Content powerhouse: Dubai Media City marks 20 years

MEDIA SECTOR LEADER: Driven by an ambitious strategy for the media and content industry, the emirate has become the regional growth leader in the sector, through the creation of the business cluster at the Dubai Media City 20 years ago. It's the regional hub of nameplate media companies such as CNN, Reuters and MBC. It's key attractions: good infrasturue, smooth online registration, coupled with ease of doing business.

TWO DECADES: Established two years ago, the Dubai Media City is home to 2,100 companies and 34,500 employees, including many Fortune 500 companies from around the world. Renowned global media firms such as CNN, Thomson Reuters, and the BBC have their regional headquarters in DMC. In July 2019, The Arab Information Ministers Council named Dubai as the Capital of Arab Media for 2020.

CONTENT KINGDOM: The Dubai Media City broadcasts 122 television and radio channels, as well as 163 publications and content platforms. Amidst the changing global media landscape, and the move towards digital, one major factor in DMC's growth has been the top-class media infrastructure in place.

GROWTH: The hub has grown by leaps and bounds since it was opened started. With 2,100 companies listed under its wings, DMC currently has the largest number of media companies in the region, having spanned into different media sub-sectors. Its key focus today: develop the hub into creating a stronger media economy.

MEDIA BRANDS: Established in 2000, the DMC is home to 3,000 companies and 34,500 employees, including many Fortune 500 companies from around the world. Renowned global media brands such as CNN, Thomson Reuters, and the BBC have their regional headquarters in DMC.

BEYOND THE REGION: The Dubai Media City plays an important role regionally. Beyond the Middle East, content creators within DMC play a regional role and even extend far beyond the region, including North Africa and the Indian subcontinent. The hub has played a key role in putting Dubai on the global media map.”

SIGNIFICANT SECTOR: An indication of the significance of the media sector is the volume of the UAE's advertising market, which stood at $2.051 billion (Dh7.527 billion) in 2018. The Arab Media Outlook estimated that the media market in the UAE in 2018 was about $2.2 billion (Dh8 billion). The country has the highest level of spending media per capita compared to the rest of the region.

FOCUS: The key focus of Dubai Media City is to support new media content creation among Arab youth and attracting local talent and investment in the various media sector -- especially the booming sector of gaming and the movies, according to Majed Al Suwaidi – Managing Director of Dubai Media City, Dubai Studio City and Dubai Production City.

LAUNCHED IN 2000. Till the late 1990s, it was a distant dream for Dubai to be an Arab media capital.

PIONEER: The Dubai Media City pioneered the first dedicated media community in the world providing extraordinary competitive advantages for content-related companies in Dubai. It was envisioned by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai into a the regional media centre.

NEW IDEAS: The Dubai Media City, coupled with it's "twin", the Dubai Internet City, as well as other sector-specific clusters such as the Dubai Studio City and the Dubai Production City and Dubai Silicon Oasis, demonstrate the emirate's ability to create multi-billion-dollars sectors and lead the implementation of new ideas that has made it a model for many countries.