Ministry of Culture Launches Training Programme to Enhance Statistical Framework for Creative Economy

The Ministry of Culture has launched a specialised training programme to update the data model of the Statistical Framework for the Creative Economy project. The initiative is being carried out in collaboration with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre, with active contributions from the Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Tourism, and statistical centres across the UAE.

The programme supports national efforts to advance statistical capabilities related to culture, the arts, and the creative industries, following an internationally unified methodology developed by WIPO and adopted by countries around the world.

H.E. Mubarak Al Nakhi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Culture, emphasised the importance of the initiative, stating:
“The programme represents a major milestone in advancing our long-term national vision to develop an integrated knowledge and statistical infrastructure that supports the creative economy. It accelerates our transition towards an innovation-driven economy powered by strong cultural production. Through this international partnership, we are building a high-quality national data ecosystem that will inform future policies and initiatives and strengthen our ability to measure the impact of investments in culture and the arts—ultimately enabling clear growth trajectories in the years ahead.”

His Excellency added that partnering with WIPO and the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre, supported by federal and local entities, reinforces the UAE’s leadership in cultural statistics. “We remain committed to providing tools and standards that empower decision-makers to formulate effective, evidence-based policies, strengthening the nation’s role as a regional and global driver of the creative economy,” he said.

Dimiter Gantchev, Acting Director of the CEDM Programme at WIPO, noted the significance of the collaboration:
“WIPO is very pleased to work with the Government of the UAE in implementing the Creative Economy Data Model. This is the first project of its kind in the Middle East. It will provide a comprehensive overview of the ecosystem supporting creative industries and will identify analytical data for policy making, highlighting the importance of intellectual property and culture for the creative industries.”

The training programme brings together WIPO experts to strengthen national methodologies for data collection and analysis and support the development of indicators that measure performance across culture, arts, and the creative economy.

The updated statistical model is expected to enable more accurate and comprehensive data gathering, creating a reliable foundation for evaluating national performance. This includes assessing the sector’s contribution to economic growth, enhancing cultural sustainability, and boosting global competitiveness.

The initiative aligns with the National Strategy for the Cultural and Creative Industries, launched in 2021, which seeks to expand the sector and position it among the UAE’s top ten economic contributors, increasing its share to 5% of GDP by 2031.

With this step, the UAE becomes the first Arab country to adopt WIPO’s updated statistical model, further affirming its leadership in implementing global best practices that support creativity, innovation, and sustainable cultural development.