Dubai: Filipino content creator and cinematographer Aldrin ‘Odee’ Yabut nearly missed the message that changed his life.
It was the end of an ordinary day, and Yabut was talking to his wife, Valerie, who was preparing dinner in the kitchen. He had recently been laid off from his job in content creation, so he was spending his days shooting and producing personal vlogs instead. He said: “My routine was a bit messy because I was sleeping at around 4am or 5am, just to finish creating content, then waking up later in the afternoon.”
That’s why, when scrolling on his phone, he realised a message had come in while he was asleep. Yabut tapped it open.
His wife noticed him suddenly standing stock still, staring at the screen in utter disbelief. “What happened?” she asked, alarmed.
It was a message by the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority. They wanted to meet with him.
Yabut said: “I immediately apologised to them because I didn’t want them to think I ignored the message. Honestly, I thought I had already missed the opportunity. But thankfully, one of their team members replied the next day and arranged a meeting with me.”
The meeting was beyond anything Yabut expected – he was offered the chance to collaborate with Dubai Culture to produce a five-episode social media content series.
He said: “It felt unreal. I didn’t expect that a personal content series about losing my job would lead to an opportunity like that.”
Just two weeks prior to that fateful day, in early April, Yabut had been let go from his job as associate manager of photography and videography in a firm in Abu Dhabi, where he had been focusing on producing equestrian and horse racing related content.
For five years, he had worked with various brands, companies, and clients, but his stable job had come with a cost. “I slowly stopped creating personal content for myself. The passion was still there, but I think it got buried under deadlines, client work, and the pressure of doing it professionally.”
So, when he was let go, Yabut decided to take it as an opportunity to do something a little different – something more personal.
He said: “I decided to post my daily routines because I didn’t want to stay at home doing nothing. I wanted to keep myself productive, keep creating, and keep sharpening my skills. As a creative, I believe the more you create, the more you grow.”
He started a social media vlog series called ‘Lost a Job in Dubai’, which captured his life as an unemployed resident in the city. He returned to his original passion: storytelling and film-making. And it paid off.
His videos began going viral. A few days after episode three received close to 500 comments and thousands of views, Dubai Culture contacted him with an idea that was right up his street.
Yabut said: “The idea of the project is to highlight the stories of Dubai-based creatives — their journey, their work, their passion, and the people behind the art. Right now, it is planned as a five-episode series, and we’ve already finished producing the first episode. The other episodes are currently in the process of being filmed and produced.”
The project is meaningful for Yabut, because he can return to being a storyteller: “It’s not just about creating videos, but about documenting people, their creative journey, and the culture around them.”
Emirates 24/7 spoke with Shaima Rashed Al Suwaidi, CEO of the Arts, Design & Literature Sector at Dubai Culture. She said: “At Dubai Culture, we believe that talent is one of our most valuable cultural assets. Supporting creatives and content creators is not simply about providing opportunities, it is about enabling individuals to realise their potential, amplify their voices, and contribute to the cultural and creative fabric of our city.
Dubai's success as a global centre for culture, an incubator for creativity, and a thriving hub for talent is built on its ability to attract, nurture, and empower creative minds from around the world. Through our programmes, partnerships, and initiatives, we are committed to creating pathways for talent to grow, connect with new opportunities, and transform their creative passion into sustainable careers.”
Dubai Culture’s support for Yabut, and the upcoming project documenting the journey of content creators in the city, are all part of the same goal.
Shaima added: “Every creative journey has the potential to inspire others, enrich our cultural landscape, and contribute to the growth of the creative economy. By investing in people, we are investing in the future of Dubai as a city where creativity can flourish and where creatives, regardless of their background or circumstances, can find the support they need to succeed.”
From finance to freelance
The project holds deeper value for Yabut because it reminds him of his own journey to the creative industry. Yabut became interested in content creation in 2018, from watching YouTube videos and being inspired by the way content creators were sharing their personal stories.
He said: “That’s when I bought my first camera and started creating YouTube vlogs. I was doing food vlogs, food reviews, and even travel-style videos around Dubai. I remember filming simple moments with my wife. We would go to places like Palm Jumeirah, Global Village, Motiongate, and I would just document those memories.”
He initially never intended for it to be more than a hobby. Yabut was working as an acting revenue auditor for a hotel complex – his professional world involved numbers and finances, nothing creative. “I wasn’t even confident speaking in front of the camera — and honestly, even now, I’m still improving that part. But I think that’s where the passion really started.”
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, in 2021, he realised he could turn his hobby into a career. Yabut said: “I made a big decision to leave my five-year career in finance and move into the creative industry. I started seeing opportunities in roles like content creator, social media executive, and creative production, and eventually, I found my way into the industry.”
But when he was laid off this year, it left him reeling: “Losing my job while having an 11-month-old baby and a wife depending on me was a big moment.”
The family’s stress was compounded by the fact that his wife’s grace period on her visa had already ended. Yabut said: “She had to exit the country to renew her tourist visa. On top of that, my own visa cancellation from my previous employer was also coming soon. So, everything felt very time-sensitive.”
A golden opportunity
When Dubai Culture approached him, Yabut gratefully jumped on the chance to work again. And then, he decided to take a shot at another opportunity: applying for a Golden Visa.
Yabut said: “The Golden Visa idea actually started for me back in 2024. I remember researching about it… but when I saw that having a cultural or creative project could be part of the criteria, I felt like I didn’t have enough [content] at that time. So, I gave up on the idea.”
With Dubai Culture’s new project, however, he now had the potential to become a Golden Visa holder. He said: “I was really grateful and excited because I knew that this project could become part of my creative portfolio and maybe open a door for me to apply for it.”
Yabut asked the Dubai Culture team if they could support him with a recommendation letter for his Golden Visa application. They agreed.
Yabut and his family received their Golden Visas just last week.
He said he feels grateful for how things have turned out: “Everything happened so unexpectedly. We went from worrying about visas and thinking about leaving the country, to receiving a 10-year Golden Visa. For my wife especially, it was a huge blessing. She now has the freedom to go back home, visit our family, and come back to Dubai without the same fear or pressure we had before. That gives us a lot of peace. We feel blessed.”
The amount of support – both professional and personal – he has received from Dubai’s authorities has “been amazing”. From a life-changing job opportunity to a Golden Visa, it has been a dizzying few months. Yabut said he was incredibly grateful: “As an expat, that kind of support made me feel welcome. It made me feel seen — not just as someone creating content, but as a person who is trying to build a life here with his family.”
Now that he’s on the other side of a difficult time in his life, Yabut said he can see how he had to go through the challenges to come out on top: “At first, it looked like a very difficult season. But looking back now, I can see that it also opened new doors, new opportunities, and even brought back the passion I had for creating personal content.”
Looking ahead, he said he would continue being inspired by Dubai, its supportive authorities, and its vibrant community. Yabut explained: “What I love about Dubai is that content creation is respected here. There are a lot of opportunities, a lot of room to grow, and you never really know who you’re going to meet next. One connection, one story, or one project can open a new door. Dubai has this mix of ambition, creativity, and support that pushes you to keep creating, keep improving… and keep telling stories.”