2. Free and affordable spaces will be made available
The first pillar focuses on cultural infrastructure, with creatives gaining access to spaces and assets that can be used for work, showcases and professional networking.
Free, multi-purpose venues will be made available to members of the creative community in collaboration with Dubai Municipality, Dubai CommerCity, House of Arts at Expo City Dubai, Dubai Holding Asset Management, Dubai International Financial Centre and Dubai South.
Dubai Culture will also make dedicated space available within its own assets, while affordable workspace will be offered through Letswork. The aim is to help creatives display their work, connect with audiences and build stronger professional networks.
3. Grants and commissions will support production
The creative production pillar focuses on funding and commissioning, giving artists and creative businesses more routes to bring projects to life.
The support includes the Dubai Cultural Grant, a micro-grants programme with Art Jameel, a micro-commissioning programme with Luxuriant Design, founded by Emirati entrepreneur Saeed Saif Al Ketbi, and an exhibition grant with Art Dubai.
The creative production pillar brings together the Dubai Cultural Grant, a micro-grants programme with Art Jameel, a micro-commissioning programme with Luxuriant Design and an exhibition grant with Art Dubai.
4. Training and market access are part of the plan
The portfolio also includes talent development, with a focus on giving creatives stronger links to audiences, markets and professional growth opportunities.
Dubai Culture will continue its e-learning initiative in partnership with LinkedIn, alongside cultural activation programmes, workshops and training courses.
The participation and audience pillar will provide promotional and media support across digital platforms to spotlight local talent. Retail and exhibition opportunities will also be offered through Majid Al Futtaim’s Ma’an programme, which provides complimentary spaces within the group’s assets.
5. Dubai will use public spaces to promote creative work
The cultural impact pillar will bring creative work into the public realm by turning parts of Dubai into an open-air gallery.
Through a partnership with PHI Advertising, creative works will be displayed on outdoor billboards across the emirate. The move gives artists wider public exposure while strengthening Dubai’s identity as a city that places culture and creativity in everyday spaces.
Nivetha Dayanand is Assistant Business Editor at Gulf News, where she spends her days unpacking money, markets, aviation, and the big shifts shaping life in the Gulf. Before returning to Gulf News, she launched Finance Middle East, complete with a podcast and video series.
Her reporting has taken her from breaking spot news to long-form features and high-profile interviews. Nivetha has interviewed Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed Al Saud, Indian ministers Hardeep Singh Puri and N. Chandrababu Naidu, IMF’s Jihad Azour, and a long list of CEOs, regulators, and founders who are reshaping the region’s economy.
An Erasmus Mundus journalism alum, Nivetha has shared classrooms and newsrooms with journalists from more than 40 countries, which probably explains her weakness for data, context, and a good follow-up question.
When she is away from her keyboard (AFK), you are most likely to find her at the gym with an Eminem playlist, bingeing One Piece, or exploring games on her PS5.