Dubai to have 'Space' soon to create content on YouTube

YouTube announced that it is joining Dubai Studio City to bring a YouTube Space to Dubai next year. It will be an incubator space giving YouTube creators the tools and guidance to enable them to innovate and experiment with content.
Through this collaboration, the Mena region's most talented YouTube content creators from Dubai, to Jeddah, Cairo and Casablanca will have free access to high end audio, visual and editing equipment, in addition to training programmes, workshops and courses.
This collaboration follows in the footsteps of nine other YouTube Spaces in Los Angeles, London, Tokyo, New York City, Berlin, Sao Paolo, Mumbai, Toronto and Paris.
Since the first Space was launched in 2012, more than 150,000 people around the world have attended over 19,000 hours of workshops and over 15,000 videos have been created; garnering over 165 million hours of watch time.
"The Mena region has one of the world's most vibrant YouTube communities. Talented creators are producing content for passionate audiences in a region that comes in second in the world after the US in terms of watch time," said Lance Podell, Director and Global Head of YouTube Spaces. "This collaboration with Dubai Studio City will help us support this incredible community of YouTube creators as well as continue to boost the growth of Arabic content on the web. We are happy to have our first Space in Dubai, a place of vibrant creativity from fashion, to media and advertising. YouTube is a home for all this content."
Malek Al Malek, CEO of Tecom Business Parks, said: "Tecom Group's partnership with YouTube to establish the region's first YouTube Space, reflects our commitment to creating an ecosystem conducive to innovation that will ensure Dubai remains at the forefront of a competitive global media industry.
According to the Arab Media Outlook report, 50 per cent of the region's population is under the age of 24, and the youth spend almost two hours a day on videos and social networks.
The combination of creative people, equipped with the right tools will help translate ideas into engaging content, positioning Dubai as a centre for creativity. Dubai Studio City provides cutting-edge facilities, studios and services across the broadcasting, media production, film, television and music and entertainment sectors and is home to the largest sound stages in the Middle East.
The YouTube Space in Dubai Studio City is expected to launch in Q2 of 2017 and construction is scheduled early next year.
reporters@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai