Dubai has always led in certain things to stand out across the Middle East, especially when it came to business and trade. I was born and raised there, so I’ve seen the ambition seep from the leadership. Now they have set their sights on the rising Creator Economy.
Following the third edition of the 1 Billion Followers Summit, the Government of Dubai announced the Creators HQ initiative. I did cover the news in one of my podcast episodes (embedded below) covering the initial announcement.
Their goal is to attract content creators and influencers to set up their presence in the region, with a target of 10,000 of them. Backed by funding amount to US$40 million, it’s looking to establish itself as the premier hub for the Creator Economy in the Middle East region. They’ve set up at the Emirates Towers, and it clearly shows the government-level support to put Dubai on the map. You can attribute it to the Vice President and Ruler of Dubai.
Creators HQ incentives too enticing
It just so happened that I saw Avi Gandhi’s recent video (a noted LinkedIn Top Voice focused on the Creator Economy, whom I recommend you follow), share some insight into how there are many full-time creators in the US. Yet, there is no infrastructure to support them just like a startup can pitch for funding with VCs/investors.
Of course, I chimed in with my comment that maybe they should look into Creators HQ. They are offering plenty of incentives to make it a reality for them:
- Golden visa without a local sponsor (10 years and renewable)
- Relocation support
- Support to register your creator business with guidance
- Financial and legal support
- Logistics assistance related to filming permits, licenses and tax registrations.
Many of the social media platforms have their regional HQ setup in Dubai, and they’ve even announced partnerships with Creators HQ to lay the foundation. Meta has been one of the big ones, along with many more including Spotter (people behind Spotter Studio, looking to help creators with their content pipeline) and Tube Filter.
The grander plan also includes workshops and numerous events to keep the hub active year round, paired with the annual 1 Billion Followers Summit. Did I mention it’s not only video creators who are invited? Podcasters, visual artists and professionals in advertising/marketing are eligible as well.
Other regional options
Dubai is not the only one who is dabbling in this. Some of the neighboring countries have also taken slightly similar yet different paths.
Snap launched the “Majlis Snap for Content Creators” in November 2024. It’s located in the JAX district of Diriyah, a suburb of Riyadh. I see this as their commercial investment to the 25 million monthly active users in Saudi Arabia, supporting the community of creators and their partners/clients. Even Snap CEO Evan Spiegel was in attendance to mark the milestone, which definitely looked to showcase the importance of the announcement.
Going back to February 2024, TikTok announced their Creative Studio in Qatar at Web Summit Qatar 2024 and I even spoke with their GM for the region about it. As of today, there has been no update on it yet, However, there may be something to share with the upcoming Web Summit Qatar 2025 as they’ll have an official presence.
Compared to Qatar and Saudi Arabia, Dubai’s efforts tower both of them in terms of scale and even target audience. The latter is thinking globally, capitalizing on creators who are likely based in mature prominent markets and don’t see any support by the local government.
Grand scheme
If the US has been the birth place of the “Creator Economy” concept and even of the social networks that have given us the rise of influencers/content creators, why haven’t they taken any leadership on this? Aside from the Creator Economy Conference held by the previous presidential administration, it’s only been an acknowledgment of their influence and impact.
If you’re looking to dive into this opportunity in Dubai, MSN has a nice syndicated step-by-step guide that outlines the steps. Check out their official website to learn more about them.
Image Credit: Creators HQ website
