By Nasser Aldhaheri.
Abu Dhabi: An Emerging Global Tourist Destination
- 90 Billion AED-25 Billion $ – Contribution of the tourism sector to Abu Dhabi’s GDP by 2030.
- 178,000 New job opportunities anticipated by 2030.
- 39.3 Million visitors expected by 2030.
- Abu Dhabi’s substantial investment in culture aims to en- hance its position as a global arts hub.
- Saadiyat Island serves as a cultural destination featuring five world-class museums.
- Abu Dhabi hosts numerous international events such as the Global Music Festival, the International Book Fair, the Hunting and Equestrian Festival, and the annual Heritage Festival.
It also draws significant visitor traffic during events like the Formula 1 race, IDEX military exhibition, and NAV- DEX maritime exhibition.
Abu Dhabi: An Emerging Global Tourist Destination
Abu Dhabi’s substantial investment in culture aims to enhance its position as a global arts hub. Saadiyat Island serves as a cultural destination featuring five world-class museums, and Abu Dhabi hosts numerous international events such as the Global Music Festival, the International Book Fair, the Hunting and Equestrian Festival, and the annual Heritage Festival. It also draws significant visitor traffic during events like the Formula 1 race, IDEX military exhibition, and NAVDEX maritime exhibition.
is Excellency Saud Al Hosani, Undersecretary of the Department of Culture and Tour- ism – Abu Dhabi, highlights Abu Dhabi’s tourism and cultural vision through the completion of infrastructure projects, the qualification of centers, and the finalization of museum constructions prepared to welcome the public. He emphasizes the launch of the Abu Dhabi Wonders initiative, focusing on tourism and investment in culture and arts according to well-studied plans until 2030, which prioritize sustainability and the integration of arti- ficial intelligence. This approach aims to supplement Abu Dhabi’s budget with non-oil rev- enues from tourism, which has become an essential and vital aspect for developed nations.
What are the cultural and creative industries being developed in Abu Dhabi, and how can they contribute to marketing Abu Dhabi as a tourist destination?
Cultural and creative industries serve as key motivators for economic and social growth and
diversification in Abu Dhabi. These industries encompass heritage, handicrafts and design, publishing, performing arts, visual arts, film and tele- vision sectors, multimedia, gaming, and e-sports. They are among the fastest-growing economic sectors globally, generating an estimated $2.25 trillion in annual revenues and providing 30 million jobs, with their contribution expected to reach 10% of the global GDP. To leverage this growth, Abu Dhabi has made strategic investments to establish thriving cultural and creative industries.
Which authority oversees these cultural and creative industries?
The Department of Culture and Tour- ism oversees creative and cultural industries, continuing to invest with a planned expenditure exceeding 30 billion AED (approximately 8.5 billion USD). This sector will continue to experience accelerated growth, supporting the creation of a unified creative ecosystem across public and private sectors.
What is Abu Dhabi’s strategy to support cultural and creative industries?
In November 2019, the Department of Culture and Tour- ism – Abu Dhabi announced the Abu Dhabi Cultural and Creative Industries Strategy as part of a renewed five-year cultural agenda. The strategy aims to combine significant investments with unprecedented measures to create an environment conducive to the flourishing of cultural and creative industries in Abu Dhabi, supporting the emirate’s aspirations to become a global hub for creative talents and a leading regional center for producing and exporting cultural and creative content.
How does Abu Dhabi implement its cultural and creative industries strategy?
In recent years, Abu Dhabi has made substantial investments in cultural and creative industries, ranging from the establishment of cultural institutions and world-class infrastructure (such as the Louvre Abu Dhabi, New York University Abu Dhabi, Sorbonne University, the Cultural District on Saadiyat Island, Yas Island entertainment, Beit Al Oud, Beit Al Hurrain, Abu Dhabi Children’s Library, Guggenheim Museum, Natural History Museum, and Sheikh Zayed National Museum) to globally recognized programs and initiatives (such as Abu Dhabi Cultural Summit, Abu Dhabi Art, the Abu Dhabi Classical Music Season, and the Talent Development Program in Abu Dhabi). These efforts have stimulated the growth of companies and professionals in the creative and cultural fields within the emirate and beyond.
Is there a partnership between the public sector and the private sector in Abu Dhabi?
Strategic partnerships have been established between the public and private sectors across fields such as culture, education, media, and entertainment. This aligns with Abu Dhabi’s endeavors to create a self-sufficient cultural and creative ecosystem, especially through collaboration with major international institutions such as the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, Berklee College of Music, Columbia University, UNES- CO, and the Getty Institute. This collaboration complements partnerships with prominent global companies like Disney, Unity Technologies, Paramount, Universal, Warner Bros., and CNN, opening new horizons across the realms of closely related cultural and creative industries.
What Incentives Does Abu Dhabi Offer to Ensure the Success of these Cultural and Creative Industries?
Talent development and professional training initiatives aimed at cultivating a pool of highly skilled and knowledgeable talents play a pivotal role in achieving the vision for cultural and creative industries in Abu Dhabi. These initiatives include the Creative Visa Program, which offers sustainable job opportunities in Abu Dhabi by allowing creative talents from around the world to live and work in the UAE, enriching the emirate’s creative landscape.
The recent expansion of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi’s mandate to encompass various cultural and creative fields represents a strategically significant step. It enhances the department’s ability to support and positively impact the emirate’s cultural and creative ecosystem. The new sector added by the department includes overseeing various companies and strategic initiatives in the creative sector in Abu Dhabi, including “Image Nation Abu Dhabi,” “Abu Dhabi Games and eSports,” and the Abu Dhabi Film Commission, as well as managing training and development initiatives like the Creative Lab Initiative and the Arab Film Studio Initiative. Additionally, the Arabic Language Center supports publishing and translation from languages around the world, and oversees prestigious awards such as the Sheikh Zayed Book Award, the Golden Narrative Awards, and the Arabic Booker Prize, among others.
Can you tell us about Abu Dhabi’s 2030 Tourism Strategy? The Abu Dhabi Tourism Strategy 2030 aims to grow the number of visitors to the emirate to reach 39.3 million tourists and increase the sector’s contribution to the GDP to 90 billion dirhams (25 billion USD) by 2030. It also seeks to provide 178,000 new job opportunities, further solidifying the emirate’s position as one of the fastest-growing global destinations in terms of visitor numbers.
What does this strategy promise for the future?
The Abu Dhabi Tourism Strategy 2030 is a forward-thinking roadmap, reflecting innovation and progress. It aims to enhance the emirate’s global cultural and tourism stature while preserving and protecting this heritage for future generations.
This ambitious strategy focuses on sustainable growth and aligns with the broader Eco- nomic Vision of Abu Dhabi 2030, aiming to transform the socio-economic landscape, nurture and support talents, and create a better future for all.
Saud Abdulaziz Al Hosani
His Excellency Saud Abdulaziz Al Hosani, as the Undersecretary of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, leads the department’s mission to support and develop the cultural and tourism sectors in the emirate, solidifying its position as a preferred global destination for tourism, culture, entertainment, and business, while making a positive impact on the creative and investment economy.
With over 20 years of experience in financial management, strategic planning, and various sec- tors including tourism, culture, media, technological solutions, financial services, and investments, Al Hosani plays a vital role in achieving the vision of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi to elevate, preserve, and empower the emirate.
Since his appointment as Undersecretary, he has worked to ensure the growth and development of the cultural and tourism sectors through leading numerous innovations that have gained international recognition, including the implementation of digital transformation initiatives that have enabled the department’s institutional environment to adapt to rapid changes.
Previously, Al Hosani held several positions, including Chief Financial Officer and Acting Head of Financial and Administrative Affairs at the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange, and served as Chief Financial Officer at Advanced Integrated Systems.
He is also a member of several local and international committees, including the Welfare Committee in the Executive Council of Abu Dhabi, the Finance and Development Committee in the founding council of the International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage in Conflict Zones (ALIPH), the Supreme Committee for Digital Government, and the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Group. Al Hosani holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the Higher Col- leges of Technology in Abu Dhabi.
This article is part of the practical work carried out by the students of the Master’s in Travel Journalism.
