Dubai Studio City empowers Middle East expansion as global talent community grows 12% in 2024

Dubai, UAE, 18 October 2024:  Dubai Studio City, the Middle East’s leading hub for content creation, is nurturing pathways for creative talent to unlock business expansion in new markets amid the rapid globalisation of the media and entertainment industry, with its community of creative talent noting year-on-year growth of more than 11.5% in the first half of 2024.    

Dubai Studio City, one of TECOM Group PJSC’s 10 vibrant sector-specific business districts across Duba, is showcasing the growing footprint of its ecosystem’s global talent in its ecosystem as Platinum Partner of the Broadcast India show, held on 17-19 October in Mumbai. Indian talent at Dubai Studio City, Dubai Media City, and Dubai Production City – which together form TECOM Group’s Media Cluster – is active in sectors ranging from film, TV, and radio production through to advertising and media support services.  

 “Media production, driven by rising demand for original and diverse content, is transcending the boundaries of language and geography,” said Majed Al Suwaidi, Senior Vice President of Dubai Studio City, Dubai Media City, and Dubai Production City at TECOM Group PJSC. “International companies and talent are leveraging our ecosystem to ideate, produce, and innovate content to serve these new audience needs. As Platinum Partner of the Broadcast India show, Dubai Studio City is spotlighting pathways for the Indian media and entertainment industry to accelerate its global expansion from Dubai. Alongside its sister districts, Dubai Studio City will continue to champion global powerhouses of creativity to contribute to the goals of Dubai Economic Agenda ‘D33’.”  

The diverse and multicultural ecosystem at Dubai Studio City and its sister districts offers world-class, sector-specific infrastructure to develop original high-quality content. The Media Cluster is home to customers such as Zee Entertainment, one of the world’s largest networks of South Asian channels, and NKN Media, whose repertoire includes work with organisations including NDTV 24×7, India TV, and SpiceJet.  

Growth destination

The globalisation of media and entertainment has transformed Dubai, located within an eight-hour flight from 3/4th of the global population, into a world-renowned destination for creative excellence. The city serves as a gateway to diverse audiences, empowering talent with initiatives such as the Golden Visa programme that has drawn notable Indian cinematic and creative personalities in recent years.    

Dubai Studio City’s attractiveness to content creators is bolstered by its strategic alignment with Dubai Film and TV Commission, which from its base at the district supports an array of content production activities to offer seamless shooting experiences to producers, film crews, and filmmakers. With more than 3.5 million Indians living in the UAE, Dubai is cementing its position as a partner for the global ambitions of India’s digital and cinema industries alike, including in the Hindi, Malayalam, Telugu, and Tamil languages.  

Dubai Studio City offers a strategic bridge to link Indian creatives with global audiences, with more than 358,000 minutes of original content recorded across its Sound Stages – among the region’s largest facilities of their kind – and the in5 Media start-up and entrepreneurship incubator, during 198 calendar days’ worth of shoots and recording sessions.  

Dubai Studio City and its sister districts enrich the regional media and entertainment landscape with sector-specific infrastructure including Sound Stages, backlots, sets, water tanks, production offices, and recording studios to provide a holistic ecosystem for all content production needs.  

Home to more than 3,500 local, regional, and international customers and over 38,000 creative professionals, the Media Cluster also nurtures future-focused storytellers through in5 Media, the industry-dedicated vertical of TECOM Group’s start-up and entrepreneurship incubator in5. With a dedicated Innovation Centre at Dubai Production City, in5 Media offers co-working spaces, production equipment, and opportunities to connect, create, and collaborate, serving as a launchpad for media entrepreneurs and innovators.  

Dubai Studio City is part of TECOM Group’s portfolio of business districts, which also includes Dubai Internet City, Dubai Media City, Dubai Production City, Dubai Knowledge Park, Dubai International Academic City, Dubai Design District (d3), and Dubai Industrial City.