Dr Amina Al Rustamani was the force behind Dubai's early efforts to become an innovative global fashion, design and business centre. Al Rustamani was the chief executive of Tecom Investments, a business park operator owned by Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and was responsible for developing the Dubai Design District (D3), 2 million square metres of purpose-built epicentre for the region's design industry.
Al Rustamani also founded and chaired the now-dissolved Dubai Design and Fashion Council, a state-funded body that aimed to provide a unified platform for fashion in Dubai by organising events and offering industry insight. Her launch of Dubai Wholesale City and supporting role in the UAE government's Dubai Industrial Strategy 2030 further sought to nurture the city's future innovators and industry leaders.