Yas Creative Hub is 95% complete

Properties will be handed over to tenants by end of the year

The construction at Abu Dhabi’s newest hub for the creative industry is 95 per cent complete and the first units are set to be handed over to tenants by the end of this year. Courtesy twofour54 Abu DhShow more

The construction of Yas Creative Hub, Abu Dhabi’s newest hub for the media, gaming and entertainment industry, is 95 per cent complete.

The first units are set to be handed over to tenants by the end of the year, as the emirate continues to focus on developing the creative sector.

Covering more than 270,000 square metres, the sprawling media hub will be home to more than 600 companies including the emirate's state broadcaster and CNN and Ericsson, the Abu Dhabi Government Media Office said in a statement on Thursday.

"With the number of jobs in Abu Dhabi’s creative industry expected to triple to 16,000 by 2031, Yas Creative Hub has been purpose-built to meet the future needs of this flourishing sector and is one of the assets being developed under Abu Dhabi’s Dh30 billion ($8.16bn) investment strategy for the Culture and Creative Industries," the media office said.

Other organisations that have confirmed their move to Yas Creative Hub include mobile gaming developer Boss Bunny, music publishing company PopArabia and dmg events.

“Media, entertainment and gaming are growing at an exponential rate globally and in Abu Dhabi, and Yas Creative Hub has been designed with the future of these sectors foremost in mind,” said Michael Garin, chief executive of twofour54 Abu Dhabi.

“It offers industry-leading production facilities, next-generation connectivity, digital technologies and flexible workspaces for firms of all sizes, from start-ups to international powerhouses.”

Yas Creative Hub, which is being built by Aldar Properties, is part of Miral Asset Management’s $1.1bn Yas Bay master development.

The Abu Dhabi government has pledged Dh8.5bn in the past five years to the cultural and creative sector. It has earmarked an additional Dh22bn to develop new museums as well as invest in the performing arts, music, media and gaming sectors in the next five years, the emirate’s Department of Culture and Tourism said earlier this year.

Twofour54 also launched an initiative this year to develop the gaming and e-sports industry in the UAE capital.

Called Abu Dhabi Gaming, it will support game developers, players, consumers and businesses, and will be backed by companies such as Unity Technologies, Flash Entertainment, UAE Pro League, Emirates Esports Association and the Media Zone Authority.