Culture And Creativity: The New Frontier Of Global Power – OpEd
By Ajay M.K. and Sabin Iqbal
Countries used to measure their power in terms of armies, empires, and economic clout. The American century and its immense extension seemed limitless, underwritten by US dollars and military bases. Yet in the nuanced shifts of the world map, another type of money begins to emerge, one rooted deep within the deep reservoir of civilizational tradition, culture, and collective imagination.
Imagine a world where the true beacons of power are stories, inventions, art, and traditions that have lasted for thousands of years, immutable threads woven into the fabric of a nation’s soul. Now, America’s fading glow is accelerated not by gunpowder or economic recession but by the resurgence of the ancient, living cultures of China, India, and the Middle East.
China’s emergence, powered by a civilization more than two millennia deep, is no economic miracle but a reawakening of cultural confidence, and its art, philosophy, and a sense of continuity driving its current dynamism. India, with its abiding streams of spiritual and philosophical reflection, provides a hardy cultural anchor that supports its throbbing growth. Similarly, the Middle East, the birthplace of Western civilizations that gave the world modern writing, mathematical language, and organized agriculture, reawakens world interest and power through its renewing, abiding heritage.
In this new world, soft power, once dismissed as diplomacy, has become the foundation for greatness tomorrow. Nations that invest in cultural infrastructure, arts, and creative industries create an energy that can withstand economic shocks. Their stories, thought, and art are potent symbols of identity, ability, and power, a proof that power resides not within a civilization’s martial or economic might but in the ability to create meaning and regenerate its wisdom.
Across Asia, Africa and the Western world, there are examples of how cultural capitalism has worked fine for many countries. The best example is how The Korean Wave (Hallyu) has been strategically integrated into Seoul’s global cultural outreach since 1990s. The government-supported export of K-pop groups like BTS and BLACKPINK, K-dramas, and Korean beauty products has generated billions in revenue while soft-power influence globally. BLACKPINK became the first K-pop group to perform at Coachella music festival in California and achieved “unprecedented” global popularity alongside BTS.
Japan’s anime and manga exports represent a massive cultural capitalism enterprise, with companies like Studio Ghibli, Toei Animation, and manga publishers creating global franchises that generate revenue through licensing, merchandise, theme parks, and streaming rights.
China’s development of cultural tourism around sites like the Forbidden City, with branded merchandise, themed experiences, and digital content, demonstrates how traditional culture is packaged for both domestic and international markets.
If we look at Africa, the first name that pops up is Nigeria where its film industry Nollywood has become the continent’s largest film industry and the world’s second-largest by volume, creating a multi-billion-dollar industry that exports Nigerian culture globally through streaming platforms and international distribution.
InSouth Africa, Amapiano music, combined with fashion brands incorporating traditional African designs for international markets, showcase cultural capitalism in action.
Since its inception as an underground sound, Amapiano music has firmly entrenched itself in the mainstream, making waves across the African continent and beyond. Its growing popularity in the US and its influence on American pop culture underscore the genre’s significance in the global music industry. Amapiano is arguably South Africa’s hottest new export and its infectious sound continues to attract new audiences as the genre spreads like wildfire. The economic impact is substantial. According to reports, streams of Amapiano songs outside of sub-Saharan Africa have grown 563% in the past two years alone.
Morocco’s packaging of traditional crafts, architecture, and cultural experiences in cities like Marrakech for international tourists represents systematic cultural commodification is another example of cultural capitalism.
Way back in the late 1990s, the UK brought all the branches of ‘Creative and Cultural Industries’ which included the BBC’s global programming, British fashion brands, and the export of cultural products like Downton Abbey and Harry Potter franchises to streamline Creative Economy and to leverage from cultural capitalism.
International franchising of iconic cultural brands like Louvre and Guggenheim museums and Disney in Abu Dhabi shows how important are cultural assets in branding global cities. For years, The Global Village in Dubai has attracted millions of visitors to taste and see the cultural variety and depth of different countries, showing us culture’s ability to pull crowd and create a vibrant business around it.
Hollywood’s global dominance in film and television represents perhaps the most successful form of cultural capitalism, with American cultural products generating hundreds of billions annually while spreading American values worldwide.
These examples illustrate how cultural capitalism operates across different contexts—from government-supported cultural export strategies in Korea to grassroots commercialisation in Nigeria’s Nollywood, to luxury positioning in French brands. Each represents the systematic transformation of cultural practices, identities, and traditions into market commodities with global reach.
Beneath all these stories lies a greater truth: that the future belongs to those whose civilizational depths are profound, whose culture is a fountain of wisdom, of resilience, of moral legitimacy. Ancient living civilizations such as China, India, the Middle East are not just rising; they are reclaiming a legitimacy grounded in their ancient past, reasserting authority through the lifeblood of their cultural heritage.
While automation and artificial intelligence forces reconfigure material wealth, it will be the human spirit, nourished by the eternal wisdom of civilization, which will forge the genuine competitive edge. Countries that honour and cultivate their cultural DNA will extend their influence, resilience, and in due course, their power on the global stage.
In a world questioning whether the American age is really ending, perhaps true strength lies in the stories that remain alive, stories that are rekindled from the old hub of civilizations that refuse to perish but continue to inspire, lead, and shape the future.
Strength lies in our stories that are rooted in our own past, which lead us through the storms into a new era of creativity and renewal of wisdom. Creative and cultural capital will be the new dollar, when technology levels the playing field.
About the authors:
- Ajay M.K. is the CEO of Wisdom Tomorrow, a transformation advisory firm, and Chairperson of Trogon Global, a culture and creativity consultancy. He is an award-winning poet and former board member and CHRO of Colgate Palmolive Asia Pacific.
- Sabin Iqbal, Director at Trogon Global, Dubai, is a novelist, journalist and literary curator. His novels are ‘The Cliffhangers,’ ‘Shamal Days,’ and ‘Tales from Qabristan.’
