Khadija Al Bastaki is the senior vice president of Dubai Design District (D3), a global business hub for design, art and creativity, which is part of the Tecom Group in the United Arab Emirates. Al Bastaki has started streamlining some of the fragmented, competing fashion industry events in Dubai. She officially endorsed one long-running B2B event (Arab Fashion Week), sanctioning a rebranding of it to Dubai Fashion Week. By putting the weight of D3 behind it, she maintained the event’s affiliation with the Arab Fashion Council, helping unite the industry around a single showcase while preserving its regional character. This, in turn, has strengthened Dubai's position as the fashion capital of the Middle East and the global gateway to the region while providing greater clarity to designers and other industry stakeholders.
Al Bastaki joined D3’s leadership team in 2019, launching a series of strategic cultural and commercial initiatives to amplify brands and talent that contribute to the local and regional creative economy. Dubai Fashion Week adds to D3’s calendar of events, including Sole DXB, a streetwear trade show and youth culture lifestyle festival, and Dubai Design Week. She is a staunch advocate for grassroots talent, working closely with Tecom Group’s start-up incubator In5 Design and D3’s Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation (DIDI). Al Bastaki brings over 15 years of experience in management positions at Tecom Group, Economic Zones World (EZW), Jebel Ali Free Zone (JAFZA) and DP World.
