Dubai Media Council launches Dubai Destinations, a collaborative initiative to highlight the emirate’s unique experiences and activities

- Ahmed bin Mohammed: Inspired by Mohammed bin Rashid’s vision to make Dubai the world’s best city to live in, the unique initiative aims to create a destination campaign that touches the hearts and minds of both local and global audiences
- #DubaiDestinations initiative brings together government entities, industry stakeholders, the creative media community and homegrown entrepreneurs
- Campaign seeks to raise the profile of the activities, shows, culture, festivities and sights that make Dubai an unforgettable destination
- Dubai Media Council will lead the development of a #DubaiDestinations calendar and a series of guides designed to help people explore the emirate
- Unique initiative also seeks to tap the power of collaborative storytelling to further raise Dubai’s profile as a leading global destination

The Dubai Media Council today announced that it is bringing together government entities, industry stakeholders and the creative media community to launch #DubaiDestinations, an initiative to highlight the exceptional experiences, events and activities offered by the emirate.
The unique new initiative, which complements broader efforts to enhance the UAE’s profile as a leading global destination, invites people to discover Dubai in a special and unforgettable way through its many experiences ranging across adventure, entertainment, food, art, culture, sports and fitness, and more.
‘#DubaiDestinations was officially launched at an event attended by His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Media Council, and members of the Dubai Media Council.

Aligned with the leadership’s vision
His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed said: “Inspired by the vision of Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to make Dubai the world’s best city to live and visit, we are launching an initiative to enhance the profile of Dubai’s unique destination offerings by engaging with both the local community and regional and global audiences. This unique campaign leverages the strength of diverse media platforms to highlight the vibrant culture, sights, activities, shows, events and festivities that make Dubai one of the world’s most distinctive destinations. Traditional and new media platforms will play a powerful role in carrying the messages of the initiative to create a campaign that touches the hearts and minds of both local and global communities. The #DubaiDestinations initiative is a tribute to Dubai’s culture of hospitality and its open and inclusive outlook. With a wealth of creative content from diverse sources, this initiative will open many windows into Dubai’s uniqueness as a destination.”

#DubaiDestinations brings together a wide range of public and private sector stakeholders including the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), Dubai Municipality, Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), Dubai Holding, Dubai Sports Council and the Government of Dubai Media Office to showcase the emirate’s destination offerings.

As part of Dubai’s support for talent and entrepreneurship, the initiative will also bring together some of the emirate’s most accomplished creatives including influencers, photographers, digital media content creators, animators and videographers to create compelling new content about Dubai’s destination experiences across traditional and new media; as well as provide a platform to showcase homegrown companies.

Capturing Dubai’s spirit as a destination
The initiative will seek to capture Dubai’s spirit as a destination by sharing a variety of stories about what makes Dubai a truly unique place to explore. The collaborative campaign’s ultimate objective is to build on Dubai’s rising popularity as a destination, which has been validated by recent high-profile surveys. Euromonitor International’s ‘Top 100 City Destinations Index 2021’, issued in December 2021, ranked Dubai second in the globe.

The Dubai Media Council will bring together stakeholders to develop a #DubaiDestinations calendar featuring exciting engagements for citizens, residents and visitors with an initial focus on outdoor activities. The campaign will also feature guides designed to help people explore Dubai’s top-rated experiences, campsites, outdoor activities and homegrown restaurants.

Her Excellency Mona Al Marri, Vice Chairperson and Managing Director of the Dubai Media Council and Director General of the Government of Dubai Media Office (GDMO), said: “The #DubaiDestinations campaign is a collaborative creative media initiative led by the Dubai Media Council that brings together a range of stakeholders to create inspiring content that highlights Dubai’s unique character and identity as well as its emergence as the world’s best place to live and visit. A celebration of all that the city has to offer, the innovative campaign aims to introduce both domestic and global audiences to new experiences and encourage them to discover hidden gems, enjoy exciting activities, and share unforgettable moments in Dubai. By tapping into the power of collaborative storytelling, the initiative will bring to people around the world the incredible diversity of experiences offered by Dubai.”

Initial focus on outdoor activities
Issam Kazim, CEO of Dubai Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) said: “The rapid speed with which Dubai has gained the trust of both the local and global community as a safe destination and created an environment where people can once again enjoy magical, thrilling and unforgettable experiences has made it a global hotspot that is truly one of its kind. We are working closely with key stakeholders to create a calendar of events, engagements and activities that capture the essence of the Dubai experience. In the initial phase, the #DubaiDestinations initiative will focus on exciting outdoor recreational and adventure opportunities. The calendar aims to inspire people to soak in Dubai’s enchanting urban vibe, attend open-air events and renew their connection with nature. Together with other stakeholders, we seek to bring lasting memories and generate joyful experiences for the emirate’s residents and international visitors.”

His Excellency Mattar Al Tayer, Director General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the Roads and Transport Authority said: “RTA is delighted to join key stakeholders to present unique new facets of Dubai’s destination offerings to global and local audiences. Public transportation facilities add significant value to the Dubai destination experience. The Route 2020 extension that connects the Dubai Metro network to the Expo 2020 site is an example of the new infrastructure that RTA has created to enhance the destination experience in Dubai. Creating a unique experience for both the local community and global visitors is always one of the objectives guiding RTA’s design and development of transportation infrastructure in Dubai. As the leading player in the transportation sector, we are keen to join hands with various organisations and contribute our resources to further raising the profile of Dubai’s destination offerings through this campaign. “

Creating memorable moments
His Excellency Dawood Al Hajri, Director General of Dubai Municipality, said: “The initiative is a unique attempt to tap synergies between major stakeholders and the creative media community to showcase the special experiences that Dubai offers. Over the last few decades, Dubai Municipality’s efforts to enhance the city’s infrastructure and facilities have played a key role in creating memorable moments in the emirate for residents and global visitors. From beaches, public parks and nature sanctuaries to hiking and biking trails and jogging and walking tracks, Dubai Municipality has created a wide variety of facilities for recreational, sporting and fitness activities across the emirate. Our initiatives have also been instrumental to distinguishing Dubai as a unique destination that brings people back again and again to enjoy the experiences offered by the emirate. Working jointly with diverse players with a stake in Dubai’s emergence as a global destination, we seek to highlight the city’s activities and attractions to make it an even bigger favourite among people all over the globe.”

Dubai Municipality manages picturesque public beaches across the emirate’s coastline and more than 460 km of biking trails, which are set to markedly expand over the next few years. It also maintains pristine lush public parks, considered to be among the best in the world, which provide a focal point for the community to connect with each other and enjoy their leisure time. The total number of parks and playgrounds built by Dubai Municipality across the emirate now stands at 191, spread across a total of 8 million sq. m. Furthermore, for those looking for an invigorating run or a relaxing walk, there are several unique locations where people can hit their stride including the Jumeirah Beach Road, Kite Beach and Dubai Water Canal.

Her Excellency Hala Badri, Director General of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), said: “The emirate’s creative and cultural sectors are going through a process of growth that is creating a new ecosystem for these sectors to flourish within the framework of a new roadmap steered by Dubai Culture. This transformation is enabling Dubai to provide richer experiences for the emirate’s local community as well as for visitors from across the globe. Dubai is also offering new ways for them to engage with the urban environment and enjoy the city’s cultural attractions ranging from museums, art galleries, public libraries and heritage sites, as well as major cultural festivals like Art Dubai, Emirates Airline Festival of Literature and Sikka Arts Festival. We are working closely with other stakeholders to create a high-impact campaign that further raises Dubai’s status as one of the world’s greatest destinations.”

His Excellency Saeed Hareb, Secretary General of Dubai Sports Council, said: “Dubai’s emergence as a leading global sports destination has contributed greatly to the growth and diversity of its destination value proposition. With the city emerging as one of the world’s most preferred venues for global tournaments across some of the most internationally popular sporting disciplines, it has become as a major hotspot for sports enthusiasts. Large global competitions in golf, cricket, cycling, tennis, football, badminton, and rugby held this year have reinforced Dubai’s status as a sporting destination and one of the world’s safest venues for large multi-stage international sporting events. Furthermore, the emirate offers a huge variety of adrenaline-pumping adventure activities for people across the land, water, sky and mountainous terrains. We look forward to working with other stakeholders to further showcase sport as a key element in Dubai’s destination offerings.”

Spotlight on Expo 2020
Expo 2020 has played a major role in raising Dubai’s profile as a global destination. Apart from offering immersive journeys created by the pavilions of 192 countries, Expo 2020 features a range of events including entertainment shows, musical recitals, film screenings, concerts, ballet performances, live theatre, operas, parades, festivals and national day celebrations of various countries.
The #DubaiDestinations campaign will also offer an array of experiences for people of different tastes and age groups at the emirate’s beaches and waterfronts, public parks and entertainment venues, in addition to natural attractions in Al Marmoom area and the Hatta region.

The initiative comes at a time when Dubai is rising in status as one of the world’s safest and most open destinations. The campaign is expected to provide further impetus to the growing worldwide interest in Dubai as a destination and contribute to accelerating the momentum of its growth and recovery.