Abu Dhabi, 07 April 2026: The Ministry of Culture has launched the fifth cycle of the National Grant Programme for Culture and Creativity, one of the UAE’s flagship national initiatives dedicated to supporting Emirati creatives and enabling them to develop impactful cultural and creative projects.
The launch of the new cycle reflects the Ministry’s ongoing commitment to fostering an enabling environment for national talent, providing opportunities to transform innovative ideas into tangible projects that deliver cultural and societal impact.
His Excellency Mubarak Al Nakhi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Culture, said: “The National Grant Programme for Culture and Creativity reflects our ongoing commitment to empowering creatives to make meaningful contributions to the cultural and artistic landscape. This initiative is guided by our firm belief that culture is a cornerstone of comprehensive development and a bridge connecting national identity with cultural openness.”
H.E. added: “Through this programme, we provide Emirati creatives with opportunities to develop high-quality projects and transform their ideas into tangible work that enriches the UAE’s cultural landscape. We also aim to strengthen national creative output locally and internationally, in line with our vision to build a knowledge-based and innovation-driven creative economy.”
His Excellency further highlighted that the Ministry continues to develop programmes and initiatives that strengthen the UAE’s cultural and creative industries ecosystem, while opening wider opportunities for national talents to help shape the cultural landscape and produce creative content that reflects the uniqueness of Emirati identity and its authentic values.
The programme provides an integrated framework for supporting creatives through four categories including Creation and Production, Distribution and Local Participation, Capacity Development, and International Travel and Mobility. These categories support projects across a wide range of fields, including writing and publishing, music, film and television, performing arts and theatre, visual arts and design, video games, and cultural heritage. Submissions for the fifth cycle will be accepted until 26 June 2026.
Through the programme, the Ministry of Culture offers beneficiaries comprehensive support designed to help them develop their creative projects. This includes enabling the production of cultural works, facilitating participation in various cultural events and platforms, and supporting attendance at festivals and specialised gatherings, thereby expanding the reach of their work and increasing its impact on the cultural scene.
Since its inception, the programme has witnessed growing interest from the creative community. A total of 26 creatives benefited in the first cycle, increasing to 43 creatives in the second cycle and reached 44 creatives in the third cycle.
In December 2025, the Ministry announced 41 beneficiaries in the fourth cycle of the programme, which recorded a 77.6 per cent increase in the applications compared to previous cycles.