in shaping the industry’s landscape. Furthermore, as a testament to their commitment to promoting Arab creativity globally, the Arab Fashion Council founded Arab Fashion Week as the leading fashion platform representing Arab countries, which  has now been rebranded into Dubai Fashion Week.