His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and the Ruler of Dubai launched the National Strategy for the Cultural and Creative Industries to develop the sector, increase its size and activity.
The strategy is aimed at placing it on the cultural and creativity map and enhancing global competitiveness indicators in this field and positioning it among the top ten economic sectors in the country to contribute 5 percent to the national GDP.
The National strategy, a first-of-its-kind in the region, highlights the UAE’s pivotal role in empowering and inspiring creative thinking, and as a destination of choice for cultural practitioners and creative entrepreneurs from around the world.
Ms. Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Youth emphasized the importance of the cultural and creative industries as a major driver of sustainable development. Its agenda is to double the number of enterprises operating in the sector as well as create new jobs and raise the average income of workers, considering the 22 free zones around the different emirates that cater to and attract freelancers and creative start-ups to set up, live, and work in the UAE.
To achieve these objectives, the strategy focuses on 40 initiatives covering three main segments including 16 for talents and creatives, 10 for professionals and business environment, and 14 initiatives for enabling the business environment.
The strategy is based on the partnerships between the public and private sectors, educational institutions and non-governmental organizations to implement comprehensive programs to develop the cultural and creative industries sector. UAE’s efforts for the success of these industries will ensure that the creative sector supports its vision for the future and acts as a pillar of the country’s economy.
Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi UAE Minister of Youth & Culture.
“Given the critical importance of the cultural and creative industries on the global economy, the United Nations declared 2021 as the ’International Year of Creative Economy for Sustainable Development which underlines the strong link between these industries to achieve global sustainable development despite the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic. The National Strategy for Cultural and Creative Industries is working to unite efforts at the federal and local levels to achieve the strategic objectives of institutions operating in this sector.”
Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced technology said that “Under the direction of the UAE’s leadership and in line with the strategic targets of the Principles of the 50, the UAE focuses on enabling its economy to be one of the strongest and among the most active economies in the world. The launch of the National Strategy for Cultural and Creative Industries will support the cultural and creative sector and lead to more growth opportunities that enhance the UAE’s competitiveness globally.”
Mr. Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy, affirmed that the activities of the creative economy are a way to proactively advance comprehensive and sustainable economic and social development in the UAE and prepare for the future. It contributes to achieving the vision of wise leadership in line with the objectives of the ‘UAE’s principles of the fifty’.
Ms. Hanan Ahli, Director of the Federal Center for Competitiveness and Statistics, stated that the Federal Center for Competitiveness and Statistics has formed a strategic partnership with the Ministry of Culture and Youth to launch a national program to develop an economic statistical framework for the cultural and creative industries, in collaboration with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and national statistical centers.
