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Cultural & Creative Industries — Economic Indicators, 2019–2023
Value added, employment, enterprise formation and trade performance of the UAE's Cultural and Creative Industries (CCI) sector, structured under the WIPO classification framework.
How the CCI sector is classified
Every figure on this dashboard follows the National Approved Framework for Cultural & Creative Industries — the UAE's adaptation of the WIPO methodology — which groups activities into four tiers ranked by how central copyright-based creativity is to the activity.
CoreOther
Core Industries
Activities that directly create copyrighted works — software, publishing, film, music, advertising
Interdependent Industries
Equipment & materials needed to produce or use Core works — hardware, devices, paper
Partial Industries
Sectors where only part of the activity is creative — architecture, interior design, jewellery
Other Industries
Distribution & infrastructure that carries CCI content to market — telecom, trade, transport
Sector at a glance
Four headline indicators tracking the CCI sector's footprint in the national economy from 2019 through 2023.
Sector Value Added
AED, 2019–2023
Workers in the Sector
Number of workers, 2019–2023
Private Establishments
Companies operating in CCI, 2019–2023
GDP Contribution
Sector share of total GDP vs. non-oil GDP
Source — UAE Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre; UNCTAD (UNCTADstat Data Centre) for creative goods exports data.
Value added by industry type
The CCI sector is grouped into Core, Interdependent, Partial and Other industries under the WIPO methodology. Values in AED billion.
Value Added by Industry Type
AED billion, 2019–2023
Share of Total Value Added
% of sector total, 2019–2023 — Core's share has grown while Partial's has shrunk
Employment by Industry Type
Number of workers, 2019–2023
Share of Total Employment
% of sector workforce, 2019–2023 — Core's employment share overtook Partial's in 2020
Compound Annual Growth Rate, 2019–2023
CAGR by industry type (value added) — Interdependent Industries has grown fastest, Partial Industries has contracted
Source — UAE Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre.
Core industries, by sub-activity
Breakdown of the Core Industries group — the sector's largest and most established segment — across its eight constituent sub-activities.
Value Added by Sub-Activity
AED million, year by year, 2019–2023
Share of Core Industries Value Added
% of Core total, 2019–2023 — Software & Databases' share has grown from 33% to 55%
Employment by Sub-Activity
Number of workers, year by year, 2019–2023
Share of Core Industries Employment
% of Core workforce, 2019–2023 — Software & Databases now employs the largest share of Core workers
Private Establishments by Sub-Activity
Number of companies, year by year, 2019–2023
Value Added Trend by Sub-Activity
AED million, 2019–2023 — Software & Databases has pulled ahead of Literature & Publishing since 2020
Source — UAE Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre.
Cultural & creative goods exports
The UAE's exports of cultural and creative goods, tracked over time and broken down by goods category for 2023.
Exports Over Time
AED, 2019–2023
Exports as % of Non-Oil Exports
Share of total national non-oil exports
2023 Exports by Goods Type
AED million — Jewellery and ornaments dominate at ~76% of total CCI goods exports
Source — UNCTAD (UNCTADstat Data Centre); UAE Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre.
What "Industry Type" means
Every figure in this dashboard is organized under the National Approved Framework for Cultural & Creative Industries — the UAE's adaptation of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) methodology. Activities are grouped into four tiers ranked by how central copyright-based creativity is to the activity.
CoreOther
← Higher creativity (copyright) elementLower creativity (copyright) element →
01
Core Industries
Activities that directly create copyrighted works
Music and TheatreAdvertising ServicesSoftware and DatabasesLiterature and PublishingVisual Arts and Graphic DesignCopyright Collective SocietiesCinema, Film and PhotographyTelevision and Radio
02
Interdependent Industries
Equipment & materials needed to produce or use Core works
Paper IndustriesComputer Hardware and EquipmentTelevision, Video and Radio DevicesCopying and Photocopying MachinesMusical InstrumentsDisc PlayersPhotography and Cinema Equipment
03
Partial Industries
Sectors where only part of the activity is creative in nature
Clothing, Textiles and Footwear ManufacturingDolls and Toys ManufacturingArchitectureMuseumsFurniture, Ceramics and Glass ManufacturingCarpet and Wall Covering ManufacturingInterior DesignJewellery Manufacturing
04
Other Industries
Distribution & infrastructure sectors that carry CCI content to market
Telecommunications SectorWholesale and Retail Trade SectorTransport Sector
Source — National Approved Framework for Cultural & Creative Industries Activities, based on the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) methodology for measuring the economic contribution of copyright industries.
