Cultural and Creative Industries

Abstract

Abstract Digital cultural and creative industries have become integral to the way the knowledge-based economy operates. These sectors bring together culture, leisure, and entertainment in formats that have never been experienced before, from online games to streaming services and digital publishing to virtual museums. With today’s technology, consumers can access media on various platforms for different uses. This chapter examines digital cultural industries in the Middle East associated with the production, storage, distribution, and exhibition of cultural goods and services. It pays particular attention to the interlocking histories, strategies, and transformations of digital cultural industries. It argues that while economic, political, and cultural clout among traditional media industries may be waning, digital media’s reconfiguration and underlying political economy are still crystallizing.