From a former industrial quarter to the beating heart of the region’s creative economy, Dubai Design District — d3 — has become a magnet for designers, artists and entrepreneurs. We sat down with its director to talk about the decade ahead.
World Arabia: What did you set out to build with d3?
Khadija Al Bastaki: A home. A place where regional talent doesn’t have to leave to be taken seriously. We wanted the infrastructure of a global design capital, but rooted in our own culture and confidence.
The next decade belongs to Gulf design — and the world is finally paying attention.
World Arabia: What makes this moment different?
Khadija Al Bastaki: Scale and self-belief. Ten years ago we were importing every reference. Today our designers set the reference. The conversation has shifted from access to authorship.
On nurturing the next generation
Mentorship, she argues, is the real infrastructure — more than buildings. The district now runs programmes that pair emerging studios with established houses, and the results are already on the runways and in the galleries.