Gulf capital is entering the creator economy. A fund of $50 million to $75 million was set up by Abu Dhabi holding Ethmar International Holding together with the American company Guggenheim Brothers Media, aimed at creators and their tools. The partners announced it on 7 January 2026.
Who leads the fund
The fund will be led by a pair from the American entertainment industry. Dillon Lawson-Johnston previously worked at the agency UTA and at Sugar23, Untitled Entertainment and Anonymous Content. Criswell Fiordalis has worked at Lionsgate, MRC, Hello Sunshine and WEBTOON. The money is meant to go into early-stage companies around content creation, creator tools, fan engagement and entertainment technology. Among the first investments are the comedy platform Stapleview and The Lighthouse from the Whalar group, a campus for creators and their teams.
“We are thrilled to partner with Ethmar International Holding to advance our shared mission of supporting the early-stage creative companies shaping the future of culture from Abu Dhabi to the world,” the two founders of the fund said, according to Tubefilter.
The Gulf region
Ethmar International Holding is based in Abu Dhabi and frames the move as part of building the creative economy. “Abu Dhabi is globally recognized as a capital of capital, while also building the foundations of a scalable and globally connected creative economy,” the holding said, according to Deadline. Other creator events are also heading to the region, from Dubai's 1 Billion Followers Summit to the Creators HQ initiative and the Abu Dhabi BRIDGE Summit.
The European context
The fund invests globally, and the early-stage companies it targets include European ones. For creators and start-ups in Europe, this adds a source of capital outside local platforms and funds. The fund's leadership, with its background at UTA, Lionsgate and Hello Sunshine, shows how the boundary between Hollywood, Gulf capital and the creator economy is blurring.
Capital that once flowed into film studios and talent agencies is now building funds directly for creators and the companies around them.
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