One of the top leisure destinations of the UAE, Abu Dhabi’s Yas Island is getting ready to become a global powerhouse for media and entertainment with its new megaproject.
The Yas Creative Hub which is projected to open by the end of next year will be a destination for some of the renowned names in the media, entertainment and gaming industry according to media free zone twofour54 Abu Dhabi, which coordinates the development of the project.
Michael Garin, chief executive of twofour54 Abu Dhabi, in a statement said that some of the well-known productions from both Hollywood and Bollywood as well as from the gaming world will soon become part of the hub.
Michael Garin CEO – twofour54
“Yas Creative Hub brings to life the essence of Abu Dhabi’s creative ecosystem: connectivity, flexibility and community. It will be a flagship destination where creative businesses and entrepreneurs will create an agile workplace that suits their business and their team, join a vibrant community with shared aspirations, and turn good ideas into a game-changing reality.”
The most anticipated project which covers over 270,000 square-meter is estimated to offer job opportunities for up to 16,000 professionals by the end of 2031 and it would triple the number of people currently employed in the sector in the UAE capital.
According to the current plan, the project will feature five towers which will provide a provision for over 600 businesses that will be built around an area to be known as Media Boulevard along with a park and meter plaza that jointly covers about 29,000 square meters.
Global leaders in the technology sector including CNN, Ubisoft and Unity Technologies are among the major companies that have already signed up to be part of the hub.
The hub will also have a studio and production space that targets to increase the number of both international and local productions which Abu Dhabi will be able to complete every year.
The Yas Creative hub which is of the size of 10 football fields will become a home for an amphitheater, parks, cafes and restaurants all in a fully walkable, landscaped terrace that is connected with Yas Bay Waterfront and the Etihad Arena.
“Yas Creative Hub will be home to a powerful cluster of creative sector giants, harnessing non-stop access to technology, content, creativity, talent development opportunities. Given the changing circumstances driven by the Covid-19 pandemic, we are pleased to say that Yas Creative Hub is the newest office of the future, rather than the office of yesterday,” Mr. Garin said.
Currently, 75 percent of the construction of the hub is completed and the authority expects to open its first of three phases by the final quarter of 2021. The first phase will include the twofour54 media free zones existing community that has over 600 companies and employees more than 5,000 people. Once open they will be relocated from Khalifa Park to the new hub.
The chairman of twofour54 Abu Dhabi, Mohammed Al Mubarak states that the creative hub will be a key factor in the path of Abu Dhabi’s growth as a creative economy by combining a vast community of skilled professionals in a stunning campus development purpose-designed to spark innovation and collaboration.
