Dubai is doing it again. Those of us who’ve been around in the Emirates for a while would remember the ‘History rising’ campaign of 2007-09. Dubai was making history with the construction of the world’s tallest tower, Burj Khalifa (then known as Burj Dubai), and wasn’t afraid to flaunt it. That masterstroke project altered forever not just the city’s skyline, but also the world’s perception of Dubai.

With Burj Khalifa towering above every other building around it — or anywhere else, for that matter — Dubai stamped its unmistakable authority in the big boys’ playground, announcing to the world its arrival at the very top of the list of super-skyscraper cities.

This time around, the city is set to transform Al Quoz, the emirate’s original industrial district, into a hotbed of creative activity. With the announcement of the Al Quoz Creative Zone, the area that was once lined with workshops is set to become a hub for libraries and museums, helping Dubai on the journey to becoming the global capital for the creative economy by 2025.

The unending rows of labour accommodations in the community are being transformed into studios and showrooms. Warehouses are getting a makeover with watercolours; the factories and garages that were once the hallmark of the rapid pace of urbanisation are giving way to ateliers, art galleries and other creative workspaces.

It isn’t an easy task by any stretch of the imagination, but if any city can do it, it’s Dubai.

To be fair, Dubai has done it on many other occasions, too. It has always been a regional and global pioneer, setting the bar higher with every major development and redevelopment project. Like when it created the world’s largest manmade harbour, the Jebel Ali Port, in the late 1970s. Then when it launched its airline, Emirates, in 1985. Creating the UAE’s first free zone, the Jebel Ali Free Zone, in mid-1990s, followed by a cluster of free zones catering to industries like banking and finance, technology and telecom, media and communications, etc.

Then, of course, the magical appearance of the Burj Khalifa and Downtown from almost thin air, the Al Maktoum Airport, Dubai Canal and the Expo site… there have been far too many occasions when Dubai has literally reinvented parts of the city and wowed the world.

It is now time for Dubai to leave its indelible mark on the creative field. A new strategy launched by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, seeks to double the contribution of the creative and arts sector to Dubai’s gross domestic product, from 2.6 in 2020 to 5 per cent in 2025.

The recently announced Dubai Creative Economy Strategy is geared towards contributing to the emirate’s creative economy and fuel creative industries. In line with the objective of Dubai Plan 2021, this initiative allows talented people to make the most of their abilities and share them with the world.

The city seeks to more than double the number of creative companies based in the emirate from 8,300 to 15,000 within the next five years, and is looking to more than double the number of creators based in the emirate, from 70,000 to 140,000.

“Today, we launch the Dubai Creative Economy Strategy with the aim of transforming the emirate into a preferred destination for creativity from across the world and a capital of the creative economy by 2025, in order to achieve our vision for a future economy based on knowledge and innovation,” Sheikh Mohammed said on Twitter in early April 2021.

“We always welcome creative individuals and companies from all over the world, and we seek to provide a suitable environment for them to transform their dreams, aspirations and creativity into an added value and a sustainable economic resource,” he said.

“The UAE is a global economic capital, and creativity is part of our economy and of our quality of life, and a major engine for the future of our country.”

Let’s take a look at what’s happening and, more importantly, how it could benefit you and me (trust me, there are long-term visas, fee exemptions and other incentives in store for you; so read on).

1. What is Al Quoz – and where is it?

2. How did the sandy, industrial suburb suddenly become ‘hip’?

3. What’s so special about Al Quoz?

4. Tell us about the new announcement for the Al Quoz area…

5. Is the creative zone part of a bigger strategy?

6. Further details about the Al Quoz Creative Zone…

7. What are the incentives for artists and entrepreneurs to set up their operations in the Al Quoz Creative Zone?

8. What is the ‘Al Quoz Vanguards’ programme?

9. Al Quoz 2.0: What stage are we at now?

10. Who are the ‘key strategic partners’ of the Al Quoz redevelopment project?

So what’s Al Quoz (and where exactly is it)?

Let’s first answer the second part of that question. Located off Sheikh Zayed Road, the main traffic artery of Dubai, Al Quoz (pronounced Al Goze) is divided into several sub-zones, which are rather uncreatively numbered, from Al Quoz 1 to Al Quoz 4, and from Al Quoz Industrial Area 1 to Al Quoz Industrial Area 4 (shrug emoji ¯\_(ツ)_/¯).

Nestled between Al Barsha and Business Bay, the district is fronted by a row of luxury stores, car showrooms and banks, etc. If you’re travelling on Sheikh Zayed Road, this is the area that lies behind the 10km stretch that is bookended by the Dubai Gold and Diamond Park on the southern end and the Pepsi Factory (Dubai Refreshment) on the northern end. On the mirror side of the Sheikh Zayed Road is the area that starts from the Bentley showroom and stretches until the Medcare Orthopaedic and Spine Hospital.

Now for the million-dollar question: What is Al Quoz? In May 2016, The New York Times called Al Quoz as “the gritty opposition of glamorous”. The “area is the unpolished opposite to the glamorous, glossy image that springs to mind when thinking of this part of the UAE,” said the NYT.

And that’s exactly what’s set to change. The 2016 report in NYT acknowledges as much, maintaining that the area has emerged “as a creative nerve centre, edgy in a conservative city, a place where Dubai’s gallerists, fashion designers and hip entrepreneurs are flocking.”

But how did the sandy, industrial suburb suddenly become ‘hip’?

It wasn’t ‘sudden’, by the way. The district has, in fact, been seeing pockets of change for about 15 years now. It was commercial considerations that probably kicked off the cultural renaissance that the area organically witnessed until it was officially earmarked for transformation.

During the first decade of this millennium, Dubai was expanding at a breakneck pace. As the population grew, so did the need for creative expression. Artists need creative spaces to work in while art galleries and museums must necessarily have enough space to do justice to their displays. In the UAE’s commercial capital, however, space has always been at a premium.

By a happy coincidence, Al Quoz, which was once at the outskirts, found itself in the heart of the city. It now occupied prime space between Sheikh Zayed Road, the traditional business corridor, and Al Khail Road, the lifeline for new communities. While the areas around it saw massive redevelopment, most of Al Quoz’s 27 sq km remained dedicated to storage warehouses, cement factories and car repair garages.

That’s probably when artists realised that they could, collectively, rent out large warehouses in the heart of the city and convert them into creative spaces without breaking the bank. Cultural patron Abdelmonem bin Eisa Alserkal, an Emirati businessman, started Alserkal Avenue in 2007 as a warehousing business. Today, it is home a to mix of art galleries, performance venues, co-working spaces, a black box theatre, an independent cinema, and outdoor performance venues, among others.

According to Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), Al Quoz in the past years has contributed to the formation of a unique identity of its own and got transformed into a place of studios and art galleries among other creative facilities.

But what’s so special about Al Quoz? Weren’t there other areas that artists could have flocked to?

See that’s where the old adage ‘it’s all about location, location, location’ comes into play. Like in a game of PAC-MAN (okay, now you know my age), after all major land pockets in its suburban zones were gobbled up by skyscrapers, multi-level malls and other Guinness World Record title-holders, the ‘untouched’ Al Quoz by default emerged as the largest parcel of land in the city limits — in a prime location, in fact — that was ripe to be set up as a new zone to meet the requirements of the changing times.

Got it. So tell us about the new announcement for the Al Quoz area…

The drive to establish Dubai as a hub for creativity and innovation is in line with Dubai being selected as the Creative City of Design in the Middle East by Unesco Creative Cities Network in June 2018.

The Al Quoz area was brought into focus in November 2019, when the Dubai Culture introduced the first phase of a redevelopment plan for the industrial district. If you remember, that was just after the Ruler of Dubai had unveiled a new vision for Dubai Culture, which outlined a roadmap to consolidate Dubai’s stature as a global destination for culture, innovation and talent.

“No global city is complete without a fully developed cultural dimension. A vibrant cultural life and environment is an integral part of any economic hub. Dubai has many cultural assets that enable it to be a global cultural destination and a centre for talent and innovation,” said Sheikh Mohammed.

The initiative is geared towards contributing to Dubai’s creative economy and fuel creative industries. In line with the objective of Dubai Plan 2021, this initiative allows talented people to make the most of their abilities and share them with the world.

Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of Dubai Culture, said the new creative zone will boost Dubai’s position as a global cultural centre and an incubator for talent and will set in motion a comprehensive cultural movement.

A year-long calendar of events such as the World Art Dubai is an integral part of the strategy to transform Dubai into a global cultural metropolis where creativity, art and innovation are as crucial as commerce and business.

Art Dubai:

World Art Dubai is the region’s largest retail art fair that welcomes more than 10,000 visitors every year. It provides an opportunity for collectors, buyers and art enthusiasts to explore thousands of affordable artworks from local, solo artists as well as renowned international galleries. The prices for the art pieces on display range from $100 to $20,000.

Sorry to interrupt, but was the creative zone announced as a part of the vision announced by Sheikh Mohammed in 2019?

Oh yes, indeed! Don’t be under any illusion about Dubai’s growth being reactionary. It is very proactive, and all planned down to the last detail. In fact, the announcement of the vision in 2019 included 17 unique initiatives in total, of which the Al Quoz Creative Free Zone is one. While we have seen the launch of some of the other initiatives (like the long-term cultural visa for artists and other creative professionals), we will, no doubt, soon see the others being rolled out. Here they are:

1. Cultural Residence Visa: This is the world’s first long-term cultural visa. The aim of the initiative is to attract promising artists and creatives to the city and support the vision of Dubai to become a global incubator for talent.
2. A Creative Free Zone in Al Quoz: This is what we’ve touched upon earlier. The aim is to transform Al Quoz into a free zone for creative talent in the culture sector, providing comprehensive facilities and services from the conception stage through to design and production. The free zone will create an end-to-end system for creatives to produce, display and sell their works.
3. Dubai Global Literary Season: Dedicated to the love of the written word, Dubai Global Literary Season aims to establish the city as the capital of knowledge development with more than 1,000 literary events hosting the top 100 Arab and international authors and publishers.
4. School of Life: The initiative, which seeks to transform Dubai’s public libraries into integrated cultural centres under the theme of School of Life, is aimed at boosting the cultural, creative and artistic lives of the Dubai community.
5. A Destination for Land Art: The initiative aims to create a new global cultural tourism destination that enhances the creative capacity of the land. To be launched on the occasion of the UAE’s Golden Jubilee, the initiative also seeks to create new landmarks to document Dubai’s hosting of Expo 2020. Many different nationalities will contribute to its construction.
6. Dubai Global Grad Show: An international exhibition to be organised as part of Dubai Design Week, Dubai Global Grad Show aims to inspire university graduates to find innovative solutions to community problems.
7. Al Marmoum CineMania: An open air international film festival in the Al Marmoom area to be organised in co-operation with local cinemas.
8. Dubai’s Iconic Architecture: A specialised committee to oversee the adoption of architectural designs that has the objective of making Dubai a destination for architectural innovation.
9. Launch of Dubai’s Architectural Identity: An initiative aimed at conceptualising, designing and implementing a distinctive architectural identity for Dubai that distinguishes it from other major cities of the world
10. Hatta Cultural Carnival: A cultural carnival to be held in the winter season to stimulate economic and tourism growth in the region, featuring poetry evenings, cultural events, art exhibitions and other events.
11. Zabeel High School: Rehabilitation of Zabeel Secondary School for Girls to preserve the architectural history of the school and transform the building into a multi-functional space that offers a platform for young people to express their artistic talent.
12. Art for Good: A philanthropic annual international art week that features the participation of local and international artists and businesspersons. The art week will include charity auctions, art performances and plastic arts exhibitions.
13. Dubai Gold Line: The initiative features a competition to design the Dubai Gold Line, a special gold production line that establishes Dubai as a destination for gold.
14. Discovering Hidden Cultural Gems with Uber: A new initiative created in partnership with Uber to help tourists easily find and visit Dubai’s cultural treasures.
15. Dubai Art Collection: The first integrated system created to help art enthusiasts buy, display and exchange artwork. The system will be operated through a partnership between the government and private sector. The initiative will help stimulate the creative economy and create opportunities for the public to engage more closely with art.
16. Dubai Private Collections Season: The initiative will enable private art collectors to display their personal collections in public institutions such as Etihad Museum. The season will begin with an exhibition of the personal collection of HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid al Maktoum.
17. Dubai Festival of National Cultures: The initiative will provide a platform for highlighting the cultures and traditions of various nationalities living in Dubai. The celebrations at the event will showcase the traditions, food and special products of each nationality through an annual calendar of events to be held in collaboration with Dubai Tourism & Commerce Marketing.

Amazing! Can you give us further details about the Al Quoz Creative Zone?

Sure. His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, officially launched the Al Quoz Creative Zone in April 2021.

The vision behind establishing the new creative zone is the cluster approach — to engage the community and encourage designers, artists and creatives to live, work and exhibit in the area.

The Al Quoz Creative Zone covers a range of creative industries, including publishing, writing, print and audio-visual media such as cinema, music and video, as well as artistic and cultural industries, cultural heritage museums, historical sites, archives, major cultural events, libraries, and the software and video gaming industry.

It also includes design in all its variations, whether related to fashion, gaming, software, or architecture.

The Al Quoz Creative Zone marks the beginning of bigger projects and initiatives aimed at developing the creative sector in Dubai and boosting its contribution to the national economy under the overarching Dubai Creative Economy Strategy.

What are the incentives for artists and entrepreneurs to set up their operations in the Al Quoz Creative Zone?

Now we’re talking! Artists and creative professionals with projects and activities in the zone (including emerging entrepreneurs) will receive the ‘Al Quoz Creative Membership’ – a sort of loyalty programme. Members will receive a range of incentives including fees exemptions, reduced rents and logistic business support.

Creative professionals and entrepreneurs will be able to issue freelancing permits while there will be a single licence to practice diverse creative business activities, apart from other official permits. As part of the new strategy, flexible creative legal frameworks will ease business procedures for creative SMEs and support their growth.

Other incentives include exemptions from import and export fees, visa issuance fees, licensing fees and Dubai Chamber fees. A smart online rental platform will enable companies and entities to display rental spaces for creative professionals across Dubai at affordable rates.

All this will be available as part of the ‘Al Quoz Vanguards’ programme.

What is the ‘Al Quoz Vanguards’ programme?

It’s quite smart. The ‘Al Quoz Vanguards’ programme aims at attracting leading global brands to set up their branches in the Al Quoz Creative Zone, with several incentives:

• Freelancing permits for creative professionals and entrepreneurs
• A single licence to practise diverse creative business activities
• Help in obtaining other official permits
• Flexible creative legal frameworks to ease business procedures for creative SMEs
• Exemptions from:
  • Import and export fees
  • Visa issuance fees
  • Licensing fees
  • Dubai Chamber fees.

The Al Quoz Vanguards programme will cover several creative industries:

• Publishing
• Writing
• Print and audio-visual media (cinema, music and video, etc.)
• Artistic and cultural industries
• Cultural heritage museums
• Historical sites
• Archives
• Cultural events
• Libraries
• Software and video gaming industry
• Design (fashion, gaming, software, architecture, etc.)

We’re so looking forward to this Al Quoz 2.0! What stage are we at now?

Al Quoz 2.0… that’s a good one! Well, the first phase involved a physical up-gradation of the area. As you would have noticed, Al Quoz’s infrastructure, including roads and signages, has already been upgraded by the emirate’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA).

In 2020, the RTA unveiled the Al Quoz bus depot that can accommodate 273 buses and includes residential quarters for 368 drivers, a food court for 120 individuals, a clinic, a rest area, a plaza, a gym, etc.

In 2020, the RTA announced the completion of the Al Quoz bus depot that can accommodate 273 buses and includes residential quarters for 368 drivers, a food court for 120 individuals, a clinic, a rest area, a plaza, a gym, etc.

With this, Al Quoz has become a standard pitstop on the public transport route. BTW, it has three expansive malls in vicinity, and is well-connected with the Dubai Metro, too.

Later stages of the project will see the introduction of other major facilities to cater to the influx of visitors. The area will also be suitably promoted and branded among residents and tourists along with key strategic partners.

Who are these ‘key strategic partners’ of the Al Quoz redevelopment project, and how will they add value to the area?

Dubai Culture is, as mentioned, the project leader. It is implementing this major initiative with the help of key strategic partners: Brand Dubai, the creative arm of the Government of Dubai Media Office; Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing; Dubai Municipality; and of course the RTA.

The RTA, which has clearly worked hard on the infrastructure development, says the biggest challenge had been to transform the setting of Al Quoz from an industrial zone into a cultural, artistic and innovative environment.

Dubai Municipality is strengthening the development of Al Quoz.

Brand Dubai is working closely with Dubai Culture to transform the cultural identity and ambience of Al Quoz with a range of public art projects. It launched a digital campaign to highlight the artists, creatives and entrepreneurs who have shaped the unique cultural character of Al Quoz.

It also expanded its ‘Proudly from Dubai’ programme to support home-grown businesses in Al Quoz and tell the story of innovation and creativity shaping the entrepreneurial culture.

For Dubai Tourism, the redevelopment of Al Quoz district, the heart and soul of art in Dubai, will provide a major boost to the tourism strategy to offer exceptional immersive experiences and enhance the city’s reputation as a must-visit destination.