The First YouTube Space In The Middle East Is Now Open In Dubai

Videomakers in the Middle East can now gather at a newly-opened hub. YouTube has officially launched a space for creators in Dubai, which joins the nine other YouTube Spaces around the globe.

The Dubai facility, located within the Studio City area, contains production rooms, meeting areas, and stages, all catered to the local online video community. According to United Arab Emirates-based publication The National, creators with at least 1,000 subscribers will able to attend workshops and events at the space, while those with at least 10,000 subscribers will gain access to all of the facility’s equipment.

YouTube Space Dubai was first announced back in 2016, and YouTube’s relationship with the Middle East has changed significantly since then. The video site has hosted FanFest events to connect local creators to fans, and it has given users better access to bandwidth and data by launching its YouTube Go app across the region.

With the new YouTube Space, the world’s top video site will continue to incubate its community in the Arab world. “Arabic language content is so popular worldwide; there’s really a huge demand for that and a lot of it is coming from the UAE, Saudi, Egypt and so on,” YouTube Spaces exec David Ripert told The National. “There are so many young Arabic speakers out there and these creators are really making what the new generation is asking for.”

The facility in Dubai is the third YouTube Space in Asia, joining hubs in Tokyo and Mumbai. In total, YouTube operates full-time spaces across four continents.

The National said the Dubai space is currently “undergoing a soft launch,” and that creators can expect it to become fully operational after the end of Ramadan. The Islamic observance ends on June 14.