Dubai Media City (DMC) was launched in January, 2001, and has since carved its niche as a global media hub. The DMC offers an environment that is favourably disposed to global and regional media companies and independent media professionals in the United Arab Emirates. DMC also enables various businesses to operate jointly, including printing and publishing, media and marketing services, film, music, leisure and entertainment, new media, etc. DMC hosts global media behemoths such as CNN, Reuters, MBC, CNBC, Showtime, Bertelsmann, and Sony.
Furthermore, presently DMC is home to a media realm comprising more than 20,000 individuals employed in over 2,000 regional and international media organizations. Besides that, DMC also has provisions and features for freelancers in the community.
DMC offers a large variety of features and benefits that are conducive to business. This includes:
- A collective cluster environment where a certain work campus is assigned to businesses that come under the purview of a specific industry value chain. This enables companies to operate, collaborate, and interact efficiently and effectively.
- Dubai Media City’s Free Zone status means companies are able to reap countless other benefits that accompany a free zone
- It also gets top-notch infrastructural provisions such as community infrastructure, high-speed internet, digital voice services, etc.
- Exemption from various taxes
- 100 per cent foreign ownership
- No restrictions on currency
- Quick access to knowledge workers
- No impediments for hiring foreign employees
- Business-friendly company laws and smooth legal framework
- Swift immigration process
To ease the complete process of not only setting up but also operating effectively once companies hit the ground running here, DMC proffers assistance with licensing and registration, guest reception services, office management and maintenance, and myriad government services, such as visa, licensing, postal, and traffic services. Besides that, a 24×7 visa service is also available.
With the aim of being an inclusive business environment, Dubai Media City provides a large variety of licenses that companies can apply for. The list includes:
- Business Information Services License
- Consultancy and Retail License
- Event Management License
- Event Support Services License
- Media and Marketing Services License
- New Media
- Media Support Service License
- Advertising and Communication
- Media Association
- Freelancer
The cost of setting up in Dubai Media City starts from AED 10,000.
Dubai Media City offers boutique villas, which includes ground parking, semi-furnished office, and garden area, to business partners. Located along Al Soufouh Road, the villas are well-suited for fuss-free business operations.
TECOM Group, the organization that manages DMC, also offers an integrated innovation platform — in5. The platform offers modern and specialized facilities that cater to media, design, and technology industries. In addition to that, in5 also enables training and mentorship programs, thus fostering a dynamic environment that facilitates the further development of novel ideas by the means of access to market research and investors and community-wide networking events among others.
