Movies and television shows shot in Abu Dhabi will soon qualify for subsidies, thanks to a new incentive scheme being introduced by twofour54and the Abu Dhabi Film Commission (ADFC). Productions made in the emirate will qualify for a rebate of up to 30%. "We want to properly encourage studios to see Abu Dhabi and the UAE as the go-to place," said Noura Al Kaabi, chief executive of twofour54.

Hollywood-based visual effects studio Digital Domain is set to establish a regional office in Abu Dhabi's twofour54 media zone. The media zone will host a new animation, visual effects and motion capture studio, as well as a Digital Domain Institute media school. Work on the 14,000 square metre entertainment production complex will begin in 2013 and is expected to be operational by the end of 2015. The project is set to employ around 500 people.

UAE-based digital media company EMM is to launch a 24-hour entertainment TV channel. The channel is set to launch across the Middle East by the end of 2012. The channel will broadcast from Abu Dhabi's media zone. "EMM's existing digital audience will be drawn to the original and exciting offering from the distinctive new TV channel when we transmit across the Middle East and North Africa. Editorially, operationally and technically our TV programming will be distinctive, innovative, empowering and with high production values," said Nicholas Claxton, chief executive of EMM.

Sky News Arabia has launched a training programme aimed at encouraging UAE nationals to join its staff at its Abu Dhabi studios, The National has reported. "The media profession hasn't traditionally been one of the most attractive careers for young Emirati professionals to pursue," said Adrian Wells, the launch director of Sky News Arabia. "It's much more likely that they would have been attracted into business, or maybe PR, or certainly engineering." 

TROPFEST Arabia, one of the world's most foremost short film festivals will be bringing its support to leading film personalities and filmmakers this year in the Middle East, held in Abu Dhabi. The festival has been commerically successful in attracting almost 150,000 people with a live television audience of over one million every year.