Abu Dhabi plans to invest Dh22 billion ($6bn) over the next five years in its cultural and creative industries as it seeks to reduce its economic reliance on oil, create new jobs and attract talent.
After pledging Dh8.5bn in the past five years, the government has earmarked an additional Dh22bn to develop new museums as well as invest in the performing arts, music, media and gaming sectors, the emirate’s Department of Culture and Tourism said on Tuesday.
The department is "uniting the more traditional elements of the culture sector with cutting-edge creative domains and creating the conditions for multidisciplinary businesses, creators and partnerships to innovate and grow, now and for years to come," DCT Abu Dhabi chairman Mohamed Al Mubarak told The National.
The move comes as the emirate emerges from the Covid-19 pandemic with a sharper focus on hastening its push into high value-added sectors as it reduces its dependence on oil revenue.
The emirate has invested heavily in the arts, opening Louvre Abu Dhabi in 2017 to position itself as a cultural tourism city with the aim of drawing visitors from around the world to view the artworks on display.
The latest round of cultural funding will be funnelled into more large-scale projects that are yet to come.
These include the Zayed National Museum that details the history of the nation and showcases the life of Sheikh Zayed, the Founding Father, the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi that will complement Louvre Abu Dhabi’s offering with modern and contemporary art and the Abrahamic Family House.
All three projects are in the Saadiyat Cultural District.
There are already 20,000 people employed in the emirate’s cultural and creative industries and this number is expected “to grow significantly” in the coming years, DCT Abu Dhabi undersecretary Saood Al Hosani told The National.
The emirate intends to create 16,000 jobs in the multimedia and gaming sectors.
“As thousands of new jobs will be created, the industry’s direct contribution to economic output will grow significantly as more professionals and families make their lives here in the emirate,” he said.
To attract new talent, Abu Dhabi is offering the creative visa to ease the entry of skilled professionals.
The application process is fast and cheap, and the emirate has already received more than 1,000 “expressions of interest”, said Mr Al Hosani.
“Our ambition is for creative professionals to thrive in Abu Dhabi; to make attainable to them sustainable, long-term careers that offer unparalleled opportunities to develop, grow and make a great living in Abu Dhabi for years and even decades,” he said.
Abu Dhabi has already started training hundreds of cultural professionals in various fields, with programmes developed for young people to learn the skills needed to compete in a digital future, said Mr Al Hosani. AD Gaming has partnered with global company Unity Technologies to offer students in the UAE an opportunity to hone their skills in design, coding and the use of 3D technology, while more than 150 aspiring film-makers and scriptwriters have graduated from Image Nation Abu Dhabi’s Arab Film Studio, he said.
Besides attracting talent to live and work in Abu Dhabi, the cultural and creative industries are also a significant driver of tourism in the emirate.
Last year, when movement restrictions posed challenges to cultural institutions, DCT Abu Dhabi’s cultural initiatives drew 6 million visitors, said Mr Al Hosani.
The department plans to bring cultural and creative industries under its umbrella, adding fields such as film, TV, multimedia, gaming and e-sports to its existing sectors of heritage, crafts and design, publishing and visual and performing arts.
The aim is to leverage “the natural synergies between the emirate’s culture, tourism and creative sectors”, said Mr Al Mubarak.
DCT Abu Dhabi's cultural and creative industries’ strategy is underpinned by five pillars: policy formulation, talent development, innovation and digitisation, business development and the construction of infrastructure that improves people’s quality of life, it said.
The Dh8.5bn invested in cultural projects in the past five years has included projects at Saadiyat Cultural District, Yas Creative Hub and initiatives such as the creative visa.
Cinco in numbers
Dh3.7 million
The estimated cost of Victoria Swarovski’s gem-encrusted Michael Cinco wedding gown
46
The number, in kilograms, that Swarovski’s wedding gown weighed.
1,000
The hours it took to create Cinco’s vermillion petal gown, as seen in his atelier [note, is the one he’s playing with in the corner of a room]
50
How many looks Cinco has created in a new collection to celebrate Ballet Philippines’ 50th birthday
3,000
The hours needed to create the butterfly gown worn by Aishwarya Rai to the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.
1.1 million
The number of followers that Michael Cinco’s Instagram account has garnered.
The biog
Name: Samar Frost
Born: Abu Dhabi
Hobbies: Singing, music and socialising with friends
Favourite singer: Adele
Company%20profile
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Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
Company%20profile
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Nancy 9 (Hassa Beek)
Nancy Ajram
(In2Musica)
Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
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
MIDWAY
Produced: Lionsgate Films, Shanghai Ryui Entertainment, Street Light Entertainment
Directed: Roland Emmerich
Cast: Ed Skrein, Woody Harrelson, Dennis Quaid, Aaron Eckhart, Luke Evans, Nick Jonas, Mandy Moore, Darren Criss
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
At a glance
Fixtures All matches start at 9.30am, at ICC Academy, Dubai. Admission is free
Thursday UAE v Ireland; Saturday UAE v Ireland; Jan 21 UAE v Scotland; Jan 23 UAE v Scotland
UAE squad Rohan Mustafa (c), Ashfaq Ahmed, Ghulam Shabber, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Boota, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Shaiman Anwar, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Qadeer Ahmed, Mohammed Naveed, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan
The specs
Price, base: Dh228,000 / Dh232,000 (est)
Engine: 5.7-litre Hemi V8
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 395hp @ 5,600rpm
Torque: 552Nm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.5L / 100km
About RuPay
A homegrown card payment scheme launched by the National Payments Corporation of India and backed by the Reserve Bank of India, the country’s central bank
RuPay process payments between banks and merchants for purchases made with credit or debit cards
It has grown rapidly in India and competes with global payment network firms like MasterCard and Visa.
In India, it can be used at ATMs, for online payments and variations of the card can be used to pay for bus, metro charges, road toll payments
The name blends two words rupee and payment
Some advantages of the network include lower processing fees and transaction costs
MO
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The Dark Blue Winter Overcoat & Other Stories From the North
Edited and Introduced by Sjón and Ted Hodgkinson
Pushkin Press
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
