Dubai Design District (d3) just hit double digits. Since opening its doors for business in 2015, the district has become a go-to hub for designers, artists, and innovators from the UAE and beyond.To mark its 10-year anniversary, the UAE’s creative capital is reflecting on beyond a decade of design, disruption, and homegrown talent. Leading the celebration is Khadija Al Bastaki, Senior Vice President of d3, who’s sharing 10 key things you should know about the district’s journey so far—from its biggest milestones to what’s coming next.
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1. While d3 is at the forefront of technology and creative innovation it is also a rich community of traditional artisans and crafts people, producing incredible designs, creations and bespoke tailoring right on our doorstep. As you wander the buildings and floors of d3– whether it’s to Michael Cinco’s atelier, Maison Yeya, Zaid Farouki, Amato, Lili Blanc or Faiza Bouguessa, you will find many busy ateliers where sewing machines are on, and gowns and garments are being designed, cut and fitted, handstitched and embroidered. d3 is the home of true craftsmanship.
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2. d3 was launched with a vision to champion and amplify local creative talent. Ten years on, I am incredibly proud of the great number of exciting homegrown brands that have flourished and are now making a name for themselves on the global stage. Nadine Kanso’s Bil Arabi is one such brand. With an extensive following it is without doubt one of the most exciting brands to emerge from our region. The Bil Arabi boutique/workshop/gallery is a very popular location in d3. We are proud that this beautiful and pioneering brand has called d3 home for many years and we look forward to seeing how its global profile grows even more. Other exciting homegrown brands include the always popular Home Bakery (which is busy day and night), the fashion brands Dima Ayad and interiors and architectural studios Desert INK and Eva Interiors. There are so many more too, all putting our creative scene on the global design map!
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3. d3 is not only the address to start-ups and global brands but also students. The designers of the future wander the district given it is home to three creative educational institutes– Dubai Institute Of Design and Innovation (DIDI), which launched the first Bachelor of Design in the region in 2018, FAD Institute of Luxury Fashion & Style and the prestigious L’ECOLE of Jewellery Arts, where students can take courses and workshops to learn all sorts of jewellery craftsmanship. The three d3 campuses bring energy and new ideas that can propel students into creative careers. The outside world has noticed their potential too. In April, Tommy Hilfiger visited FAD Institute to speak with young talents, offering a rare glimpse into his decades-spanning career.
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4. d3 has growing global connections, particularly with Milan’s design scene. Milan has such a renowned legacy in the world of design, and over the past year or so I’ve had the honor of signing strategic partnerships on behalf of d3 with key Milan design players– most recently this was with Fuorisalone.it and Brera Design District, two keystones of Milan Design Week. I also had the privilege of being on the jury for the prestigious Fuorisalone Awards at this year’s Milan Design Week. Milano Durini Design Association and Isola Design Group are other leading Milan names too, and all these collaborations are bringing exciting, world class knowledge sharing, networking, design insight and inspiration for both sides. Watch this space as lots of inspiring things to come!
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5. We have a vibrant and growing F&B scene in the district and one of our brands made it onto the World’s 100 Best Coffee Shops listing this year. One Life Kitchen and Café, which was the first F&B outlet to set up in d3 back in 2016 and is driven by a passion to make exceptional food from natural ingredients, ranked number 23 on this celebrated global top 100 listing– and was the only UAE entry to be featured. The list is determined by a mix of public voting and expert panel and was unveiled at Madrid’s Coffee Fest in February.
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6. Dubai Fashion Week (DFW) has a group of designers that are Dubai Fashion Week Members– these include Dima Ayad, Mrs Keepa, BLSSD, Michael Cinco, Weinsanto, Lama Jouni and most recently Les Benjamins, as a Correspondent Member. The Arab Fashion Council and the team at d3 work closely with these pioneering designers to create the line-up for each edition of Dubai Fashion Week, using their insights to shape the future of DFW and our region’s fashion industry. We are proud to keep adding to this dynamic members group too, bringing new influences and ideas.
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7. d3’s leading platforms Dubai Design Week and Downtown Design have received prestigious international design recognition for local homegrown design- showing just how much our local design scene is evolving and increasingly contributing to the global design narrative. The UAE Designer Exhibition at Downtown Design in November, curated by Emirati designer Omar Al Gurg, was awarded the ‘Best Incubator’ accolade at the 2025 Monocle Design Awards. The exhibition showcased a diverse collection of innovative furniture and products by more than 30 emerging Emirati and UAE-based designers. This accolade marked the second consecutive year that part of Dubai Design Week programme had been recognized by the Monocle Design Awards. In 2023, ‘Of Palm’, a pavilion designed by Emirati architect Abdalla Almulla and commissioned under Dubai Design Week’s Abwab special commissions programme, was celebrated for its sustainable design approach inspired by traditional Emirati materials and techniques.
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8. As part of its decade celebrations d3 is keen to champion local talent even more and has announced that it has launched a new award for design talent from across the MENA region– the d3 Design Award. More to follow on this new initiative soon but the inaugural winner will be announced during this year’s Dubai Design Week in November.
9. d3 is home to some eye-catching public art works. Contemporary US street artist and cultural icon Shepard Fairey created his first Middle East murals at d3. The two artworks– titled Rise Above Peace Fingers and Rise Above Dove– are located between buildings 10 and 11 and pay homage to Dubai’s vision for cross cultural communication and cooperation. Acclaimed Italian artist Gio Bressana also created a special neo-renaissance fresco for the district, between buildings 8 and 9. Personalization is at the core of Bressana’s artistic philosophy. Every work and environment are meticulously created as a non-repeatable masterpiece.
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10. And lastly and perhaps the most important part: d3 is expanding. Given strong demand from existing and new clients we are building six new world class office buildings, alongside new community spaces, sports facilities, F&B and parking. This addition of some 500,000 sq. ft of leasable area will be ready by H1 2028. It will cement d3 and Dubai’s appeal as a destination for creative minds from around the world, bringing even more creative inspiration and talent to our city!
