Dubai Media City is marking 25 years as a cornerstone of the Middle East’s media and content creation sector, underscoring its role in Dubai’s rise as a global hub for creative industries.

Established to position Dubai as a multi-dimensional Arab media capital, Dubai Media City was designed as an integrated ecosystem with modern infrastructure to support media companies, talent, and investment. Over the past quarter-century, it has contributed to the emirate’s economic diversification and the growth of its knowledge-based economy, while strengthening Dubai’s standing on the global media map.

Dubai Media City is one of TECOM Group PJSC’s 10 business districts and served as the foundation for the group’s broader Media Cluster, which also includes Dubai Production City and Dubai Studio City. Together, the cluster supports more than 40,000 creative professionals and hosts over 60% of Fortune 500 companies operating in the media sector. It serves as a regional broadcasting base for news and entertainment in languages ranging from Arabic and English to Hindi, Chinese, German, and Tagalog.

Majed Al Suwaidi, Senior Vice President of Dubai Media City, Dubai Production City, and Dubai Studio City at TECOM Group, credited the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum with establishing Dubai Media City as a leading global media hub. He said the district has consistently attracted international media leaders and will continue to support the sector through advanced infrastructure, regulatory mechanisms, and future-oriented technologies.

Dubai Media City hosts global media and advertising groups including CNN, Discovery Networks, WPP, and Publicis Groupe, alongside regional leaders such as ITP Media Group and OSN Group. Its ecosystem, together with Dubai Production City and Dubai Studio City, contributed to Dubai’s designation as the Capital of Arab Media for 2020 and 2021 by the Arab Information Ministers Council.

The district’s growth aligns with Dubai’s broader creative economy performance. In 2024, Dubai ranked first globally for attracting Greenfield Foreign Direct Investment in cultural and creative industries for the third consecutive year, according to the Financial Times’ fDi Markets. The city recorded 971 projects in the sector, AED 18.86 billion in FDI inflows, and more than 23,500 new jobs.

Dubai Media City also supports talent development and industry governance initiatives, including the Emirati Media Talent Pledge launched by TECOM Group in 2024, and the InstaBlock Lab, inaugurated in 2025 in partnership with Spain’s LaLiga to combat intellectual property violations. It serves as a hub for professional exchange through industry events and as a knowledge partner for initiatives such as the Dubai Press Club’s Arab Media Outlook - Future Visionreport.

Innovation remains central to the district’s mandate. Through in5 Media, part of Dubai’s in5 incubator launched in 2013, more than 1,100 start-ups have been supported, collectively raising over AED 9 billion. Co-working and enterprise facilities, including TECOM Group’s D/Quarters platform, further anchor Dubai Media City’s role within a broader network of sector-focused districts across the emirate.

Photo credits: Government of Dubai Media Office

Alexander Agafiev Macambira

Alexander Agafiev Macambira is former tech contributing writer for Forbes Monaco.