Dubai’s creative economy

Dubai aims to increase companies in the creative economy from 8,300 to 15,000 over the next four years, increasing the percentage of its GDP due to the creative economy from 2.6% to 5%. The Arab emirate is therefore launching new creative zones for cultural content, media design and the arts, with the aim of increasing jobs from 70,000 to 140,000.

Amer Yahia, Virtuzone’s corporate training specialist, says this is excellent news for the sector and for the Emirates in general. According to Yahia, it is very encouraging to see Dubai supporting these kinds of initiatives to attract foreign companies, as well as supporting local talent in the creative sector. Dubai is a leader in setting up the right infrastructure.

Ahmad Ammar, co-founder of Aavva Fashion, gave his own testimony stating that he had not encountered obstacles in the various actions aimed at expanding the business. Ammar states that it is very easy to move, find a team, hire people, invest, rent a space and expand your own business. Aavva Fashion, a fashion boutique born in 2013, initially experienced rapid national expansion and is now a brand also present in international boutiques.

Dubai’s creative economy strategy supports creative minds by encouraging them to always produce new ideas. This is confirmed by Vincenzo Visciglia, co-founder of Aavva Fashion: “For us it is incredible because I imagine that the fashion industry in Dubai is still something new. We feel that the community and local customers are truly supporting local designers over those from outside. I always say that if you are a pioneer, whatever you do will be a success.”

In Dubai there are real centers such as the Media City, the Production City and the Dubai Design District, aimed at consolidating the creative economy sector. According to Amer Yehia, visiting the three poles means seeing with your own eyes the seriousness of Dubai in infrastructures and in the real desire to help people grow in the business world.

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince and President of the Dubai Executive Council, launched the Al Quoz Creative Zone, a dynamic hub for artists and designers to live, work and create. It is an area that will offer facilities, services and incentives to encourage innovation and investment in creative businesses.

This will be only the first of the many initiatives to be launched as part of the Creative Economic Strategy of Dubai, in order to transform the city into a world capital of innovation.

Artists with activities in the Al Quoz Creative Zone, as well as emerging creative entrepreneurs, will have the exclusive “Al Quoz Creative Membership”, with which they have access to various incentives, such as tax exemptions, reduced rents and logistical support for businesses. Plus you have access to relevant training courses and programs to help artists turn their creative ideas into business.

Dubai will surely become a world reference point in the creative economy and all the incentives to support entrepreneurs and businesses, welcoming and encouraging creative minds with a spirit of initiative, as opposed to countries that are increasingly witnessing a continuous brain drain.