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Dubai aims to double number of “creatives”

April 7, 2021

By Chris Forrester

Dubai, the fast-growing Emirate in the Arabian Gulf, is looking to double the number of media and creative workers over the next five years. The news emerged in the Emirate’s Dubai Creative Economic Strategy document.

According to data from the document, there are already around 70,000 staff working in the Emirate within creative companies. Dubai wants to see the number of creative businesses grow from today’s 8300 to 15,000 over the five-year timeframe and to see the number of people employed in the creative sector grow to 140,000-150,000.

Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, said in a Tweet: “Dubai is the capital of the creative economy in the region and the world […] a new strategic programme that we launched today to double the number of creative companies specialising in content, design and culture from 8,000 to 15,000 within the next five years as well as the number of creative people from 70,000 in Dubai currently to 140,000”.

Sheikh Mohammed continued: “We have creative complexes in design, content, culture, arts, etc. We will launch others. We have set a goal to raise the contribution of this sector within our gross domestic product from 2.6 per cent to 5 per cent. The UAE is a global economic capital and creativity is part of our economy, our quality of life and a major driver for the future of our country.”

The Dubai Creative Economic Strategy document intends expanding the already existing Dubai Media City, Internet City, production City, Studio City and Design District. These usually tap into local tax and trading advantages and were generating 2.6 per cent to Dubai’s GDP at the end of last year. Dubai says a similar batch of flexible packages, incentives and advanced creative incubators will be provided to new businesses.

Dubai says it wants to benefit from the world’s “4th Industrial Revolution” and is describing itself as ‘A Capital for the Creative Economy’.

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