Dubai, United Arab Emirates: FTI Consulting, in partnership with the World Governments Summit (WGS), has launched a new joint report positioning the creative economy as a central pillar of future economic growth, diversification, and global influence for governments worldwide.
Titled Creative Futures: The Springboard for Sustained Economic Growth and Diversification, the report argues that cultural and creative industries — including film, music, design, gaming, architecture, publishing, and digital content creation — have moved from the margins of economic policy to its core. Once treated as niche or specialised sectors, these industries are now recognised as powerful drivers of sustainable growth, talent development, and soft power.
According to the report, the global creative economy was valued at approximately $2.25 trillion in 2020, representing 3.1 percent of global GDP and employing nearly 6.2 percent of the global workforce. It also highlights strong multiplier effects, noting that every $1 invested in creative industries generates around $2.50 in wider economic output through spillovers into tourism, manufacturing, and urban services.
The study outlines a strategic framework for governments, calling for coordinated, whole-of-government governance models, innovative financing mechanisms tailored to creative enterprises, education systems that embed creativity and entrepreneurship, and policies that strengthen creative exports and cultural diplomacy.
Antoine Nasr, Senior Managing Director and Head of FTI Consulting Middle East, said the findings demonstrate that creativity has become a cornerstone of national economic strategy rather than a cultural add-on. He added that governments that integrate policy, financing, talent, and global engagement can unlock significant value in innovation, job creation, and international influence.
Reem Baggash, Deputy Managing Director for Strategy, Content and Communications at WGS, described the report as a call to action, urging governments to treat the creative economy as a strategic national asset capable of delivering economic resilience and long-term prosperity.
The report concludes that countries acting decisively today have a generational opportunity to shape global cultural industries, while those that delay risk remaining consumers rather than producers in an increasingly competitive creative landscape.
