Under the directives of Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), the Authority announced that creative entrepreneurs, talents, and craftsmen in Al Quoz can now apply for the long-term cultural visa approved in 2019 by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

The decision means to empower talents, encourage them to settle in Dubai, and provide them with the opportunity to flourish and engage in the region's development process. It comes in line with the Authority’s strategy to support and preserve the creative talents of citizens and residents, and attract creatives across various fields of arts and culture from all over the world to study, live, and work in Dubai, providing them with a rich platform for growth in one of the most desirable and ambitious destinations in the world.

The cultural visa initiative is one of many that contribute to achieving Dubai's vision of an enhanced cultural and creative economy and of a sustainable society that attracts and embraces the most important Arab and international creative energies and talents. Attracting, retaining, and empowering writers, artists, and creators helps to strengthen Dubai's position as an incubator for creativity and innovators and a preferred destination for cultural talents.

This step is one of the resulting outputs of the Al Quoz Creative Zone committee’s development project chaired by Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed, who is overseeing the implementation of the project and working to achieve its strategic objectives of supporting the creative community and creative industries in the emirate, providing a pioneering environment and a comprehensive system that will develop the creative sector. The committee includes His Excellency Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the Roads and Transport Authority and the Vice Chairman of the Committee; His Excellency Dawoud Al Hajri, Director-General of Dubai Municipality; His Excellency Sami Al Qamzi, Director-General of Dubai Economy; Her Excellency Hala Badri, Director-General of Dubai Culture; His Excellency Helal Saeed Almarri, Director-General of the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism); and His Excellency Hesham Abdullah Al Qassim, CEO of Wasl Asset Management Group.

Dubai Culture is working with its strategic partners to provide an integrated environment for talents in Al Quoz Creative Zone, which will enable them to unleash their energies and creative work, consolidating the emirate's position on the cultural scene and the creative sector as a global competitor, taking into account the needs of talents and cultural and creative entrepreneurs wishing to invest in various areas of the creative economy. This enhances the value of the zone as a regional and global center for designers and creatives seeking to work and live in Dubai. Through Al Quoz Creative Zone, the Authority seeks to provide an incubating environment that inspires and encourages all local and international talents to join Dubai's creative horizon.

Al Quoz Creative Zone will offer many advantages, including multi-purpose spaces comprising studios for creatives to work, live, and create in at affordable prices; creative workspaces that provide an independent and supportive environment for talents through spaces and experiences that combine creativity, innovative ideas, and common goals; a unified integrated platform to serve these talents; and a streamlined network of roads to ensure ease of movement within the zone — through distinct tracks for bicycles and scooters as well as for buses; sidewalks; street lighting; and transportation centers — in addition to various facilities such as retail spaces for restaurants, shops, and outdoor exhibitions.

Dubai Culture invites all target groups in Al Quoz to submit their applications to obtain the cultural visa by sending the required documents to [email protected], including their academic qualifications, community contributions, and job positions, in addition to a copy of their passports, a copy of their Emirates ID, their cultural biographies, contact numbers, addresses and places of residence and work.

For more details about the application process and the required documents, please visit the following link:

https://dubaiculture.gov.ae/ar/Our-Initiative/Pages/The-first-cultural-visa-in-the-world.aspx