A 100-day plan has been put together to determine the priorities of in developing the Al Quoz Creative Zone, the first phase in Dubai’s ambition to become the capital of the global creative economy.
The first Al Quoz Accelerators workshop, which was launched by Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), also set timelines and drew a roadmap for the next five years.
The workshop followed the appointment of Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, chairperson of Dubai Culture, to lead the committee to develop Al Quoz Creative Zone.
Based on the directives of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the emirate is seeking to become the global capital of the creative economy by 2025.
The committee also includes Mattar Al Tayer, vice president, as well as members Dawood Al Hajri, Sami Al Qamzi, Hilal Al Marri, Hala Badri, Hisham Al Qasim, all high-ranking Dubai Government officials.
Badri, director-general of Dubai Culture, inaugurated the Al Quoz Accelerators workshop, saying: “Decades ago, Dubai invested in establishing sophisticated, creative complexes in various sectors that attracted a large number of companies and innovators from around the world; the emirate’s creative industries possess strong and promising capabilities to play a pivotal role in serving the sustainable development goals.
“Improving Dubai’s competitiveness in the field of the creative economy rests on several pillars, most important of which is the development of an integrated infrastructure for the prosperity of creative people and industries. We seek to achieve this through the development of Al Quoz Creative Zone with our partners.”
Plans for the Al Quoz Creative Zone include establishing Al Quoz Creative Membership, providing a flexible mobility system, flexible multi-use laws, providing multi-use creative spaces, and providing spaces for creative complexes.
“We want to ensure sustainable organic growth through continuous innovation and development by building on what has been achieved, thus making certain that in five years, Al Quoz Creative Zone will be far superior than what it is now,” Badri said.
“Our ultimate goal is to become a centre of attraction for creative talents from around the world and to become a global community and capital for the creative economy. Hence, our view of creativity in Dubai is futuristic, celebrating in all its forms and keeping pace with the development of its tools, allowing our creative community to be an incubator for global talents,” she added.
The workshop also nominated a number of creative people to obtain long-term cultural visas.
Hussain Al Banna, executive director of Traffic Department, Traffic and Roads Agency, RTA, said the authority is intending to carry out an array of projects and initiatives to support Al Quoz District Innovative project including “tracks for pedestrians, bikes, e-scooters, buses and others”.
Earlier this month, Dubai launched the Al Quoz Creative District, the first destination to be revealed as part of the emirate’s creative initiative.
Launched by Sheikh Mohammed, the initiative will see the number of jobs in the creative industry rise to 150,000 – from 70,000 – within five years. The number of firms is set to rise from 8,000 to 15,000 over the next five years.
Dubai also aims to increase the contribution of the creative economy to the country’s GDP from 2.6 percent to 5 percent and launch new creative zones in content, design and arts.
It falls under the Dubai Creative Economy Strategy, which also includes creating the legislative and investment environment necessary for the planned growth and aims to increase the emirate’s “attractiveness to innovators, investors and entrepreneurs”.
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