Majed Al Suwaidi, MD of Dubai Studio City, says Dubai has increasingly become an important production hub and the free zone aims to drive demand further with a number of ongoing initiatives.
Dubai Studio City has reiterated its support for the film production industry and has sponsored the Script to Screen in 48 competition with the aim of providing coaching and mentorship with in5 Media as well as access to film and editing equipment to new entrants. It will also serve on the jury of the CABSAT APPATHON competition, where ten teams of developers will create the best TV app with the Metrological SDK in 48 hours.
Speaking about Dubai Studio Citys role in nurturing talent, Majed Al Suwaidi, Managing Director of Dubai Studio City, said: This region has seen a substantial growth for the demand of films and production. Dubai has succeeded to become a film hub and we are honoured to have contributed to that vision. Our success has been a result of the solid ecosystem that have cultivated comprising of one of the largest regional soundstages, world-class production services, cutting-edge facilities and unique training opportunities for local and international talent.
According to the Arab Media Outlook 2016-2018 report, digital is one of the main trends causing a paradigm shift in the media industry. This is significantly because of the youth, who are now both consumers and producers of online content mainly due to the rise of smartphone and video space usage. Dubai Studio City claims to provide an environment that will enable key players in the industry and individuals to transition and thrive in a new era.
Digitisation, be it of content, services or production is redefining go-to-market strategies and is changing customer demand, commented Suwaidi.
For example, it is leading to the emergence of a whole new breed of ‘cloud-based’, ‘mobile-first’ start-ups, plus the set-up of regional offices for international players and new kind of platforms. Dubai Studio City has the expertise and infrastructure for this industry change, and we welcome the opportunity to showcase this and discuss our offerings to the industry at large during the latest CABSAT event.
