The development of the Dubai Design District (D3) is gathering pace as the emirate works on new projects to further diversify its economy and support its bid to host Expo 2020.

Once complete, D3 will provide studios, galleries and workshops for local and regional designers. Tecom says it will also be home to some of the World’s leading brands and talent, establishing Dubai as a global hub for fashion, and reinforce the emirate’s growing position as a global business and innovation centre.

Tecom Investments says that it aims to complete the first phase of its AED4bn ($1.09bn) Dubai Design District development by January 2015. Construction work is at an advanced stage on 10 of the buildings, which were originally built as part of another development.

A second phase will commence once the first phase is completed. That involves the construction of hotels, a convention centre and residential buildings. Some of these buildings will be developed by third party investors. Others will be built to suit the needs of the end-user by Tecom. The aim is to get the entire development completed in time for Expo 2020. The architect for the project is Australia’s Woods Bagot.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum launched the project that is being built next to Business Bay on 8 June. The development is supported by a decree issued by the Dubai ruler in early August that established the Dubai Design and Fashion Council to provide governmental support to the emirate’s burgeoning fashion sector and development like D3.

The D3 project is one of a raft of new schemes that will drive Dubai’s ongoing economic diversification and support its bid to host Expo 2020. A decision on the host city will be made in November. Dubai is competing against Ekaterinburg in Russia, Sao Paulo in Brazil and Izmir in Turkey for the event.

Other projects that will support Expo 2020 include a variety of theme parks to create new attractions for tourists. In May, local developer Meraas invited contractors to express interest in working on its Jebel Ali Themed Entertainment Development that was launched in 2012 as part of a AED10bn ($2.72bn) plan to develop five separate theme parks in the Jebel Ali area.

In February, Meraas released details of its AED6bn ($1.6bn) Bluewaters island scheme off the coast of the Dubai Marina/Jumeirah Beach Residences area. It will include the AED1bn Dubai Eye, which will be the world’s largest ferris wheel, together with other retail, residential, hospitality and entertainment zones.

Dubai is also planning to build Mohammed bin Rashid City that will also support tourism in Dubai. The masterplan for the project includes a leisure precinct able to accommodate 35 million visitors a year and will contain a Universal Studios theme park together with more than 100 hotels. The city will also contain the Mall of the World, which will be the largest shopping mall in the world and will have a capacity to handle 80 million visitors a year.

Located between Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road (formerly Emirates Road), Al-Khail Road and Sheikh Zayed Road, the scheme will be developed by local Dubai Holding and Emaar Properties.