Abu Dhabi's new generation of creativity
Behind the headline institutions, global fairs and heritage projects, Abu Dhabi’s cultural growth is being shaped from the ground up.
Across the emirate, collaborative hubs and programs are nurturing creative communities – resulting in a thriving generation of artists, entrepreneurs and students working in arts, culture and beyond.
Hubs of creativity
Abu Dhabi’s cultural ambitions are well articulated through its landmark projects: museums of global stature, major heritage festivals and carefully planned districts that have transformed the emirate into one of the world’s leading cultural destinations. But beneath such headline projects sits something arguably more important: the communities that give those spaces life.
Across Abu Dhabi, a growing network of creatives and entrepreneurs are building sustainable careers thanks to the many collaborative spaces that prioritise experimentation, exchange and accessibility. At M_39 in Mina Zayed, for example, or Manarat Al Saadiyat on Saadiyat Island, creativity is practical and communal – supported through shared infrastructure, mentorship and everyday interaction.
At M_39, that philosophy is immediately visible. This creative hub combines private studios, communal workspaces and public areas designed to encourage conversation. Sunlight floods through wide corridors into studios occupied by production houses, filmmakers, design studios and other creative startups. In the open courtyard, conversations move easily between coffee, collaboration and business advice.
“The idea was conceptualised because there wasn’t anywhere in Abu Dhabi that had the same kind of infrastructure for creatives,” says Alamira Reem Al Hashimi, general manager of M_39. “A lot of them are solopreneurs, so we wanted to create a place where there was affordable access to studios but also a real sense of community.”
That community aspect is repeatedly referenced by those based there. For Rasha Ghazaleh, founder of interior design firm RG Studio, moving into M_39 transformed the way that she worked. “I wanted a space where I could find people around me,” she says. “Within one year of being here, I got to know so many people from the industry. It’s an interconnected workspace.”
Emirati filmmaker Mariam Al Serkal, founder of Triplets on Set, describes a similar experience. After years of working in cafés and home offices, the atmosphere at M_39 gave her a renewed sense of direction. “The moment I came here, it was the right energy,” she says. “It’s not just a building. It’s a place that enables you to learn, observe and collaborate.” Much of that interaction occurs spontaneously each day.
Al Hashimi says the space was intentionally designed to create chance encounters between members at different stages of their careers. “Someone around the corner might have an experience that helps somebody else,” she says. “There’s a lot of exchange that happens organically.”
The architecture reflects that thinking. Alongside workspaces are breakout lounges, the courtyard, podcast rooms and quiet corners intended to encourage focus and reflection. “M_39 is not just a workspace,” says Al Hashimi. “It was important to create spaces where unexpected conversations could happen, where ideas spark and collaborations begin.”
What emerges is less an office complex than a small creative neighbourhood. Designers critique each other’s work in communal spaces, entrepreneurs share advice over lunch at chic in-house snack bar Barbassi, and collaborations form between disciplines that might otherwise never happen. M_39 is part of the wider Mina Zayed – or MiZa – a cultural regeneration of the port district that also includes the 421 arts complex, a new coding school and other creative ventures taking over the warehouse spaces.
“M_39 is not just a space or a building, it’s much more than that. It enables you to sit, learn, observe and collaborate.”
Mariam Al Serkal
Founder, Triplets on Set
Mariam Al Serkal’s boutique independent film company, Triplets on Set, was playfully named after her experience of parenting on shoots. Based in M_39, her studio specialises in non-traditional storytelling, with subjects ranging from the art of performance to women in sustainability.
Al Serkal is part of a blossoming Abu Dhabi film scene, in which institutions such as the Abu Dhabi Film Commission and the twofour54 media zone are helping to bring Hollywood productions to the UAE while cultivating local talent.
Across the city at Manarat Al Saadiyat, the delivery is different but the underlying ambition feels remarkably similar. Where M_39 centres on entrepreneurship, Manarat Al Saadiyat focuses on artistic development and public participation. Its workshops and studios provide space for people of varying ages and abilities to experiment with ceramics, painting, photography, sculpture and mixed media within an environment that feels inviting and encouraging. “It’s open and very creative,” says artist Anastasia Loginova. “The space is created for artists. You can really focus on your art.”
For many visitors, accessibility is key. Sarah John describes the studio spaces as “a hidden gem”, while staff member Oliver Rubiales says the workshops introduced him to techniques he would otherwise never have learned.
Together, M_39 and Manarat Al Saadiyat reveal a broader truth about Abu Dhabi’s cultural development. The emirate’s ambitions are not solely tied to iconic architecture or international prestige but to the more deliberate, long-term work of nurturing creative communities from the ground up. The result is a cultural ecosystem that feels considered: one where artists, entrepreneurs and students are given space to work and the support structures needed to sustain creative lives over the long term.
Inspiration
“Abu Dhabi is the kind of place where you can leave your studio for a coffee or a sandwich and end up having a conversation that changes the way you think about your work.”
Raj Dagstani
Founder, Barbassi
When Raj Dagstani opened his Marmellata pizza joint, he didn’t look to Naples or New York for inspiration – his approach was pure Abu Dhabi. Specials include a fig-andgorgonzola pizza, flavoured with pistachio and lemon.
Buoyed by the success of the family-run Souq Al Mina spot, Dagstani opened Barbassi in 2025, a chic sandwich bar named after one of his sons, Sebastian – or “Bassi”. There are no gimmicks here, just warm service, a stylish mid-century interior and pillowy focaccia sandwiches with mouthwatering fillings.
Find out more at dct.gov.ae
