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| Formation | 2008 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Government Backed Initiative |
| Headquarters | Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates |
| Location |
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Parent organization | Abu Dhabi Development Holding Company |
| Website | twofour54 |
twofour54 is a media and entertainment production company setup by Abu Dhabi government and located in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. [1] Many major Hollywood productions have done production work in twofour54's facilities. [2]
twofour54 is located in and named after the geographical coordinates of Abu Dhabi (24° N, 54° E), capital of the United Arab Emirates. [3] The media free zone's main campus is located on the mainland (Yas Island). [2] It also operates a 30,000 square meter backlot in Kizad [4] [5] and production studios in Mussafah, [6] with Yas Creative Hub on Yas Island. [7]
The media free zone twofour54 was founded in 2008. [8] It falls under Abu Dhabi Development Holding Company's remit, [9] [10] as a government-backed media and creative industries hub. [11] Former Universal executive Wayne Borg joined the company as chief commercial officer, a role in which he served until 2013. [12]
In 2012, twofour54 took over the operation of the Abu Dhabi Film Festival, [11] until its demise in 2015. [13]
In February 2015, twofour54 entered into a strategic partnership with Ericsson, under which Ericsson acquired twofour54's playout operations. As part of the agreement, Ericsson established a broadcast and media services hub in Abu Dhabi aimed at serving broadcasters across the Middle East. [14]
In May 2018, twofour54 organized the "Media Innovation Forum" in Abu Dhabi, highlighting the contributions of its partners in producing Arabic and English media content aimed at engaging the region's youth. [15]
In 2020, Michael Garin was appointed CEO of twofour54. [16]
The zone is home to a large number of international and local media companies, [17] and offers infrastructure and support, such as end-to-end production services, [18] government and travel services, [18] 100% business ownership, [19] and set-up and licensing. [20]
twofour54 houses media companies in the audio, visual, and print industries, [21] [22] [23] as well as news outlets and digital app creators. [24] [25] [26] Their facilities also host the first CNN Academy. [2] [27]
As of 2020, more than 550 media companies and over 700 freelancers are based at twofour54, which has been involved in over 2,300 international major productions in Abu Dhabi. [17]
In June 2020, twofour54 Abu Dhabi provided support to the media industry during the COVID-19 pandemic, including rent relief and remote work facilitation. [28]
Notable films produced at twofour54 include Mission: Impossible – Fallout , [29] 6 Underground [30] and Bharat . [16]
In 2021, Stillfront Group acquired Jawaker from Twofour54 Abu Dhabi for AED 753 million as part of its expansion in the Middle East. [31]
In 2021, Twofour54 inaugurated the Yas Creative Hub, a purpose-built campus on Yas Island. It spans approximately 2.9 million square feet and it accommodates over 600 companies. [32]
In April 2022, twofour54 Abu Dhabi launched an initiative to support digital content creators in the Middle East through training, mentorship, and access to production facilities. [33]
In July 2022, twofour54 appointed Mark Whitehead as its CEO. [34]
In September 2022, Twofour54 Abu Dhabi launched "The Community Hub" at Yas Creative Hub, a space designed to support gamers, filmmakers, and content creators with collaborative facilities. [35]
In August 2023, Twofour54 announced plans to develop a new film studio complex in Abu Dhabi, scheduled to open in 2025. [36]
Twofour54 was set up as an initiative of the Abu Dhabi government with a vision to contribute to the diversification of the economy there.
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