Presentation at DEAL Live by blooloop - Developing a strategy for the cultural and creative industries in the UAE by Dr Kenneth Wilson

1. Developing a Strategy for the
Cultural Industries in the UAE
Presentation to DEAL 2017
Dr Kenneth Wilson
Ministry of Culture & Knowledge Development
United Arab Emirates
Sunday 26 March 2017

2.  Who is Kenneth Wilson?
 Some contextual facts about the UAE: population;
workforce; tourism flows.
 What is culture in the context of the UAE?
 What are cultural industries?
 Why have a cultural industries strategy?
 What can leisure companies in the UAE do to embrace
local culture and build closer links to local cultural
industries?
Introduction
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3.  Advisor to the Minister of Culture & Knowledge
Development, UAE, HE Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al
Nahyan, since 2014.
 Associate Provost, Zayed University, UAE; 2011-2014.
 Director, National Research Foundation, UAE; 2008-2011.
 Originally a Professor of Economics from Australia who
came to UAE in 2004 to help build research capacity at
Zayed University.
 Undertaken applied economic and policy research on UAE
for several ministers in UAE government.
Kenneth Wilson
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4.  The UAE is a federation of seven independent Emirates
that came together in December 1971 to create the country
under the leadership of His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin
Sultan Al Nahyan.
 Population, total approximately 10 million with 1.3 million
Emiratis.
 Workforce, approximately 6 million with about 320,000
Emiratis in the labor force.
 Tourism flows, approximately 20 million visitors each year.
Some contextual facts about the
UAE.
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5. UAE Population estimates
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6. UAE National
Population
1,170,000
Non-working
age
446,000
Working age
724,000
Inactive
427,000
Active
297,000
Unemployed
43,000
Employed
255,000
Government
217,000
Public-owned
15,000
Private
23,000
UAE workforce estimates, 2013
(Qlearsite)
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7.  UAE is a cultural cross-roads where people from more
than 200 nationalities live in peace, prosperity and
harmony.
 Emirati culture competes in a sea of other cultures.
 There is an emerging, yet ill-defined UAE ‘global
culture’.
 ‘Culture for all’.
What is culture in the context of the
UAE?
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8.  Cultural industries are responsible for producing
cultural products; goods and services that embody
some form of cultural expression.
 Cultural products include goods and services that are
often bought for reasons other than purely utilitarian
ones. Often they are consumed for aesthetic, sensory
or experiential reasons.
What are cultural industries?
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9.  Often cultural products have the capacity to arouse
emotions in the consumer, such as in the case of
listening to music or watching a film.
 Most of the industries that comprise the ‘cultural
economy’ are bound together by three common
factors:
 Cultural products tend to be non-essential or luxury in
nature.
 The richer the country the higher the expenditure on
cultural products.
 Cultural products tend to be produced in specialized
clusters while the products circulate in global markets.
What are cultural industries cont’d?
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10.  Advertising
 Architecture
 Broadcast media
 Design
 Fashion-clothing
 Film
 The ‘finer’ arts (including performing arts, graphic arts and
literature)
 Furniture
 Glass, ceramics, cutlery, crafts, etc.
 Jewelry
 Libraries, museums, heritage
 Music
 Photography
 Print media
 Software, new media
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What are cultural industries cont’d?

11.  What are the cultural products currently produced?
 What are the cultural industries currently producing
cultural products?
 How many jobs are available currently in cultural
industries?
 What is the regional distribution of cultural industries?
 How many UAE nationals are currently employed in
cultural industries?
 What are the jobs in the cultural industries that are most
popular with UAE nationals?
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Why have a cultural industries
strategy?

12.  Which cultural industries have the best prospects for growth,
expansion and global reach?
 What are the education and training needs of the cultural
industries?
 Is there any clear regional pattern in the distribution of cultural
industries?
 What are the cultural industries with the best prospects for
regional development and agglomeration?
 What cultural-industry related data should be collected regularly
by relevant statistical agencies?
 What policy recommendations are needed to enhance cultural
industry development?
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Why have a cultural industries
strategy cont’d?

13.  Aam Al-kheir, the ‘Year of Giving’; develop culturally
relevant and sensitive approaches to corporate social
responsibility.
 Make attractions more local-friendly; try customizing
‘western’ themes.
 Introduce some rides and activities using ‘local’ super
heroes.
 Create interesting info-sharing opportunities about local
culture when customers are queuing and moving around
between rides.
 Make more use of Arabic.
What can leisure companies in the UAE do to
embrace local culture and build closer links to
local cultural industries?
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14.  Include local cultural products and souvenirs with local
cultural content in your retail stores.
 Employ Emiratis as cultural ambassadors to accommodate
the special needs of Emiratis and other Gulf nationals.
 Enter into partnerships with local NGOs and heritage asset
sites; encourage your visitors to enjoy the country’s hidden
treasures that are hidden in plain view.
 Share your expertise with the local cultural sector to help
increase cultural tourism.
What can leisure companies in the UAE do to
embrace local culture and build closer links to
local cultural industries cont’d?
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15.  Thanks for listening
Conclusion
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