Creating a creative economy is instrumental to securing recognition and incentives for artists, which Abdelmonem Bin Eisa Alserkal has achieved with the first arts and culture precinct in the UAE. The visionary entrepreneur turned abandoned warehouses in Al Quoz, an industrial area, into an ecosystem of inspiring galleries and trendy cafes in the city.

A decade after Abdelmomen Alserkal founded it, Alserkal Avenue has become home to a concrete area allocated for performing arts. His efforts have been recognized by UAE’s President Sheikh Mohammed with the Patron of the Arts award twice.