Dubai (Etihad)
Yesterday, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, launched the national strategy for cultural and creative industries, as a national strategy aimed at advancing the sector, enhancing its size, increasing its capabilities, and motivating it to be among the ten most important economic industries in the country. And work to increase the contribution of the cultural and creative industries to reach 5% of the gross domestic product. The strategy, which is the first of its kind in the Arab world, aims to enhance the country’s position on the map of global cultural creativity and indicators of global competitiveness in this field, and to highlight the UAE’s pivotal role in empowering and inspiring creative human competencies, and for the UAE to be an attractive destination for innovators in the cultural field from all over the world. .
Her Excellency Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Youth, stressed the importance of the cultural and creative industries sector as a major driver of sustainable development, in line with the state’s strategy that stimulates economic diversification by increasing the contribution of the GDP of the cultural and creative industries sector to the national economy, to reach about 5% In the next ten years, and doubling the number of establishments operating in the sector along with the number of jobs they provide, especially in light of the presence of 22 free zones in the different emirates of the country that attract creative and talented people.
To achieve these goals, the strategy identified 40 initiatives, which are divided into three main axes: the axis of talented and creative people, the axis of professionals and the business environment, and the enablers of the business environment. With 16 initiatives in the axis of talented and creative people, 10 initiatives in the axis of professionals and the business environment, and 14 initiatives in the axis of enabling the business environment.
Her Excellency Noura Al Kaabi explained that the strategy of the Ministry of Culture and Youth is based on partnership between the public and private sectors to implement a comprehensive program to develop the cultural and creative industries sector. Active in translating the future vision of the country striving to build a solid and solid economic system, of which the cultural and creative sector is one of its pillars.
Her Excellency Noura Al Kaabi valued the continued support and vision of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the State, may God protect him, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, as the wise leadership and its insightful vision were credited with developing the necessary infrastructure for the advancement of cultural and creative industries, as the UAE has all the ingredients to make it a global center for cultural creativity.
She added: “The focus on the cultural and creative industries is a new growth opportunity, given the critical importance of this sector to the global economy, as the United Nations declared 2021 (the International Year of the Creative Economy for Sustainable Development), in order to confirm the existence of a strong link between the cultural and creative industries. and achieving sustainable development, despite the challenges imposed by the (Covid-19) pandemic on this sector.”
Her Excellency indicated that the national strategy for cultural and creative industries works to unify the efforts made at the federal and local levels, in order to achieve the strategic goals of institutions operating in this sector, in partnership with the public and private sectors, educational institutions and public benefit institutions.
Culture, creativity and advanced technology
His Excellency Dr. Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, said: “Within the directives of the wise leadership and the strategic objectives of the (50 projects), the UAE focuses on ensuring that its economy is one of the strongest and most active globally, and the launch of the national strategy for cultural and creative industries will contribute to supporting the product. cultural, creative and creating more growth opportunities that enhance the competitiveness of the UAE globally.”
He added: “The partnership between the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology and the Ministry of Culture and Youth is part of efforts to drive growth in the economic sectors for the next fifty years. We are committed to supporting cultural and creative industries as part of the government’s strategy, and we will work to include this support through the national standards and metrology sector in the ministry.” To enable and sustain cultural and creative work through policies, regulations and legislation, as well as to combine culture, creativity and advanced technology, in order to facilitate the access of these products to global markets, in addition to reviewing and strengthening policies and legislation with the aim of supporting technological progress in the field of cultural and creative industries, and supporting the research and development system in These industries.
He pointed out that we are all confident that working as a team is part of the commitment to achieving the UAE Centennial 2071, by continuing the march of achievements in the next fifty years, and unifying national efforts to create a bright future for the UAE, especially through the national strategy for industry and advanced technology, which focuses within Its objectives are to transform the UAE into a regional and global center for future industries, and to enhance the added value of the national economy.
Providing the labor market with competencies and talents
His Excellency Dr. Abdul Rahman Al Awar, Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation, praised the strategy of cultural and creative industries launched by the Ministry of Culture and Youth, pointing to its active role in supplying the labor market with competencies and talents, which would contribute to enhancing market competitiveness, which would positively reflect on the country’s global competitiveness.
He stressed the ministry’s keenness to support this strategy, based on its keenness to actively participate in the implementation of national plans and strategies aimed at achieving comprehensive renaissance and sustainable development for the country in accordance with the roles and responsibilities required by the government work system.
The UAE is first in the Arab world and second globally in the field of creative goods and services
His Excellency Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy, affirmed that the activities of the creative economy represent a major tributary to advancing comprehensive and sustainable economic and social development in the UAE with a proactive approach that looks forward to the future, and contributes to achieving the vision of the wise leadership in line with the objectives of the fifty principles. His Excellency Ibn Touk added: “The UAE is today the first in the Arab world and the second globally in the field of creative goods and services, and ranked sixth globally in the creative goods exports index according to the results of the Global Innovation Index 2021. The launch of the national strategy for cultural and creative industries represents a new qualitative leap in the development of the system The creative economy and enhancing the country’s position as a leading destination in a promising, diversified and rich sector of opportunities,” noting that the outcomes of this pioneering strategy will lead to the development of industries related to culture, heritage, creativity, arts and entertainment, including digital and modern media, in a way that supports the new economy sectors in the country and enhances its position as a destination A global knowledge economy based on creativity, innovation, talent and technology.
His Excellency stressed the keenness of the Ministry of Economy to contribute effectively to achieving the objectives of the strategy by developing the legislative system for cultural and creative industries, which enhances the country’s attractiveness for talent and investments, facilitates the establishment and practice of business in these activities, and develops the intellectual property system to provide protection for creative industries in all its forms, including individual creators. And entrepreneurs, in addition to supporting the file of exporting cultural and creative products and services and opening new global markets to them, and improving the work environment for small and medium-sized companies in the cultural and creative industries through policies and measures that support economic growth.
Public benefit associations in the cultural and creative sector
His Excellency Hessa Buhumaid, Minister of Community Development, said: “The Ministry of Community Development is keen to support the national strategy for cultural and creative industries implemented by the Ministry of Culture and Youth through a set of initiatives and programs aimed at promoting sustainable development in this vital sector in the country, most notably, studying a business environment. Public benefit associations and institutions in the cultural sector, and the improvement of the mechanism for classifying and publicizing associations (technical service).
She added: “Achieving the strategy’s objectives reflects our keenness to achieve the vision of our wise leadership, and our national agendas to support the cultural and creative community in the UAE, enhance its contribution to economic growth, and open new horizons to continue our project in building a creative community, and to move forward in achieving global leadership, all the way to the UAE Centennial.” 2071».
Stimulating creativity in the educational system
His Excellency Hussain Al Hammadi, Minister of Education, said: “There are promising plans and programs that the Ministry of Education is working on to achieve the objectives of the national strategy for cultural and creative industries, including designing cultural and creative education programs for early childhood, to identify creators from early childhood and discover their talents, and to launch advanced educational policies. Ensuring the provision of world-class education that supports the cultural and creative industries, in addition to paying attention to qualifying cadres and educational methods, and strengthening the facilities and tools necessary to produce future creators.
His Excellency stressed that the Ministry is working on initiatives to stimulate creativity in the educational system and enhance creative skills development programs through a review of curricula, to identify gaps and keep pace with recent developments in the field of cultural and creative industries, and to organize programs that enhance future skills and global citizenship in cultural and creative industries, and to develop studies grant programs And cultural research to provide a balanced education for the sectors of the cultural and creative industries in line with the needs of the labor market.
Developing the economic statistical framework for the cultural and creative industries
Hanan Ahli, Director General of the Federal Center for Competitiveness and Statistics, explained that the center works to support the national strategy for the cultural and creative industries, and other national strategies. Strong that enables it to reach the world by adopting innovation and advanced technologies. She confirmed that the Federal Center for Competitiveness and Statistics launched the project of the national program to develop the economic statistical framework for the cultural and creative industries, in cooperation with the World Intellectual Property Organization, and in a strategic partnership that includes the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Culture and Youth, in addition to the national statistical centers, with the aim of preparing and implementing an action plan for collecting, analyzing and evaluating data. The statistics that serve the objectives of the project within an integrated statistical framework for the cultural and creative industries at the federal and local levels, as well as participation in the preparation of a comprehensive statistical methodology to measure the contribution of the creative and cultural industries sector to the national economy.
She added: “The Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Center will work to measure the economic and social indicators of the cultural and creative industries, provide decision-makers and the relevant government agencies, and measure the contribution of the cultural and creative industries sector to the country’s gross domestic product.”
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