Dubai’s creative district offers aid to Lebanese design industry

By Rahul Vaimal, Associate Editor
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D3
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Dubai Design District (d3) is offering a working space to Lebanese startups, entrepreneurs, boutique studios and large-scale companies in the design business impacted by the Beirut blast.

The region’s largest design community has offered its support to Lebanese business, which was affected by the Beirut blast, as part of its mission to create meaningful change and strengthen the local design industry and to restart operations.

The three-year program, hosted under d3’s Design for Good initiative aims to boost social change, restore the presence of companies by offering provision to expand their network and collaborate with international brands like Dior, Burberry and Zaha Hadid Architects, as well as to strengthen d3-hosted events like Dubai Design Week.

d3’s co-working spaces will allow SMEs and established brands to have a base to restart their operations and at the same time maintain a presence in Lebanon and broaden their business across the region.

Lebanese startups will also get an opportunity to join the in5 Design, a business incubator at d3. The platform will enable Beirut-based design startups to get access to mentorship, networking and investment opportunities.

Khadija Al Bastaki
Khadija Al Bastaki
Executive Director – d3

“As the region’s largest community of local and international talent, our ecosystem has benefited significantly from the drive, determination and entrepreneurial spirit of regional and international designers including the Lebanese. Our initiative is in line with the vision of our leaders to assist those in need. We hope this program will let Lebanese designers enjoy the benefits of our community, so they can quickly get back on their feet and get moving again.”

Other than supporting the Lebanese design industry, d3 has also put forward various support measures to its existing business partners to minimize uncertainty, ensure continuity and build resilience amid the pandemic crisis.

These include flexible payment terms and simplified procedures to strengthen Dubai’s economy and enhance the emirate’s performance to become a hub of creative talent and businesses.

Dubai Design District (d3)

Dubai Design District (d3) is a master plan dedicated to the design community, a sustainable infrastructure that enables companies to connect in the region’s largest creative ecosystem. The co-working space is home to 385 local and international companies, startup incubator in5 Design and the Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation, the region’s only university exclusively dedicated to designing and innovation.

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