Dubai CommerCity and Dubai Culture to support new creative economy

The move is part of efforts to boost sector’s contribution to Dubai’s GDP

Dubai CommerCity and Dubai Culture will work together to stimulate the growth of Dubai’s creative sector. Victor Besa / The National

E-commerce free zone Dubai CommerCity and Dubai Culture will work together to stimulate the growth of Dubai’s creative sector and bolster the emirate’s attractiveness as a global hub for the creative economy.

The two entities will offer services to establish new businesses in select creative economy sectors and support their long-term growth in Dubai CommerCity, according to a statement on Sunday.

These services include applying for a long-term cultural visa, a 10-year residency offered to creative talents.

The selected cultural and creative sectors covered in the agreement to operate in Dubai CommerCity include music, fine arts, photography, film and video production, video game development, fashion design, graphic design, product design, interior and landscape design, architectural services, advertising services, IT and software services.

“We recognise the positive impact of co-operation between public and private entities,” said Hala Badri, director general of Dubai Culture. "Through such collaborations, we seek to enhance the cultural sector in Dubai and actively empower its creative economy."

“Through our co-operation with Dubai CommerCity, we aim to consolidate our efforts to support cultural and creative businesses and talents in Dubai.”

Last year, Dubai revealed its Creative Economy Strategy that aims to double the creative industries’ contribution to the emirate’s gross domestic product to 5 per cent, increase the number of Dubai-based creative enterprises to 15,000, and provide 140,000 jobs in various creative economy sectors by 2026.

Dubai's creative economy ranked first regionally and second globally in attracting foreign direct investment projects in 2021, according to a government report.

The emirate attracted 233 creative economy projects last year, surpassing New York, Singapore and Berlin, showed the Dubai FDI Monitor report, published by the Dubai Investment Development Agency, an agency of the Department of Economy and Tourism.

The emirate improved its global ranking from fifth place in 2020.

The sector’s estimated value of FDI capital flows exceeded Dh4.9 billion ($1.33bn) in 2021.

The UAE emerged from the coronavirus pandemic with a sharper focus on hastening its push into high value-added sectors as it presses forward with diversifying its economy and reducing its reliance on oil.

In June last year, Abu Dhabi announced plans to invest Dh22bn over the next five years in its cultural and creative industries as part of its diversification push to spur new jobs and attract talent.

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The partnership between Dubai CommerCity and Dubai Culture aims to attract highly creative companies, motivate them to establish branches in the emirate and help them expand their operations across the Middle East, the statement said.

“Dubai CommerCity … will provide creative economy companies with cutting-edge solutions and an environment that fosters creativity,” said Mohammed Al Zarooni, executive chairman of Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority. "Its integrated systems offer incentives, facilities and services to help them expand and contribute to the growth of the local economy."