ABSTRACT
Inspired by Goldsmith and O'Regan's concept of 'greenfields studio', this chapter argues that the UAE capital, Abu Dhabi, has developed a 'greenfields film and media policy model' – that is, the creation of a film and media industry in a country with no film tradition, no film executives or talent, and little appetence for Arab cinema. While the ex-nihilo creation of a film and media industry stands as quite unique, Abu Dhabi's motivations echo similar use of culture around the world, both for economic purposes and ideological ones. Reinventing Abu Dhabi, through a strategy of importing foreign expertise and inserting into globally accepted practices, has been an economic but also ideological project. Furthermore, the Abu Dhabi case shows the ambiguities of the Greenfields Film and Media Policy Model. By adopting the norms and practices of the Western-born and globally adopted creative industries models and transplanting them in their specific local context, this strategy raises issue of adaptability.
