Dubai Design District extends support to Lebanon’s design industry

Dubai Design District (d3) is offering co-working spaces to Lebanese startups, entrepreneurs, SMEs and larger companies impacted by the explosion in the port of Beirut in August.

d3 co-working spaces offer SMEs and more established brands a base to operate from as they restart their operations while maintaining a presence in Lebanon.

Those accepted into the three-year programme have the opportunity to network and collaborate with major international companies such as Dior, Burberry, Zaha Hadid Architects and Foster + Partners, as well as leverage d3-hosted events such as Dubai Design Week.

Lebanese startups will also have the option to join in5 Design, a business incubator based at d3. The platform will provide Beirut-based design startups with access to mentorship, networking and investment opportunities.

As well as supporting the Lebanese design industry, d3 has also extended flexible payment terms and simplified procedures to help tenants cope with the after-effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.

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d3 is home to 385 local and international companies, startup incubator in5 Design and the Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation, a university exclusively dedicated to design and innovation.

“We were shocked and saddened by August’s devastating explosion in Beirut and immediately started working with our partners on a programme to support those affected and create hope,” commented Khadija Al Bastaki, executive director of 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,” she added.

On 4 August 2020, a large amount of ammonium nitrate stored at the port in Beirut exploded, devastating large parts of the Lebanese capital and causing at least 204 deaths, 6,500 injuries, and $15bn in property damage. The blast also left some 300,000 people homeless.

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