Dubai Culture emphasises that a green environment always inspires creativity.

Muhammad Yusuf, Features Writer

Yas Creative Hub is one of the flagship developments of Abu Dhabi’s Dhs30 billion investment strategy for Culture and Creative Industries.

It is 95 per cent complete and 93 per cent leased, with the first units due to be handed over by the end of the year. The release includes the first official images and video of the 2.9 million sq.ft. (270,000 sq.m) sustainable development — including aerial views captured using a drone.

The project will be home to more than 600 media, entertainment and gaming firms, and the latest companies to confirm their move include Ubisoft, Vice, Ericsson, Unity Technologies and CNN.

twofour54 Abu Dhabi, the host of the Hub, has also announced that the first units will be ready to hand over to tenants by the end of 2021.

The zone will be home to a diverse group of global companies, local and independent businesses and freelance professionals.

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With the number of jobs in Abu Dhabi’s creative industry expected to triple to 16,000 by 2031, Yas Creative Hub has been purpose-built to meet the future needs of the flourishing creative sector.

Among the organisations to confirm their move to Yas are mobile gaming developer Boss Bunny, music publishing company PopArabia, critical issues firm Brunswick Group, the Eton Institute training and development centre, production company Bidaya Media, communications firm Edelman, Korean Cultural Centre, and dmg events, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Daily Mail and General Trust plc (DMGT) consisting of an international portfolio of information, media and events businesses, listed on the London Stock Exchange.

They will join household names such as Ubisoft, Vice, Ericsson, Unity Technologies and CNN on campus, as well as new partners including Abu Dhabi’s state broadcaster, which is relocating its headquarters to Yas Creative Hub, in what is being seen as a momentous move for the media and entertainment industry.

Michael Garin, CEO of twofour54 Abu Dhabi, said: “Media, entertainment and gaming are growing at an exponential rate globally and in Abu Dhabi, and Yas Creative Hub has been designed with the future of these sectors foremost in mind.

“It offers industry-leading production facilities, next-generation connectivity, digital technologies and flexible workspaces for firms of all sizes, from start-ups to international powerhouses.

“We are looking forward to welcoming them all to one of the most advanced content creation hubs in the world.” Yas Creative Hub was designed by MZ Architects, the creators of Aldar’s HQ, and features a fully walkable, landscaped campus and an outdoor amphitheatre.

There will be more than 60,000 sq.ft. (5,500 sq.m) of production and post-production facilities, as well as an AD Gaming Hub featuring the Unity Center of Excellence that provides the game development industry in the region with on-the-ground support and mentorship.

  Hala Badri, Director General of Dubai Culture.

The Hub will include six purpose-built studio facilities equipped with cutting edge technology that enables world-quality broadcast, including the region’s first glasswalled studio.

Also, in a first-of-its-kind public-private partnership in the region, Dubai Culture and Letswork, a platform that connects users to on-demand workspaces, private offices and meeting rooms, are collaborating to provide creative spaces in Dubai.

The venture will provide a range of flexible work spaces for creative talents in a network within the city, at reasonable prices, with exclusive benefits.

The partnership aims to provide Dubai’s creative community with work spaces to suit their needs in optimal work environments, outside their traditional areas.

The public-private partnership falls within the framework of the Al Quoz Creative Zone development plan. Through it, the two parties seek to make the process of searching for and booking workplaces easier for Dubai’s creative community, where talents can obtain additional discounts through the Letswork membership, among other benefits, within the spaces available on the platform’s network.

Hala Badri, Director General of Dubai Culture, said: “We are pleased to be the first government authority in the region to have partnered with the private sector to provide flexible workspaces for creatives, based on our experience of what it takes to establish creative businesses and on the importance of securing flexible and diverse workspaces at reasonable prices.” Letswork strives to provide affordable and practical solutions for workplaces within Dubai, in addition to a membership that offers access to the cafes, hotels and co-working spaces available in the city.

Talents can also find and rent on-demand spaces, such as podcast rooms, photo studios, recording studios, temporary workspaces, event locations and more, to suit their creative needs.

Omar Al Mheiri, Co-founder of Letswork, commented: “The concept of ‘work’ has shifted over the past two years, let alone the past decade. Letswork aims to be at the forefront of offering suitable spaces for people to conduct their work as they define it. Dubai is rich with spaces that enable and foster creativity; our partnership with the Authority will help the creative community to explore these spaces.” One can join Letswork by following a few steps that only require logging onto the website www.letswork.io and selecting the package, ranging from daily (Dhs39), weekly (Dhs209), and monthly (Dhs499).

The membership offers several benefits, such as wireless internet access, discounts on food and beverages, and free parking.