Opera glory to conduct the local culture, economy

The economic dividends will be far-reaching, including the benefits associated with hosting world-class events, and the result of the various economic activities that support these events

The Dh 1.2 billion investment made to develop the Dubai Opera will bring enormous cultural and economic dividends to the city, according to Emaar Chairman Mohamed Alabbar.
"Dubai Opera is our tribute to the positivity and vision of His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to firmly underline our city as a vibrant global cultural hub that attracts talent from around the world," Alabbar said. Notable performance venues such as Dubai Opera are "cultural catalysts", Alabbar added.
"They increase our sense of collective identity, connect people to build social capital, strengthen diversity and tolerance, encourage members to participate in the arts, and promote neighbourhood cultural diversity," he noted, adding that the Dubai Opera will help Dubai's Expo 2020 - when it plans to host 25 million visitors - as well as fulfilling a key part of Dubai Plan 2021 to "build a happy, creative, and empowered people by providing rich cultural experiences."

Opera-tive figure Dh1.2 billion - Investment made to develop venue Opera of the future > Dubai Opera will help Dubai's Expo 2020 plans > Will fulfill a key part of Dubai Plan 2021

Cultural and Economic Benefits
Alabbar also highlighted the rich cultural and economic benefits of the Dubai Opera, which itself is part of $20 billion Downtown Dubai mega-development.
"The economic dividends are far-reaching, direct and indirect - the first from the benefits associated with hosting world-class events, and the second as a result of the various economic activities that support the event," he noted.
"Cultural events are a stimulus for tourism and in turn, contribute to the aviation, hospitality and allied sectors," he added. "With its year-round calendar of high profile events by world-class performers, Dubai Opera will further attract visitors to Downtown Dubai, which has already delivered on its promise as 'The Centre of Now.'"
According to Alabbar, the economic advantages of Dubai Opera will come from four distinct channels: performance revenue associated F&B and retail sales, tourism revenue resulting from visitors coming to Dubai to watch the shows, aviation, hospitality and retail venue outside the venue, and lastly from "the cultural ecosystem of local production houses and support agencies" that create thousands of new jobs for creative professionals.
Importantly, it is estimated that cultural or heritage activity is the sole purpose of nearly one in five European tourists, while culture forms a key feature of the trip of 80 per cent of US travellers.
Creative Industries as a growth catalyst
Creative industries are increasingly being seen as powerful growth drivers around the world. In Europe, for example, large-scale cultural productions account for 4.5 percent of their GDP and 8 percent of employment.
In the US, a 2015 report by the Bureau of Economic Analysis noted that creative industries contribute $698 billion to the national economy, and employ over 4.7 million people, while in the UK the creative scene is valued at $116.7 billion per year in terms of contribution to the national economy.
Even taken individually, important venues are found to have tremendous economic impact. According to a Deloitte report, for example, the Sydney Opera House contributes $775 million to the Australia's economy and has generated 8,439 full-time jobs, with a total cultural and iconic value of $4.6 billion because of its over 1.4 million visitors and 2,000 performances annually.

• UAE