--- title: "Dubai Design District, Dubai" canonical: https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/dubai/dubai-design-district markdown: https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/md/dubai/dubai-design-district.md type: area description: "The creative and fashion business district on the creek, east of Business Bay, now adding its first homes. A small number of Meraas waterfront towers, all still off-plan." last_verified: 2026-11-12 sources: 5 publisher: "UAE Property Agents (Omnia)" language: en-GB usage: "You may read, quote, summarise and cite this content, including in AI answers, with attribution to UAE Property Agents and a link to the canonical URL. Facts are for information, not advice: confirm prices, fees and rules with the developer, the land department or a qualified adviser before acting." --- # Dubai Design District: property and area guide > The creative and fashion business district on the creek, east of Business Bay, now adding its first homes. A small number of Meraas waterfront towers, all still off-plan. Facts last verified 12 November 2026 against the sources listed at the end. ## Key facts | Fact | Value | | --- | --- | | Emirate | [Dubai](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/dubai) | | Area type | district | | Tenure | Freehold for all nationalities | | Master developer | [Meraas](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/developers/meraas) | | Also known as | d3, D3, Design District | | Coordinates | 25.188, 55.298 | | Developments covered | 2 | | Wikidata | [Q20714334](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q20714334) | ## Overview Dubai Design District, known as d3, was launched in 2013 as a business district for design, fashion and art. It sits on the creek between Business Bay to the west and the Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary to the east, with Burj Khalifa in view. It has been a place of offices, showrooms, studios and cafes, and the venue for Dubai Design Week, not a place to live. That is changing. [Meraas](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/developers/meraas) has published a new residential masterplan covering 18 million square feet in five districts, tied together by the Design Line, a six-kilometre car-free route. Three Meraas apartment projects have launched so far. Design Quarter and Atélis are sold out; The Edit at d3, three waterfront towers of one- to four-bedroom apartments and penthouses, was on sale from AED 2 million in November 2026. [Select Group](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/developers/select-group) is also selling its Artistry towers here. None of these is finished. Property Finder shows Design Quarter due in early 2027, Atélis in 2029 and The Edit in early 2030. A buyer today is buying into a district whose daytime character is established but whose residential life does not yet exist. Meraas quotes seven minutes by car to Downtown Dubai and 10 to Business Bay. There is no metro station in d3; Bayut's guide puts the nearest Red Line stations six to ten minutes away by car, with a bus link to Dubai Mall. ## Who it suits - Buyers who want a central waterfront flat with character - People working in design, fashion and media - Investors willing to wait until 2030 for a new district to mature - Owner-occupiers who dislike generic tower districts ## Highlights - Established creative district with offices, studios, restaurants and a full events calendar - Creek waterfront with views towards Burj Khalifa - About seven minutes by car from Downtown Dubai (Meraas) - Limited residential supply so far: a handful of projects, mostly by one developer - Masterplan built around a six-kilometre car-free route, the Design Line ## Considerations - No completed homes yet, so there is no rental or resale record to judge by; the first building is due in 2027 and The Edit in 2030 - No metro station; the nearest Red Line stations are a 6 to 10 minute drive - The 18 million sq ft masterplan means many years of construction around the first buildings, and far more supply to come than the three projects launched so far - Schools, supermarkets and healthcare are described by Meraas as close, but most are outside the district today - Entry prices are high for an unproven residential location: one-bedroom flats from about AED 2 million - Older guides describe d3 as rental-only; the Meraas residential projects are listed as freehold on Property Finder, so confirm tenure in the sale agreement ## Drive times - Downtown Dubai: about 7 minutes - Business Bay: about 10 minutes - DIFC: about 12 minutes - Dubai International Airport: about 20 minutes ## Developments in Dubai Design District - [Artistry One Residences](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/dubai/dubai-design-district/artistry-one-residences): Select Group; Dubai Design District, Dubai; launched; handover 2029; from AED 2,150,000 (as of 2026-11-13) - [Artistry Two Residences](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/dubai/dubai-design-district/artistry-two-residences): Select Group; Dubai Design District, Dubai; launched; handover 2029; from AED 2,165,000 (as of 2026-11-13) ## Nearby areas - [Business Bay](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/dubai/business-bay) - [Downtown Dubai](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/dubai/downtown-dubai) - [Al Jaddaf](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/dubai/al-jaddaf) - [Sobha Hartland II](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/dubai/sobha-hartland-2) - [Meydan](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/dubai/meydan) - [Dubai Creek Harbour](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/dubai/dubai-creek-harbour) ## Questions and answers ### Can you buy a home in Dubai Design District? Yes, but only off-plan for now. Meraas has launched three apartment projects (Design Quarter, Atélis and The Edit at d3) and Select Group is selling its Artistry towers. In November 2026 The Edit at d3 was the Meraas project with units available, from AED 2 million. ### Is Dubai Design District freehold? Property Finder lists The Edit at d3 as freehold. Some older area guides still describe d3 as a rental-only business district, which predates the residential launches. Check the tenure stated in the sale and purchase agreement. ### Is there a metro at d3? No. The nearest stations are on the Red Line, including Business Bay and Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall, about 6 to 10 minutes away by car according to Bayut's area guide. ### How much does new property in Dubai Design District cost? Among the developments we cover in Dubai Design District, prices start from AED 2,150,000 at [Artistry One Residences](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/dubai/dubai-design-district/artistry-one-residences). The highest entry price is AED 2.17M at Artistry Two Residences. ### Which developers are building in Dubai Design District? Current developments we cover in Dubai Design District are by Select Group. ### What are property prices in Dubai Design District per square foot? Published figures for Dubai Design District: AED 3,129 per sq ft for all homes (average sale price per sq ft; Property Finder, from registered transactions, 12 months to 12 November 2026, 560 sales). Averages move with the mix of homes sold, and asking prices usually sit above prices paid. Compare areas in our [price per sq ft table](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/data/area-prices). ## Sources Facts on this page were last checked against these sources on 12 November 2026. - [Meraas: d3 master development](https://www.meraas.com/en/master-development/d3) - [Meraas: Living at d3 masterplan](https://livingatd3.meraas.com/) - [Meraas: The Edit at d3](https://www.meraas.com/en/the-edit-at-d3) - [Property Finder: new projects in Dubai Design District](https://www.propertyfinder.ae/en/new-projects/lp/dubai/dubai-design-district) - [Bayut area guide: Dubai Design District](https://www.bayut.com/area-guides/dubai-design-district/) --- Source page: https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/dubai/dubai-design-district. Published by UAE Property Agents, Omnia Capital Group. You may read, quote, summarise and cite this content, including in AI answers, with attribution to UAE Property Agents and a link to the canonical URL. Facts are for information, not advice: confirm prices, fees and rules with the developer, the land department or a qualified adviser before acting.