H.E. Maryam Eid AlMheiri (pictured above), CEO of Media Zone Authority – Abu Dhabi and twofour54, as the entity marks its 10th milestone, comments: “It has been a remarkable 10 years, during which we have built a thriving and sustainable media industry in Abu Dhabi that is helping to develop a strong, diversified economy. Media in all its forms is an essential part of our daily lives, creating and moulding our decisions and opinions as individuals and as a society. The content we produce defines who we are and how we are perceived around the world. Over the past decade, our partners at twofour54 have created incredible content that has educated and entertained, kept people up to date with news and views, and even made them dance, smile, and laugh.”
The media zone was founded in October 2008 with the mission to develop a unique and vibrant creative community that encourages world-class content and fosters the success of the region’s media sector. Over its inception, it has seen continuous growth and is home to more than 470 media firms, offering them all the services and support they need to innovate, collaborate and create.
Eid AlMheiri continued: “Together, we are telling the stories of our region so that the world understands our culture, our values and our achievements. And as we do that, we are also raising the profile of our Emirate and everything it has to offer, which attracts new businesses and new visitors to our shores. We are also helping to meet the huge appetite for quality Arabic content around the world, and, at the same time, preserve our language and heritage. And I am delighted to say the future looks even brighter with many new initiatives in the pipeline to further strengthen our media sector. I am proud of how we have grown together as individuals, as organisations and as an industry, solidifying Abu Dhabi’s position as the Capital for content creators.”
twofour54 is home to a mix of leading international brands, including CNN, Red Bee Ericsson and Ubisoft, as well as local and regional companies such as Algorythma, Lamsa, and FLASH Entertainment, plus more than 580 freelancers.
At the media zone, 37% of the partner base is owned and operated by Emiratis who feel the need to be part of a creative community. Some 60% of twofour54 employees are also UAE Nationals, and developing UAE talent is something the zone continues to champion.
Content produced at twofour54 has reached more than 45 million households across the region. The media zone is encouraging and empowering the next generation of media leaders and content creators through initiatives such as the 13,000-strong creative lab, community workshops, the hugely popular summer camp, and its internships programme, all of which give youth a taste of a career in media. twofour54 also supports programmes such as Young Arab Media Leaders, which equips promising young professionals with the skills and expertise they need, and the UAE Apprenticeship Programme, which brings the private and public sectors together to develop the region’s top talents.
About twofour54
twofour54, home to Abu Dhabi’s media and entertainment industry, aims to cultivate Abu Dhabi’s media free zone and provide products and services to attract local, regional and international media businesses to the Emirate. Tasked with enabling a new generation of creative leaders and building Abu Dhabi as the Middle East’s leading hub for content creation, twofour54 provides world-class production facilities, talent development initiatives and training, and business support services for media companies. Named after the geographical coordinates of Abu Dhabi, twofour54 is now home to more than 470 media companies – including Sky News Arabia, Image Nation, Ubisoft, CNN, Fox, Flash Entertainment, M&C Saatchi, and Flat6Labs – as well as a bi-lingual freelancer pool and a community of aspiring media talents. twofour54 is operated under the ownership of Media Zone Authority–Abu Dhabi, a government entity.
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