With international tourism on the recovery path from the pandemic, Abu Dhabi is developing its cultural, sports and MICE initiatives to attract this incoming flow.
In an exclusive interview with Arabian Business, Undersecretary of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, Saood Abdulaziz Al Hosani outlines these plans explaining why the UAE’s capital is focusing on the cultural and creative industries.
Explaining that the forecasted recovery in 2021 bore fruit thanks to the “efforts and dedication of the entire industry in Abu Dhabi,” and to the emirate’s handling of coronavirus, Al Hosani said he is expecting even better results this year.
What is DCT Abu Dhabi’s focus this year, and what are your key upcoming projects?
Our focus is and will always be to promote Abu Dhabi as a destination of distinction, with attractions and experiences to excite and engage every type of visitor.
From a cultural perspective, we are focused on expanding the Saadiyat Cultural District, with new additions in the pipeline that will join existing landmark institutions such as Louvre Abu Dhabi and Manarat Al Saadiyat.
Upcoming projects include Zayed National Museum, Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, and Abrahamic Family House, plus two new institutions which will be announced soon.
Together, this community of museums will bring a game-changing quality of art and culture to the emirate that will further underline Abu Dhabi’s position as one of the world’s pre-eminent cultural destinations.
Another focus is our UNESCO-designated Cultural Sites of Al Ain – including the six Al Ain oases and the archaeological sites of Bida bint Saud, Jebel Hafit, and Hili – which remain a key asset when further promoting our rich cultural heritage.
For the more sports-minded, we will be welcoming the National Basketball Association (NBA) to Abu Dhabi and the region for the first time in October, while fight fans will be able to enjoy the Ultimate Fighting Championship once again at the Etihad Arena.
In addition, we will continue to focus on the meetings, conferences, incentives and events (MICE) sector, as we work with our key partners to not only attract more major conferences and business events to Abu Dhabi, but encourage attendees to bring their loved ones too – for the perfect combination of work and play for all the family.
Ultimately, as visitor numbers increase further, as we very much hope they will, we have a very exciting calendar of events, openings and initiatives planned across the emirate, for what promises to be a very busy year for us at DCT Abu Dhabi.
What have been some key milestones following DCT Abu Dhabi’s increased investment in the CCI and what can be expected in this realm over the next few years?
We are witnessing an extraordinary moment for the culture and creative industries (CCI), which are creating global revenues of over $2.25 trillion a year and providing 30 million jobs worldwide.
Looking to capitalise on this growth, Abu Dhabi is committed to positioning itself as a centre of excellence and innovation, and the development of the new creative industries economy is at the heart of our cultural agenda.
We see our investment in culture, education, capacity building, talent development and creative minds as an obligation, not a choice.
Our vision is to foster a strong and unique cultural identity for Abu Dhabi, which we wish to project and share with the world.
To support this, Abu Dhabi’s government has already invested $2.3bn (AED8.5bn) over the past five years to support its CCI strategy and will invest a further $5.98bn (AED22bn) over the next five years.
The latest milestone in the emirate’s drive to expand the entire CCI was our launch of the Creative Media Authority in January.
By harnessing synergies between multimedia creative sectors such as film, TV, digital, e-sports, and gaming, and by empowering the private sector to become more engaged, we will create opportunities for professionals and for companies to invest and to grow careers in this exciting and dynamic sector.
What is DCT Abu Dhabi doing to attract young talent to the UAE?
A key focus for Abu Dhabi’s growth strategy is nurturing and attracting innovative young talent. We expect to triple the number of jobs across media and entertainment to 16,000 in the coming years, with a 75 percent rise in the number of creative companies based in Abu Dhabi.
This goal presents vast opportunities for young talent to pursue a career in a thriving sector, further supported by Abu Dhabi’s new Creative Visa initiative, which means talented individuals are free from the pressures and limitations of having a local sponsor.
Young and diverse talent offers fresh perspectives to tackle the world’s most topical and complex issues, helping bridge conversations across industries, and address critical areas like social integration, employment, education and climate change – all of which require creativity, and the more Abu Dhabi can encourage, promote, build and create it, the better.
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