Massive Facelift Will Transform Al Quoz into Dubai’s Hip Hub for Creatives

Dubai’s Al Quoz is in line for a dramatic facelift. Plans are underway to transform the area into a vibrant hub for artists and designers to live, work and create. Once complete, Al Quoz Creative Zone will offer open spaces for events, multipurpose exhibition spaces, shops and outdoor food kiosks. Scooter, walking and cycling tracks will crisscross the zone.

Al Quoz Creative Zone aims to attract creatives from the worlds of publishing, cinema, music and video. It’ll become a home for fashion designers, gaming and software designers and architects. A base for artistic and cultural industries, it will host major cultural events. What’s more, leading brands will be encouraged to open branches and set up shop in Al Quoz.

Incentives

Importantly, creatives in the zone will benefit from a number of incentives. They’ll receive an Al Quoz Creative Membership, giving them access to fee exemptions, reduced rents and business support. Young artists and emerging entrepreneurs can also take advantage of training programmes to help turn their creative ideas into businesses.

Vision

The vision for Al Quoz is part of Dubai’s ambitious Creative Economy Strategy. The urban regeneration will ramp up Dubai’s profile as a leading destination for creatives. “The Al Quoz Creative Zone marks the beginning of bigger projects and initiatives aimed at developing the creative sector in Dubai and boosting its contribution to the national economy,” said state news agency WAM.

A special steering committee will oversee the development of Al Quoz Creative Zone. “The project will create a vibrant hub for artistic, creative and cultural activities in Al Quoz and make it a tourist destination,” said His Excellency Mattar Al Tayer, Vice Chairperson of the committee.

Hip Hangout

Al Quoz already has a growing reputation as a hip place to hang out. That’s down to venues like arts and culture hub Alkersal Avenue, trendy café space Wild & The Moon, arthouse movie theatre Cinema Akil and The Flip Side record store.

Photo: Wild & The Moon

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