Dubai’s thriving design industry is a key asset in the Emirate’s bid to host EXPO 2020. The Dubai Design District aims to provide like-minded individuals with a home and community from which they can collaborate to inspired innovative design within an international creative ambiance.
The UAE is the highest ranking Arab nation in the Global Innovation Index, ranking in the top five countries for innovation linkages and intangible assets in the creative output dimension. Such characteristics align the country directly with the long-term goals of Dubai Design District.
Dubai Expo 2020’s strategic theme is Connecting Minds, Creating the Future, which is closely aligned to that of the recently announced Dubai Design District (d3), a full service community for design industry related organizations, brands, and supporting enterprises.
“Expo 2020 is a significant opportunity for Dubai to share its unique design talent, exchange ideas with sister nations and explore new avenues of collaboration. As the home of the regional and international design community, d3 will provide a centre of gravity for international designers and design enthusiasts leading up to Expo 2020 and a platform of support throughout the event itself. Our key objectives as d3 are to facilitate the on-going growth of the Emirate and to facilitate employment across the value chain,” says Dr. Amina Al-Rustamani,Group CEO of TECOM Investments.
According to Business Monitor International, the UAE’s retail market will be worth AED 151 million by 2015. The remarkable growth seen in the sector over the past twelve months is due partly to the growth of Dubai’s luxury goods market, which grew by 12 percent. d3 aims to capitalize on the luxury market’s potential by becoming the center of gravity for design, fashion and luxury as businesses within these industries flock to the Emirate to showcase their creations to what is becoming one of the most diverse communities of consumers in the world.
Tourists account for 40 percent of global luxury spending. By growing this figure in line with Dubai’s Tourism Vision 2020, the Emirate has the potential to eclipse London as the capital of retail spending.
In addition to helping make Dubai a genuine community for the design and fashion industries that can compete on the global stage, d3 aims to increase the role of contemporary regional fashion and identify the specific needs of the regional and global companies considering Dubai and d3 as a base.
Such extraordinary efforts to set Dubai on the world map for the creative industries of design, fashion and art come at a pivotal time for the UAE as it seeks to develop the region’s creative industries while also expanding its global vision.
For more information visit www.dubaidesigndistrict.com. Tel. +971 4391111.
