H.H. Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed, Chairperson of Dubai Culture, expressed her confidence in the ability of committee and executive team members of the Al Quoz Creative Zone to work together effectively to develop a 100-day plan.
She emphasised Dubai’s commitment to implement this unique national project in the best possible way in line with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, to make Dubai a global capital of the creative economy, the preferred destination for creatives and the world’s best city to live and work.
Sheikha Latifa’s remarks came during the project committee’s first meeting chaired by her to discuss the implementation of the Al Quoz Creative Zone.
The meeting, held in the presence of Mattar Al Tayer, Director General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), and Vice Chairman of the Committee; Dawoud Al Hajri, Director General of Dubai Municipality; Sami Al Qamzi, Director General of Dubai Economy; Helal Saeed Almarri, and Director General of the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism); and Hala Badri, Director General of Dubai Culture, discussed a comprehensive proposal to manage the project, aiming to develop an integrated creative ecosystem for creatives, cultural innovators and entrepreneurs.
The Zone will enhance the value of Al Quoz as a regional and global centre for designers and creatives who wish to live, create and work within it and from a professional and lifestyle perspective. The meeting also deliberated on the approval for the project’s governance system and its objectives and progress indicators of the 100-day plan to implement its first phase.
HH Sheikha Latifa said: “This is a pioneering project with ambitious goals, and we want it to be the best model for a creative ecosystem locally and globally. I have confidence in the outstanding competence of all committee members and their ability to actualise this initiative at the highest standards and to realise His Highness’s vision for a future in which Dubai leads the global cultural scene and is the pre-eminent hub for talent and enterprise in the creative economy.”
She approved the governance system for the project, which defines the roles and functions of all project teams. The Executive Team includes Hala Badri, Director-General of Dubai Culture, the Chairperson of the Team; Hussain Al Banna, Executive Director of Traffic Department, Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), the Vice Chairperson of the Team; and representatives from Dubai Culture, RTA, Dubai Municipality, Dubai Economy, and wasl Asset Management Group.
The infrastructure development project team, headed by Eng Hussain Al Banna from RTA, includes representatives of Dubai Municipality, wasl Asset Management Group and Dubai Culture, while the creative community support project team is headed by Lina Zain Al Din from Dubai Culture and includes representatives from Dubai Economy and Dubai Tourism. All these teams are supported by a Dubai Culture team.
H.H. Sheikha Latifa emphasised the importance of integrating the roles of team members and the need for cooperation and team spirit. Her Highness also approved the 100-day plan, a comprehensive development plan that outlines the priorities for the teams and their goals and project indicators. Priorities for the infrastructure development project team include conducting a comparative study on similar projects that combine living, working and public creative spaces; developing a multi-use space model; submitting recommendations to the project committee; and identifying activities related to the creative industries sector and necessary permits in the Al Quoz Creative Zone.
Priorities for the infrastructure team include providing flexible mobility, launching the visitor transportation service from Al Safa Metro Station to the Al Quoz Creative Zone, developing the initial design for pedestrian routes and individual transportation means and providing advisory services (study and design) for transportation integration and flexible mobility in the Zone, in addition to renaming the streets in the area and encouraging landowners there to provide units for creatives.
