Under this partnership, CMA and PopArabia will continue hosting songwriting camps throughout 2025 and 2026, with the potential for further expansion.
The Creative Media Authority (CMA) has announced a two-year collaboration with PopArabia to host a series of specialised songwriting camps in Abu Dhabi. The first of these, CREATE in Abu Dhabi, took place over four days at Yas Creative Hub, bringing together industry professionals from around the world. Organised in association with Music Publishers Canada and supported by the Independent Music Publishers Forum (IMPF), MDL Beast Records, ESMAA and Reservoir, the initiative aims to foster creative collaboration and develop the region’s music industry.
Focusing on urban, hip-hop, Afro and pop music, CREATE in Abu Dhabi provided artists, writers and producers with an immersive environment to collaborate and refine their craft. The initiative aligns with Abu Dhabi’s status as a UNESCO Creative City of Music and plays a key role in expanding the UAE’s songwriter economy, ensuring the long-term growth of its creative and musical ecosystem.
The camp welcomed artists from the Middle East, Asia, Canada and Europe, reinforcing Abu Dhabi’s role as a global hub for music creation and export.
Mohamed Dobay, Acting Director General of Creative Media Authority, said: “Being able to host a songwriting camp is an absolute blessing, and to be able to showcase our next generation of talent to the world is inspiring. Creative Media Authority is committed to providing world-class training and development opportunities such as these to emerging creatives, and being able to provide them with opportunities to work with some of the world’s leading creatives enhances and grows our creative ecosystem, placing Abu Dhabi’s talent alongside the best in the world.”
Part of the internationally recognised CREATE series by Music Publishers Canada, similar camps have been held in Australia, the USA, Germany and the UK. This initiative also supports PopArabia’s ongoing mission to nurture regional talent and introduce Arabic music to global audiences.
Hussain “Spek” Yoosuf, Founder and CEO of PopArabia and ESMAA, added: “The Middle East is one of the fastest-growing markets in the world for music, and we’re witnessing the emergence of a vibrant regional sound that is increasingly resonating with global audiences. PopArabia and ESMAA have been longtime advocates for music creators and their rights in this region, and these camps are a natural extension of our broader mission to building and supporting a thriving ecosystem for music in the UAE and for the wider region.”
