Many would agree that the economy today in the Middle East is not at its strongest, with low oil prices and higher costs of living having a negative knock-on effect in many industries. But even in an economy that is down, specific industries can prosper, and in Dubai especially I’ve found it fascinating how the arts and creative industries are really booming.
Sunday to Thursday my evening schedule is full with openings of new galleries on Alserkal Avenue, fashion shows or artistic productions. Dubai has always been criticised for its copy-and-paste way of doing things, but in this industry in particular, what I am seeing is home-grown talents starting to come through.
My father is an artist and in my home country of the UK, and much of the western world, that is viewed as a very upper-class career path to take, mostly because many traditionalists believe there isn’t a lot of money in art and you have to come from a wealthy family or “old money” to pursue that as a career. Well, my father wasn’t born into a swan’s feather, but he managed to make a living through art and at times an impressive earning through his creative skills. So for me, having grown up the son of an artist, I would certainly argue the traditionalist theory and support that there is a lucrative business in creative industries if you know where to focus.
But in the UK, our core industries have been strongly established since the industrial revolution about 200 years ago. The art and creative industries followed this and are considered secondary industries that can only prosper once those core industries are firmly established. What surprises me is the speed at which the creative scene is taking place in Dubai considering industrialisation is less than half a century, although I suppose this isn’t too surprising considering how fast other sectors have exploded over the past 15 years.
Some may argue that artistic and creative industries are insignificant in the big economic picture and only contribute a tiny portion of the economy (for example arts and culture make up 0.4 per cent of Britain’s GDP). This may be true in isolation, but in the big picture the creative industry plays a key role in supporting other industries. Take London’s West End theatre scene as an example of supporting the tourism industry, or the artistic design that is the crux of any branding and marketing agency, not to mention the giant global fashion industry that relies on creative designers. When viewed in this interrelated way, it emphasises the importance in fostering creative industries and talents for other industries to prosper.
There is no doubt the Dubai Opera due to open this year will have tremendous benefits to the tourism industry as well as performing art lovers living in Dubai. The question on my mind is how much locally-formed production will there be now, and how much more will there be in the future? Initiatives like this can only inspire local talents and give them an avenue to express their art form and participate in productions.
The transformation of Arabic history and culture into artistic expression is something that as yet has not been highly publicised or exported to the rest of the world, something I believe has a lot of potential not only in performing and visual arts, but also in fashion and design once the local markets for these have developed.
What we are starting to see now is a shift from what has been a market-led demand to a top-down push from government level to develop this industry. The creation of Dubai Design and Fashion Council to position Dubai as a fashion and design hub is more clear evidence that this is now a government concern and not just market-driven. As we have seen in the past, when the government backs something, it happens and it happens fast.
This can only be good news for SMEs in these sectors, as I foresee many businesses will sprout from this and some we will soon forget that they were ever an SME.
As Pablo Picasso said: “Others have seen what is and asked why. I have seen what could be and asked why not”.
Paris Norriss is an entrepreneur and partner in Coba Education, which provides educators to schools and institutes