Dubai to have first YouTube Space in MENA

YouTube is joining efforts with Dubai Studio City to bring a YouTube Space to Dubai next year, an incubator space giving YouTube creators the tools and guidance that remove barriers enabling them to innovate and experiment with content.

Through this collaboration, the MENA region’s most talented YouTube content creators, from Dubai, to Jeddah, Cairo and Casablanca will have free access to high-end audio, visual and editing equipment, in addition to training programmes, workshops and courses.

This collaboration follows in the footsteps of nine other YouTube Spaces in Los Angeles, London, Tokyo, New York City, Berlin, Sao Paolo, Mumbai, Toronto and Paris. Since the first Space was launched in 2012, more than 150,000 people around the world have attended over 19,000 hours of workshops and over 15,000 videos have been created; garnering over 165 million hours of watch time.

Lance Podell, Director and Global Head of YouTube Spaces, commented: “The MENA region has one of the world’s most vibrant YouTube communities. Talented creators are producing content for passionate audiences in a region that comes in second in the world after the U.S in terms of watch time. This collaboration with Dubai Studio City will help us support this incredible community of YouTube creators as well as continue to boost the growth of Arabic content on the web. We are happy to have our first Space in Dubai, a place of vibrant creativity from fashion, to media and advertising. YouTube is a home for all this content.”

Malek Al Malek, CEO of TECOM Business Parks, said: “TECOM Group’s partnership with YouTube to establish the region’s first YouTube Space, reflects our commitment to creating an ecosystem conducive to innovation that will ensure Dubai remains at the forefront of a competitive global media industry.

The partnership reflects Dubai’s ability to attract the strongest and most dynamic content platforms to the UAE, and our aim is to leverage our shared experience in creating an enabling environment for the nurturing of a unique talent pool, and to empower them to generate inspiring and engaging content from Dubai Studio City.

According to the Arab Media Outlook report, 50% of the region’s population is under the age of 24, and the youth spend almost two hours a day on videos and social networks. One of the top 3 media industry drivers is digital video with expected growth of 30.4 percent CAGR for the period 2016-2018 reaching US$370 million by 2018 in the MENA region.

The combination of creative young people, equipped with the right tools and facilities will help translate ideas into engaging content, positioning Dubai as a center for creativity and we look forward to having this innovative space in Dubai Studio City.”

Dubai Studio City provides cutting-edge facilities, studios and services across the broadcasting, media production, film, television and music and entertainment sectors and is home to the largest sound stages in the Middle East.

The YouTube Space will offer content creators opportunities to:

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• Learn: From training programs and workshops to master classes, there are opportunities to get hands-on experience from industry leaders, and learn to use high end production equipment, production techniques, and YouTube best practices.

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• Connect: Attend events, meet fellow creators, spark new ideas and share experiences on how to succeed on YouTube.

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• Create: This is a space for creators to bring stories to life. They’ll have access, for free, to a studio and all the latest audio, visual and editing equipment that will enable them to experiment and create great videos that fans will love.

The YouTube Space in Dubai Studio City is expected to launch in Q2 of 2017 and construction is scheduled early next year.