An Abu Dhabi recording studio is aiming to change the way regional competitors do business.
Located in Khalifa City, The BarCoe Studio has launched an initiative to bring the country’s musical talents to the venue for more than a jam session.
Under the Follow Your Dreams UAE campaign, artists can undergo consultations about their material with the studio’s in-house producers and engineers, take part in songwriting classes and even get a session shot and edited for a potential music video.
According to the studio’s namesake founder Sean Barcoe, such an expansive approach is a far cry from the normal practices of studios in the Arab world.
“From what I have seen and experienced here, it is all very transactional,” he tells The National.
The ultimate goal for me is to open a live music venue here in Abu Dhabi that is purely dedicated to original music. It's through venues like these that a music scene can really evolve in the city
Sean Barcoe,
founder of The BarCoe Studio
“Studios are essentially used as a venue for hire and any person can just pay for whatever hours they want the studio and sound engineer for. There is no real focus on the art that is being created and, I guess, I want to show that there is another way.”
And that’s the Nashville way. In addition to being one of the great US music destinations, the city is renowned as a vibrant hub for songwriters.
Barcoe came to the UAE in 2014 after a 12-year stint in Nashville, where he immersed himself in the city’s rich musical heritage..
“It is all about sitting together and playing each other's songs,” he says. “The music is created organically and with this great vibe, and this is what I want to bring here.”
While Follow Your Dreams UAE may have only launched this month, that collaborative spirit has been coursing throughout The BarCoe Studio since it opened its doors in 2018.
The space aims to calm any artist's creative jitters with its charming, casual villa vibe (including plush couches and a spacious garden) and tight-knit staff, which ranges from four to 16 people, depending on the project.
Some of the acts using the studio include Kuwaiti hip-hop duo Sons of Yusuf, Emirati RnB singer Fafa, Dubai singer-songwriter Ibby VK and The Voice of Ireland season one contestant Gari Deegan.
Collaboration is key
Despite the eclectic names and styles of musicians utilising the space, each artist must chat with Barcoe before stepping into the studio.
"It's a free consultation, but what I am really doing is interviewing the artist to see if we are both a right fit for each other. So I invite them to the studio to check it out because sometimes the vibe and our approach may not be for you," he says.
"We would pick up an instrument and play with them and see where they are with their work. Doing it this way allows us to focus on the talent and weed out the time-wasters. "
It’s an approach Fafa appreciates. She has enlisted the studio’s services over the past two years, with various singles recorded there, including Give Me a Miracle and Runnin' (Can't Stop Me).
“It’s not a place where you just give money and they just do what you want,” she says. “It begins with conversations about what is it we want to do and can we do it?
“And as an artist that is refreshing and important, because I have worked with many producers where we simply didn’t get along. That ultimately gets in the way of producing your best piece of art.”
With advancing technology making it easier for artists to simply record at home, Fafa says the role of a professionally staffed studio is becoming more important.
“There is more to producing than downloading software,” she says.
“It’s about understanding music composition, structure and theory, and why certain sounds go well with this and that. This is what you get in a great studio."
Developing a local music scene
Barcoe says the campaign will be ongoing, with the studio hoping to host public performances by local artists once it’s safe again to do so.
"The ultimate goal for me is to open a live music venue here in Abu Dhabi that is purely dedicated to original music. It's through venues like these that a music scene can really evolve in the city," he says.
"Now I can't do that by myself, but what I can do is not sit back and say 'that would be nice’. I can start doing stuff here in the studio that will take us in that direction.
“It may take years for that to happen, but so what? I want to give something back to the community here and music is my way to do it."
The BarCoe Studio is on Soughan Street, Khalifa City, Abu Dhabi. More information is available at thebarcoe.studio
Generation Start-up: Awok company profile
Started: 2013
Founder: Ulugbek Yuldashev
Sector: e-commerce
Size: 600 plus
Stage: still in talks with VCs
Principal Investors: self-financed by founder
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
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Tips for entertaining with ease
· Set the table the night before. It’s a small job but it will make you feel more organised once done.
· As the host, your mood sets the tone. If people arrive to find you red-faced and harried, they’re not going to relax until you do. Take a deep breath and try to exude calm energy.
· Guests tend to turn up thirsty. Fill a big jug with iced water and lemon or lime slices and encourage people to help themselves.
· Have some background music on to help create a bit of ambience and fill any initial lulls in conversations.
· The meal certainly doesn’t need to be ready the moment your guests step through the door, but if there’s a nibble or two that can be passed around it will ward off hunger pangs and buy you a bit more time in the kitchen.
· You absolutely don’t have to make every element of the brunch from scratch. Take inspiration from our ideas for ready-made extras and by all means pick up a store-bought dessert.
