CULTURE: UAE'S NEXT GROWTH ENGINE

Creative industries already outperform global heavyweights — it's time to unlock their full power

- BY HUDA ALKHAMIS-KANOO | Special to Gulf News

Old superstitions die hard. An outdated, unwritten rule that many still cling to today posits that science, business, finance are “grownup” concerns. Art is secondary. Culture is what we turn to once the serious work is done.

Fortunately, the UAE's leadership decided to challenge this dusty belief in 2021 with an unequivocal response: a National Cultural and Creative Industries (CCI) Strategy that is deploying 40 major initiatives, 16 of which support talent and creatives with ambitious objectives to have the CCI reach five per cent of GDP by 2031. That is not a dream. It is our future.

Indeed, our country understands that culture is serious business. It drives growth and frames it. Energy and data might fuel the economy, but imagination is its mastermind. Art in all its forms gives meaning and humanity to technology. American businessman and inventor Steve Jobs put it perfectly: “Technology alone is not enough. It is technology married with liberal arts and humanities that yields results that make our hearts sing.”

Before advocating any further for culture, I must clarify: art has a value of its own. I dream of a world that lives by the motto “Ars Gratia Artis” (Art for Art's Sake), which encircles Metro Goldwyn-Mayer's legendary roaring lion. But I understand that this alone might not be enough to convince many, so let us consider what benefits art and culture truly offer.

Culture's extrinsic value

The intrinsic qualities of art to build empathy, and to create human connection and shared experiences are well documented. But those seeking hard data might prefer to begin with culture's extrinsic value. Unesco has established that culture and creativity already represent 3.1 per cent of the world's GDP and 6.2 per cent of global employment.