Qatar supports creative, cultural activities: Specialists on World Creativity and Innovation Day

A number of specialists noted that the person of the twenty-first century has became increasingly convinced that the coming period will depend increasingly on generating knowledge through creativity and innovation, which constitute a catalyst for achieving sustainable development.This came in exclusive statements to Qatar News Agency (QNA) on the occasion of the World Creativity and Innovation Day, which the United Nations celebrates on the twenty-first of April of each year.World Creativity and Innovation Day is celebrated in accordance with a UN General Assembly resolution issued on April 27, 2017, and it is an occasion that aims to promote examples of best practices and highlight the use of innovative thinking and technology towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).Economist at the Qatar Committee for the Alliance of Civilizations (QCAC) Nozad Abdulrahman Al Hiti, said in exclusive statements to Qatar News Agency (QNA) that with the beginning of the 21st century, the world witnessed steady developments that speak of a new economy different from the traditional sectors that prevailed in the world in the last century. The creative economy began to develop and take up a large space and positively affect the economies of some countries, while realizing its importance in diversifying sources of income, providing jobs, and sustaining it, pointing out that the creative economy is today a preoccupation for many countries of the world, especially those that enjoy a historical and cultural legacy that extends over the years.The creative economy represents about 7 percent of the global GDP, and its value exceeds four trillion dollars.Dr. Nozad stressed the importance of moving to environmental, scientific, technological and industrial innovation policies, based on the call of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development in the Technology and Innovation Report for the year 2023, for governments to adapt their environmental policy with that.He explained that the technology and innovation report issued by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), predicted that the market value of leading environmentally friendly technologies would reach USD 9.5 trillion by 2023, compared to USD1.5 trillion in 2020. The report called on developing countries to act quickly to take advantage of this opportunity and move to a development path that leads to more diversified, productive and competitive economies.Dr. Nozad Al Hiti cited what Secretary-General of United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Rebeca Grynspan said when she emphasized that we are at the beginning of a technological revolution based on green technology, as this new wave of technological change will have a tremendous impact on the global economy, and the developing countries must capture more of the value created by this technological revolution to develop their economies.On the role of the creative industries of culture, arts, publishing and performance in the global economy for comprehensive social development, Dr Al Hiti explained that the creative industries represented in the visual and performing arts, cinema, television and radio, as well as the content industry, books, newspapers, magazines, architecture and video games, play an important role in the global economy. According to United Nations estimates, the creative economy industries generate annual revenues of $2.25 trillion and create 30 million jobs worldwide. These industries employ more people between the ages of 15 and 29 than any other sector, noting that global exports of creative goods increased from $419 million in 2010 to $524 million in 2020, while global exports of creative services increased from $487 billion to nearly $1.1 trillion over the same period.Regarding Qatar's investment in creative activities during the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar, the expert and economic advisor said that within the framework of the State of Qatars drive to build a diversified competitive economy, the state has begun to support creative and cultural activities that are basic pillars of the creative economy, embodied in the establishment of institutions and bodies concerned with supporting the entertainment sectors, small and medium enterprises, and projects related to the publishing, cinema, visual and audio arts industries, theatre, television, innovations, fashion, architecture and other creative activities. Among these institutions, Dr. Al Hiti mentioned the Social and Sport Contribution Fund "Daam" which has supported the Qatar Photo Festival "photography", the Doha Film Institute, which has taken it upon itself to empower and enhance the capabilities of scriptwriters and stories in the region while maintaining its global character in terms of content and content, Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF), which aims to encourage innovative, competitively selected research in the fields of engineering and technology, physical and life sciences, medicine, humanities, social sciences and the arts, Qatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP), which supports the process of innovation and creativity through the Fund for Financing Technical Projects and the he Arab Innovation Academy (AIA), and Qatar Music Academy, which aims to develop the region's most promising young talents to produce the next generation of world-class musicians by providing a comprehensive music education program based on practice and music theory.He pointed out that Qatar took advantage of these capabilities during the organization of the World Cup, and it supervised the organization of entertainment and cultural events accompanying the World Cup in the fan areas distributed in the cities of Doha, Al Khor and Al Wakrah. The Cultural Village Foundation (Katara) organized (51) main activities, of which more than 300 sub-events branched out, with the participation of (22) countries, during the World Cup period.Dr. Nozad Abdulrahman Al Hiti concluded that the State of Qatar, while looking forward to implementing the third national development strategy (2023-2030), seeks to enhance efforts to transition from a hydrocarbon economy to a diversified economy in which all economic activities contribute, especially the activities related to the creative industries, which will contribute to increasing the contribution of the culture and creativity sector to the gross domestic product, and providing job opportunities, through the introduction of many creative initiatives, programs and projects aimed at supporting the efforts of the State of Qatar in building a diversified and competitive economy, as confirmed by the Qatar Vision National 2030.For her part, Director of the Department of Culture and Arts at the Ministry of Culture Maryam Yassin Al Hammadi stressed, in a similar statement to QNA, the importance of innovation in the cultural field, noting that the cultural field is also a fertile field for creativity and innovation, as the culture of innovation is a work environment that encourages the sharing of ideas and creative solutions, which makes everyone feel confident in putting forward ideas and providing opportunities for improving products of all kinds.She explained that innovation in culture contributes to improving the cultural product and creating a competitive environment in this fieldMaryam Al Hammadi presented models for innovation in the field of culture, such as the shift in the presentation mechanism from satellite channels to paid channels, the shift in field visits to technological simulation (the museum sector as a model), providing free encyclopedias to enrich knowledge content, activating partnership between the public and private sectors in the fields of culture and the arts, creating new opportunities for financing and investing in culture and the arts, and then innovating in transforming culture into a way of life.For his part, Qatari inventor Mohammed Al Jefairi told QNA that creativity is an engine for progress in various cultural and economic fields, promotes sustainability and helps build a better world for all.He stressed that the transition to sustainable environmental, scientific and technological policies is of paramount importance, pointing out that the call from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in the Technology and Innovation Report for 2023 aims to support governments in aligning their environmental and technological policies to achieve sustainable development and face global challenges.