Abu Dhabi: The
Creative Capital
of the Arab World
The emirate is fast becoming a leading hub for media, film, and gaming
Most visitors to Yas Island come for the world’s fastest rollercoasters, tallest water slides, and one-of-a-kind theme parks and resorts. But it is also home to the Yas Creative Hub – a cluster of world-class creative facilities for media, film, and gaming companies.
The Yas Creative Hub is the latest banner development from twofour54, Abu Dhabi’s creator of ‘bespoke destinations’ for creative communities, which has been shepherding the UAE capital’s fast-growing media industries since 2008.
The new development plays host to both local and global media companies, and has arguably become the Middle East and North Africa’s (MENA) pre-eminent gaming hub. twofour54 CEO Mark Whitehead says the project delivers, “everything international and local media entrepreneurs and businesses need to thrive in Abu Dhabi.”
It is the latest milestone in Abu Dhabi’s transformation into a bona fide creative capital – which it has achieved in just under 15 years. How did the city become a magnet for so many creative businesses so quickly?
World-class facilities
The key to unlocking Abu Dhabi’s creative appeal is twofour54. Named after Abu Dhabi’s map co-ordinates, twofour54’s purpose-built hubs provide the emirate’s creative sector with comprehensive facilities, training programmes, and opportunities to connect with peers. It is home to over 600 media companies, more than 1,000 freelancers, and over 5,000 creative professionals.
Abu Dhabi has hosted an impressive roster of film productions, including Hollywood blockbusters such as Dune, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and Mission Impossible: Fallout. Businesses and professionals based in the creative hub have access to everything they need, including seven broadcast studios, and 300,000 sq. m. of adaptable stage space for film production.
twofour54 has also established AD Gaming. The dedicated AD Gaming Hub housed within the Yas Creative Hub hosts the region’s first Centre of Excellence for the industry – founded in partnership with Unity Technologies, whose platform powers 71% of the world’s top 1,000 mobile games. The initiative has brought over 40 key industry partners to the emirate.
The newest addition to twofour54’s facilities is the Community Hub, which provides co-working, office, and studio spaces as well as shared resources like screening and meeting rooms.
But the real advantage is in being part of a concentrated cluster, with access to professionals in every discipline and sector of the creative industry.
CEO at twofour54
CEO at twofour54
Talent magnet
Abu Dhabi has been active in attracting creatives to the emirate from overseas, as well as nurturing the skills of UAE nationals and residents. Businesses in Abu Dhabi’s free zones enjoy 100% foreign ownership, 0% income tax, 0% corporation tax and fee-free business registration. twofour54 residents can access the Abu Dhabi Film Commission’s 30% cash rebate on feature film production costs, up to $5 million per production.
And the recently launched Abu Dhabi Creative Visa offers long-term residency to creative professionals across a broad range of sectors and roles, including heritage, performing arts, visual arts, media, and gaming.
Director of Strategic Partnerships for AD Gaming
Director of Strategic Partnerships for AD Gaming
Over one hundred types of creative licence are available for fast-track freelance registration, covering everything from acting coaches to software developers, stunt performers, and media consultants. Licences last two years and are fee-free. 57 new licences were recently added for the growing esports and gaming sector.
Emirati talent is nurtured by training and development platforms like Abu Dhabi-based film and entertainment company Image Nation’s Arab Film Studio, Creative Lab – which hosts regular programs, and workshops, including hands-on children’s camps – and the flagship CNN Academy, which teaches vital news reporting and production skills over an intensive five-week course.
Alicia Gonzalez, Head of Talent & Development at Image Nation says training is a key focus in Abu Dhabi: “The future of our industry depends on skills, developing creative talent, and having a diversity of voices.”
Looking to the gaming sector, James Hartt, Director of Strategic Partnerships for AD Gaming, agrees: “Supporting the next generation of gaming talent is critical in establishing a self-sustaining gaming industry in Abu Dhabi.”
To that end, Unity Technologies and AD Gaming have established a training program and certification scheme that has already trained more than 50 university professors and over 500 students.
Creating the future
The UAE’s creative industries have grown rapidly, currently accounting for 3.5% of the country’s GDP. But this is just the beginning. With continued investment – not least from Abu Dhabi’s AED 30 billion Culture and Creative Industries Strategy – the sector is projected to grow to 5% of GDP by 2031, creating 16,000 jobs.
Gaming is expected to play a significant role. Hartt says the region’s gaming market is projected to grow 19% to more than $5 billion by 2025. “Positioning Abu Dhabi as the regional capital for gaming companies will substantially support the emirate’s shift to a knowledge-based economy.”
But growing the creative sector’s importance extends beyond economics, says Whitehead. It is also about, “cultural identity, and the chance to share our stories with the rest of the world.” It is therefore, “our duty to foster the growth of every element of the creative economy.”
Thanks to the concerted approach of twofour54, AD Gaming, ADFC, Image Nation, and others, Abu Dhabi has cemented itself as a regional creative hub. With sustained investment, fertilizing an already-blossoming ecosystem, it is rapidly strengthening its credentials as a global creative powerhouse.
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