Beirut Digital District

Beirut Digital District (BDD) is a built community dedicated to creating a hub for the digital and creative industries in Lebanon. It was officially launched in September 2012 in the Bachoura district of Beirut as a government facilitated project established between ZRE s.a.l. (a private real-estate company), Berytech (an incubator accelerator for the development of startups in the ICT field), and The Ministry of Telecommunications, who acted as a facilitator and provided broadband internet and telephone infrastructure.
CNN’s Andrew Stevens called BDD the powerhouse for startups in the Middle East.[1][2][3][4]

A view of BDD from above

Location

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Beirut Digital District is located in the Bachoura district, the center of Beirut City, Lebanon. BDD is close to the airport and seaport, about 5 minutes away from downtown, and minutes away from American University of Beirut, Lebanese American University, Saint Joseph University, École Supérieure des Affaires, and Sagesse University.

Facilities

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There are multiple amenities and services provided by Beirut Digital District:

  • Conference and meeting rooms and audio-conference rooms
  • Events and workshop spaces
  • Gym and fitness classes
  • Eatery and coffee shop
  • Fiber optics and Wi-Fi
  • Parking spaces and valet services
  • HR services
  • Business and legal setup services

Phases

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The development of Beirut Digital District has been separated into 4 phases:

Phase A

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The first phase was completed in 2016. In this phase, the total build up area of BDD is 17,500 square meters dedicated to office spaces.[5]

Phase B

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This phase was completed in 2022 where BDD became a 44,500 square meter district dedicated to office spaces, with the introduction of the offices of the future in the latest two buildings.[6]

Phase C

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This phase makes BDD an 84,000 square meter district dedicated to office spaces and residential units and is due completion in 2025.

Phase D

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The last phase, to be completed in 2030, will transform BDD into a 150,000 square meter district with multiple offices and residential units.

References

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  1. ^ Stevens. "Lebanon's Silicon Valley". CNN.
  2. ^ Wade. "Welcome to the World's New Silicon Valley". Archived from the original on 2017-02-03. Retrieved 2017-01-17.
  3. ^ طربيه (2 May 2015). "مبادرة جديدة في بيروت لتطوير الاقتصاد الرقمي في لبنان".
  4. ^ Nabbout. "Berytech, ZRE & the Ministry of Telecom Launch Beirut Digital District". Archived from the original on 2017-01-13. Retrieved 2017-01-17.
  5. ^ Rahal. "How a physical space like BDD is supporting entrepreneurship in Beirut".
  6. ^ Ballout. "Beirut Digital District expanding into work, live, play neighborhood".