Dubai Commercity, Dubai Culture sign MoU to boost creative sector

Dubai CommerCity, part of the Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority (DIEZ) and the region’s first and leading e-commerce free zone, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture).

The agreement is aimed at stimulating the growth of Dubai’s creative sector and enhancing Dubai’s attractiveness as a global hub for the creative economy.

According to the Dubai Media Office, the partnership aligns with the Dubai Creative Economy Strategy launched in 2021, which aims to double the creative industries’ contribution to Dubai’s GDP to 5 per cent increase the number of Dubai-based creative enterprises to 15,000, and provide 140,000 jobs in various creative economy sectors by 2026.

The agreement will see both parties offering services to help establish new businesses in select creative economy sectors and support their long-term growth in Dubai CommerCity.

These services include applying for a long-term cultural visa, a first-of-its-kind 10-year residency offered to creative talents. The selected cultural and creative sectors covered in this MoU to operate in Dubai CommerCity are music, fine arts, photography, film and video production, video game development, fashion design, graphic design, product design, interior and landscape design, architectural services, advertising services, and IT and software services.

The partnership will provide creative businesses with special incentives, including creative activities, logistics, consultation, banking solutions and services, and access to creative workspaces such as studios, conference rooms, and exhibitions.

Dr Mohammed Al Zarooni, executive chairman of DIEZ, said: “This agreement reflects DIEZ’s commitment to supporting all economic sectors in Dubai, including the creative economy. The cultural and creative sectors play a strategic role in the national economy, empowering businesses based on knowledge, innovation, and creativity.”

Hala Badri, director general of Dubai Culture, welcomed this partnership as another step toward realising the emirate’s cultural vision, saying: “We recognise the positive impact of cooperation between public and private entities. Through such collaborations, we seek to enhance the cultural sector in Dubai and actively empower its creative economy.”

Badri added: “Through our cooperation with Dubai CommerCity, we aim to consolidate our efforts to support cultural and creative businesses and talents in Dubai. This will bolster the emirate’s position as a global capital of the creative economy and improve the creative industries’ contribution to GDP.”