A decade after it first opened Dubai Design District (d3) has become the beating heart of Dubai’s creative industries.

Home to thousands of creative professionals, and countless brands, startups and established companies, it has successfully become a hub of activity, creativity, education and business, incorporating some of the country’s most talented individuals and most exciting companies. Guiding d3 towards its vision is Khadija Al Bastaki, Senior Vice President of Dubai Design District (d3), part of TECOM Group. Since joining d3, Al Bastaki has become the figurehead of the destination and has helped to earn its space as a global platform in the creative industries. With year-round events such as Dubai Design Week and now Dubai Fashion Week, attracting international attention, all eyes are on d3 to become the world’s next creative industry hub. As the latest season of Dubai Fashion Week is about to kick off, we find out more about the work behind the scenes at d3, to help solidify its place as a successful platform, as well as how it is supporting aspiring creatives to achieve their dreams.
It’s been a busy year for Dubai Design District – what have been some of the highlights?
It has been an outstanding 12 months for Dubai Design District (d3). We celebrated a decade of Dubai Design Week, which we have been strategic partners of since its inception. As part of that, we launched the Design Next exhibition with Isola Design Group – a noteworthy addition to our community in 2024 – to promote circular design principles. Roberto Cavalli closed another spectacular edition of Dubai Fashion Week (DFW), which is evidence of how Dubai’s fashion landscape is influencing the global scene. We also launched a whitepaper with our partner Dubai Media City detailing opportunities in the emerging Digital Creative Economy, and perhaps most important of all we confirmed plans to significantly expand d3 to accommodate increasing demand in the creative industry. With Dubai Fashion Week’s Autumn/Winter edition kicking off from February 1-6, alongside the Middle East’s first-ever Fashion Futures in partnership with Vogue Business, 2025 is already shaping up to be even more exhilarating.
We are coming up to the latest edition of Dubai Fashion Week – what can we expect?
The upcoming edition of Dubai Fashion Week will reinforce the visibility, credibility, and opportunities that will reaffirm the event as the region’s leading fashion showcase and Dubai as a global fashion capital. This year, we have a more diverse roster of designers and buyers participating, including the debut of DFW’s first Australian brand. India’s brilliant Manish Malhotra will close the show with what I am confident will be a breathtakingly glamorous display, and many of our DFW Members, including BLSSD, Dima Ayad, Lama Jouni, Mrs Keepa, Michael Cinco and Weinsanto, are returning with new collections. It will be an inspiring and action-packed week setting the tone for the global fashion calendar. We also have our first-ever Correspondent Member – Istanbul-based luxury streetwear brand Les Benjamins.
How do you feel this event has been received by the regional and international communities so far?
Dubai Fashion Week’s reputation and reach have evolved since we co-founded it with the Arab Fashion Council. Our mission to raise the benchmark of creative excellence and innovation for each edition means we continually invest in growing our platform, infrastructure, and networks to deliver more value to our stakeholders. Scheduling DFW to kick off the global fashion week calendar was a strategic decision to attract more buyers earlier in the fiscal season and enrich the opportunities available to designers – and we are certainly seeing success with that. Our new international buyer’s programme will welcome distinguished retailers from the USA, Italy, the United Kingdom and Germany, underscoring DFW as an emerging fashion powerhouse.
How do you think Dubai Fashion Week is helping to put Dubai on the global fashion map?
Dubai Fashion Week has gradually established itself as a force to be reckoned with in the global fashion landscape. Brands worldwide recognise how strategically vital our region – and Dubai, in particular – is for business growth and resilience. The emirate’s thriving retail, tourism and logistics ecosystem provides businesses with swift access to emerging, tech-savvy and discerning audiences from across the region and beyond. DFW is a gateway to this competitive landscape, as well as regional creative talent that is of interest to global retailers. Brands like Carolina Herrera, Roberto Cavalli and now Manish Malhotra presenting at our fashion week reflect this, as do the flourishing opportunities our designers can access through the platform.
Dubai is a proud multicultural city with such diverse demographics and socio-economic segments. DFW mirrors this exciting mix of audiences, trends and tastes, and provides a valuable way to engage diverse consumer profiles in the long run.
What do you believe is the future of the event?
Dubai Fashion Week continues to grow. We’re encouraged by the progress we’ve made and optimistic about our prospects ahead, which are supported by our commitment to expanding the platform’s business impact, reach, and diversity with every edition. DFW is becoming increasingly known for its cultural diversity – vital to consumers today – and innovation. Considering the trajectory we are on, paired with Dubai’s growing influence and contribution as a fashion hub, DFW is well on its way to cementing itself among the world’s leading fashion weeks.
With global cities like New York, Milan, and Paris – what are the challenges Dubai faces when hoping to grow its positioning in this market?
Milan, New York, Paris, and London fashion weeks have such incredible legacies that date back decades. They have been pivotal in shaping the global fashion trajectory and boosting the careers of iconic fashion houses. It’s a source of inspiration for us. DFW is still a young fashion week in that regard, but with that comes the privilege of being nimble and responsive to the needs of our stakeholders and innovative with the initiatives and platforms we introduce to engage key audiences. No place in the world has the ambition and resources that Dubai must deliver what we aspire to do. Our differentiator and opportunity lie in leveraging Dubai’s multicultural fabric. DFW is nurturing a profile that reflects the local landscape, where regional Arab traditions blend with global, novel influences.
What else is coming up for d3 this year?
We’re looking at another exciting and action-packed year at d3. Next month, we are hosting the region’s first Fashion Futures event in partnership with Vogue Business on 6 February. This event will convene luxury leaders, innovators, and policymakers from across the region to shape the future of the industry and tackle essential conversations, such as sustainability and entrepreneurship.
Of course, annual events such as Dubai Design Week, Downtown Dubai and Sole DXB will return in the second half of the year and the Spring/Summer edition of Dubai Fashion Week in autumn. There’s a lot in the pipeline, so keep up with d3!
How do you feel it has evolved as a location but also as a platform that brings creatives together?
d3 has evolved exponentially since it was launched a decade ago. We have been instrumental in shaping Dubai’s creative economy, providing more than 1,000 creative businesses, including multinationals, regional SMEs and start-ups alike, a common ground to interact, collaborate and shape the future of the regional and global creative and design sector. Today, we are home to more than 19,000 professionals and the hub for landmark creative events, such as DFW and Dubai Design Week, that attract the global and regional creative community to Dubai. Our community and diversity are truly unmatched, and we continue to build upon this through strategic partnerships, events and platforms that expand our reach and influence.
What is your current vision for Dubai Design District?
Dubai Design District aims to further cement its status as a global creative hub where the future of the creative and design industries is written. We benchmark ourselves against global peers and creative capitals and remain firmly committed to an innovation-driven mindset to deliver impactful experiences, platforms, and growth avenues that will advance Dubai and the region’s creative economy for generations.
What’s the biggest challenge you face in your position?
The creative industries are constantly evolving, particularly as regional governments elevate their strategic importance as catalysts for sustained economic growth. The challenges and prospects that face our stakeholders are rarely the same, but I see that as an exciting opportunity to remain engaged, educated, and innovative. Every business requires unique solutions and support, which requires d3 to be creative and flexible in how we engage our different stakeholders. This approach keeps each day exciting and challenging, which I deeply enjoy.
Tell us about Khadija as a person.
I consider myself to be creative and curious. I love travelling as it offers the ideal opportunity to learn about different cultures, traditions, and crafts. I bring my encounters back with me, incorporating them into d3 in diverse ways. I love networking and engaging people within the creative industries. It’s vital not only to grow our ecosystem with strategic partnerships and events but also because creative individuals have such a unique perspective that always nourishes my views and allows me to keep up with a fast-changing industry.
What advice would you give to aspiring creatives and entrepreneurs?
Connect, network, collaborate and show your passion for what you do. The relationships you build within your industry are the lifeblood of your businesses. While the quality and creativity of your craft or product are crucial, people will open doors to new opportunities and partnerships. Attend networking and knowledge-sharing events at dedicated spaces such as d3, build social and mentorship circles that resonate with your vision and stay true to yourself. Remember, you are in the best city in the world for creative opportunities – keep pushing forward!
How do you and d3 as a platform aim to support upcoming talents in the UAE?
We are always looking to elevate and nurture new, promising talent. Whether presenting fashion school students on the DFW runways or providing exhibition space to emerging artists at Dubai Design Week, we are dedicated to empowering young and aspiring creatives with visibility and contributing to the Design Sector Strategy 2033. d3 also offers in5 Design, a creative start-up incubator by TECOM Group PJSC, where entrepreneurs and freelancers can seek tailored guidance, mentorship, and networks to get their businesses off the ground. Furthermore, d3 offers a dynamic education component that provides the next generation of brilliant creative talent a space to learn from renowned professors and industry experts, growing the talent pool and innovation potential of tomorrow’s creative economy.
What is the potential and the future for d3?
The horizon before d3 is vast and limitless. Macroeconomic trends in the global creative landscape are in our favour, and businesses increasingly recognise Dubai as a strategically vital creative capital. From fashion to design, architecture to interiors, we’re seeing significant opportunities for business growth. There’s strong demand incoming from customers within the creative industry, which is driving the strategic expansion of d3. We are developing six Grade-A office buildings across an expected total gross leasable area (GLA) of more than 500,000 square feet. It will expand our capacity for new and expanding customers and further reinforce Dubai’s position as a global destination for creativity and design.