Dubai Media City, the Middle East’s leading hub for the media and content creation sector, is marking its 25th anniversary, celebrating a legacy of innovation and growth across the creative industries.

One of TECOM Group PJSC’s 10 business districts, Dubai Media City has played a central role in positioning Dubai as a global media hub and an international destination for talent, investment, and innovation.

Launched to establish Dubai as a multi-dimensional Arab media capital, Dubai Media City was designed to offer a comprehensive ecosystem supported by state-of-the-art infrastructure to drive sector growth. Over the past 25 years, the district has contributed to economic transformation and strengthened the knowledge economy by attracting strategic investments and reinforcing Dubai’s standing on the global media landscape.

Dubai Media City also laid the foundation for TECOM Group’s Media Cluster, which includes Dubai Production City and Dubai Studio City. Together, the cluster supports more than 40,000 creative professionals and is home to over 60% of Fortune 500 media companies. It hosts a diverse mix of television and radio broadcasters, as well as social media and digital content creators, serving as a broadcasting base for news and entertainment content in major global languages including Arabic, English, German, Hindi, Chinese, and Tagalog.

“The visionary leadership of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has firmly established Dubai Media City as a globally leading hub for the media sector,” said Majed Al Suwaidi, Senior Vice President of Dubai Media City, Dubai Production City, and Dubai Studio City, part of TECOM Group. “For more than 25 years, Dubai Media City has played a pivotal role in attracting and nurturing accomplished media leaders, contributing to the UAE’s knowledge- and innovation-based economy.

“As the region’s largest media community, Dubai Media City will continue to provide an advanced ecosystem supported by robust frameworks, innovative solutions, and future-focused technologies, further reinforcing Dubai’s position as a global centre for the creative economy.”

Empowering content creation

Dubai Media City offers sector-specific infrastructure and a supportive environment for sustainable business growth, attracting leading global media and advertising companies such as CNN, Discovery Networks, WPP, and Publicis Groupe. It is also home to prominent regional players including ITP Media Group, which manages a portfolio of more than 75 brands reaching over 100 million people, and OSN Group, whose subsidiary OSN Streaming secured a strategic investment from Warner Bros. Discovery last year.

Alongside Dubai Production City and Dubai Studio City, the district has supported the growth of global industry leaders, homegrown content creators, and leading Arab media voices. Collectively, the Media Cluster contributed to Dubai’s recognition as the Capital of Arab Media for 2020 and 2021 by the Arab Information Ministers Council.

In 2024, Dubai retained its position as the world’s top destination for Greenfield Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in cultural and creative industries for the third consecutive year, according to the Financial Times’ fDi Markets and its Creative Industries Cluster classification. The city attracted 971 cultural and creative sector projects, with FDI capital inflows reaching AED 18.86 billion and generating 23,517 new jobs.

Empowering talent

Dubai Media City continues to support talent development through initiatives such as the Emirati Media Talent Pledge, signed by TECOM Group at the Arab Media Forum 2024. The district also hosts the UAE Ministry of Economy and Tourism’s InstaBlock Lab, established through a memorandum of understanding with Spain’s LaLiga and inaugurated in 2025 to accelerate the blocking of websites that violate intellectual property rights.

The district connects professionals through community platforms such as Creative Brunch and serves as Strategic Partner of Dubai Lynx, MENA’s leading platform for creative excellence and effectiveness. Dubai Media City is also the Knowledge Partner for Dubai Press Club’s Arab Media Outlook – Future Vision report, supporting industry research and thought leadership.

Empowering innovation

As part of TECOM Group’s Media Cluster, Dubai Media City supports innovation through in5 Media, one of four sector-specific verticals under TECOM Group’s in5 incubator. Since its launch in 2013, in5 has supported more than 1,100 start-ups, which have collectively raised over AED 9 billion in funding.

in5 Media provides access to creative workspaces, mentorship, training, and networking opportunities, alongside specialised facilities such as recording and podcast studios and green rooms at Dubai Production City. Start-ups also benefit from collaboration opportunities across TECOM Group’s ecosystem, including Dubai Studio City, which offers production offices, backlots, sets, and the region’s largest sound stages.

Dubai Media City is also home to D/Quarters, TECOM Group’s co-working platform offering flexible, future-ready workspaces designed to support freelancers, start-ups, and large enterprises.

Dubai Media City forms part of TECOM Group’s portfolio of 10 sector-focused business districts, including Dubai Internet City, Dubai Production City, Dubai Studio City, Dubai International Academic City, Dubai Knowledge Park, Dubai Science Park, Dubai Industrial City, and Dubai Design District (d3).