In order to promote Abu Dhabi culture over the next five years, the UAE’s capital city will be investing AED 22 billion towards creative industries, the country’s official news agency reported. The emirate also announced an overall planned capital commitment of over AED 30 billion for creative industries.
The funding is part of a strategy by Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism (DCT), to boost creative industries in the emirate.
The AED 22 billion investment will be channelled towards the development of cultural institutions and new museums in Abu Dhabi, including the Zayed National Museum and Guggenheim Abu Dhabi. Some of the funding will also go towards supporting performing arts, music, media and gaming in the emirate.
So far, AED 8.5 billion has already been funnelled into cultural and creative industries in the past five years, WAM reported, including towards Abu Dhabi’s media and gaming hub Yas Creative Hub, Saadiyat Cultural District, and a Creative Visa scheme for creative professionals to work out of the UAE.
STRATEGY FOR ABU DHABI CULTURE, CREATIVE INDUSTRIES FOCUSES ON ECONOMIC IMPACT
The DCT will be consolidating all creative domains under the Culture and Creative Industries (CCI) umbrella. Its 2019 CCI Strategy and subsequent investments are aimed at diversifying the emirate’s economy, Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of DCT Abu Dhabi, said. Cultural tourism represents a strategic segment of diversification efforts in the UAE.
"DCT Abu Dhabi’s comprehensive five-year strategy to build on the emirate’s pre-existing success in this area is now seeing diverse yet interrelated sectors streamlined under one organisation. This will greatly accelerate job creation, allowing individuals and businesses to reach new levels of professional and economic success,” Saood Al Hosani, Undersecretary of DCT Abu Dhabi, said.
The consolidation will give the DCT full oversight over Abu Dhabi culture, multimedia, and gaming domains. The DCT will be responsible for the development of these sectors as well.
Goals under the CCI Strategy focus on five areas – policies and systems, talent and professional development, innovation and digitisation, business development, and infrastructure to enhance the quality of life. Over 16 strategic programmes and 800 initiatives are covered by the strategy. Of these, some have already been initiated, while the rest are slated for completion in the next five years.
The DCT will also be announcing a new sector to bolster creative industries in Abu Dhabi, administer the Creative Visa programme, offer training and development initiatives, and regulate strategic initiatives and organisations within the landscape of Abu Dhabi culture. These include Image Nation Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi Gaming, and Abu Dhabi Film Commission.
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