Dubai Design District or D3 is a mixed-use development by TECOM Group. Launched in 2013, the first phase of the district was completed in 2015 with 11 buildings featuring 1,000 office units and 100 retail units. Phase 2 of the district will consist of showrooms, studios and workshops, while Phase 3 will feature Creekside along with hospitality and leisure facilities such as hotels and restaurants.
The district is made up of popup shops, restaurants, cafes, recreational facilities, nightlife options and the Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation (DID) in addition to the commercial buildings. It is part of the TECOM Freezone Business Park and Dubai Development Authority (DDA).
Dubai Design District serves as a hub for creative thinkers related to art, design and culture. Not only does the area attracts all sorts of international and local talent but it is also a venue for many concerts, exhibitions and outdoor events throughout the year.
The public transport system of Dubai makes it easy to travel via taxis, buses, metro and even trams. Taxis can be booked through the RTA app while those interested can use ride-hailing services such as Uber and Careem too.
The district has one bus stop namely Dubai Design District Bus Stop, which services the routes D03 and D03A. These routes take you to the Dubai Mall as well as the bus stops and metro stations in the surrounding.
For boarding Dubai Metro, you have to drive from 6 to 10 minutes and find some of the metro stations near the Dubai Design District. Financial Centre Metro Station and Emirates Tower Metro Station are reachable via Financial Centre Road (D71), whereas, for reaching Business Bay Metro Station and Burj Khalifa/ Dubai Mall Metro Station, you have to take the Ras Al Khor Road then turn towards Al Meydan Road and land on Sheikh Zayed Road (E11).
You can also reach Creek Metro Station and Al Jadaf Metro Station by boarding through Al Ain – Dubai Road then the Al Khail Road (D63), both of which are also reachable within 11 minutes.
The district is home to the Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation, which offers the Bachelor of Design (BDes) degree. Students get to learn through various workshops and develop their own ‘cross-disciplinary’ study paths by combining two or more disciplines. It is located in Building 4.
The ground floor of Building 2 houses the Blossom Nursery, which serves as a point of convenience for parents who work in the area. Not only do Blossom Nurseries in Dubai have qualified educators, but paediatricians and nurses too for helping children throughout.
Some of the schools near Dubai Design District are some of the best schools in Dubai. These include:
Jagadguru Sri Shivarathreeshwara Private School or JSS Private School is 9 minutes away in Al Wasl. Following the CBSE curriculum, the school is part of the Indian-based charitable trust namely JSSMVP group and offers classes from Kindergarten 1 to Grade 12, making it one of the best schools near Business Bay. It is also one of Dubai’s most premium schools.
Hartland International School lies at a 9-minute drive in Mohammed Bin Rashid (MBR) City. It has been developed by The Sobha Group and offers classes from Foundation Stages to Year 11, following the National Curriculum of the UK. Being one of the IB schools in Dubai, Hartland International School offers IB courses in the higher classes too.
Swiss International Scientific School is 14 minutes away in Al Jaddaf. Offering a bi-lingual syllabus with a combination of English / French and English / German, the school follows the IB curriculum and has classes from Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 12.
While the glitzy neighbourhood in Dubai itself houses plenty of retail outlets, it also lies in proximity to some of the best malls in Dubai. Some of the malls near Dubai Design District are:
Dubai Mall is only 7 minutes away from the area. Spanning 12 million sq. ft., the colossal shopping centre is amongst the largest malls in the world. You can visit it for retail therapy or for its unique entertainment and dining options, such as Ice Rink Dubai, the VR Park or its Aquarium and Underwater Zoo.
WAFI Mall is located at an 11-minute drive. Located in Dubai Healthcare City, Umm Hurair 2, the mall boasts of Egyptian architecture with various sphinxes, statues of pharaohs and hieroglyphic columns too.
You can reach the Dubai Festival City Mall in 13 minutes. As the name suggests, the mall enjoys a prime location in Dubai Festival City and houses more than 400 local and international luxury brands.
Within a drive of 15 minutes towards the western end, individuals can reach the coastal side of Dubai and access beaches such as Jumeirah Public Beach and Kite Beach, both of which are amongst Dubai’s best beaches. Featuring a 1.8-kilometre running track and a lively atmosphere, Jumeirah Public Beach is perfect for water sports and a day under the sun.
Kite Beach comes with an array of facilities that are not limited to water activities only, but also includes a skate park, a gym, areas for outdoor sports, a few retail outlets, food trucks and of course, kite surfing.
