Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed hopes Dubai will become a global centre of culture and creativity.
The chairwoman of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority and daughter of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, made her comments on the second day of the World Government Summit at the Expo 2020 site.
“Turning Dubai into the next global creative metropolis is not [just] a dream,” said Sheikha Latifa.
“Dubai has already cemented itself as a leader in the region.”
She explained how the creative sector in Dubai was already contributing more to the economy than the global average.
“The creative sector contributes 4 per cent to the GDP,” said Sheikha Latifa.
“That’s 1 per cent more than the global figure.
She also said the creative and cultural industry employed more young people than most other sectors.
Sheikha Latifa said the plan was to ensure the emirate becomes a haven for creative people.
“We will make Dubai the easiest place for creators to set up and operate,” she said.
The same methods employed to turn Dubai into an international business centre would be crucial in helping the city become a cultural capital, she said.
“The reason we’re able to work on such hugely ambitious projects is because everyone in the government of Dubai is led by one altruistic vision,” she said.
“This vision has been instilled in us.”
Sheikha Latifa said one of the first, and most important, steps in creating a cultural and creative ethos was to make it simpler for people involved in the sector to operate in Dubai.
“Creators can now go online and obtain a creative licence in seven minutes,” she said.
Day two of The World Government Summit — in pictures
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Azucena Arbeleche, left, Uruguay’s Minister of Economy and Finance, is presented with the Best Minister award by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai. Antonie Robertson / The National -
will. i.am, founder and chief executive of FYI, speaking at the World Government Summit in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National -
Delegates chat at the World Government Summit at Dubai Exhibition Centre. Pawan Singh / The National -
Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, speaks at the event. Pawan Singh / The National -
The World Government Summit this year is being held at the Expo 2020 Dubai site. Pawan Singh / The National -
Delegates from many countries have assembled. Pawan Singh / The National -
Mariam Al Mheiri, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, and Gilbert Houngbo, President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development, speak during a session at the World Government Summit. Pawan Singh / The National -
Robinah Nabbanja, Prime Minister of Uganda, speaks on ‘The Rise of Africa: Strategies and Dynamics’ at the World Government Summit. Pawan Singh / The National -
Abdulrahman Al Owais, Minister of Health and Prevention, delivers a speech on ‘The Future Readiness of Health’ at the summit. Antonie Robertson / The National -
From left, Irakli Beridze, head of the UN’s Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, Iain Drennan, executive director of WeProtect Global Alliance and Dana Humaid Al Marzooqi, general director of the International Affairs Bureau, at the summit. Pawan Singh / The National -
Brent Harris, vice president of Governance of Meta Platforms Inc speaking during the session on ‘Paving the Way to the Metaverse’ at the World Government Summit. Pawan Singh / The National
