Dubai debuts new destination brand

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Ahead of a new global marketing campaign launching later this year, Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing has debuted a new brand for the destination. The new logo, launched last week at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM), features the word ‘Dubai’ written in both the Arabian and Roman alphabets, reflecting the city’s rich multiculturalism.

Announced by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Prime Minister and Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the brand will be used by government departments and bodies, ensuring that the emirate speaks with ‘one voice’ to its citizens and visitors.

Following the announcement of the new brand, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed shared the identity on his Instagram account, stating: “Today we launched Dubai’s new brand identity which will be used to promote our city regionally and internationally. The new brand identity focuses on Dubai being a credible, unique and welcoming destination for tourists and visitors.”

Also previewed during ATM, a new website and app have been designed to inspire and inform at every stage of the consumer journey and help the visitor experience the city to the fullest while in Dubai. Both the website and the app will be launched in the coming months.

His Excellency, Helal Almarri – Director General of Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), said: “The objective behind the launch of the unified brand for Dubai is part of the unified marketing efforts of the city under one name and one identity – Dubai. The new brand is based on the proposition that Dubai is a city where remarkable things happen. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, has stated that in the UAE there is no such thing as ‘impossible’ – Dubai’s growth and success have been based on this spirit of challenging the norm, rising to any challenge, and achieving the unprecedented. From the creation of Mina Rashid in the late-1960’s to the building of the world’s tallest tower, Burj Khalifa, and of course winning the bid to become the host city for Expo 2020, this spirit has led to a series of remarkable achievements and this is echoed throughout the tourism experience.

“All of the achievements and superlatives have improved Dubai’s standing as a world leading city and make up the foundation of the brand. The name of Dubai is representative of everything that the Emirate stands for. Implementing the new brand across every touch point will make it easy for the whole world to recognise Dubai, which in turn will enhance promotional activities, especially for upcoming events like Expo 2020, and it will contribute to achieving the targets of the Dubai Tourism Vision for 2020.”

Issam Kazim, CEO of the Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing commented: “The new logo features the word ‘Dubai’ written in both Arabic and Roman alphabets, representing the fact that the city is a fusion of cultures and nationalities – a result of the historic and present day approach of being outward looking and open to ideas from across the globe. But the new brand is much more than just a logo – it is a new way of talking about Dubai and a new way of looking at how we will provide value for investors in and visitors to Dubai. It expresses Dubai’s culture and the wise leadership and vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. It conveys a message that Dubai is a place where amazing things happen.

“For DCTCM, the implementation of the brand means inspiring leisure and business travellers with the opportunities on offer in Dubai and continuing to develop the visitor experience. As partners throughout the city adopt the physical elements of the brand they will also be adopting its values and uniting behind a common aim – to deliver beyond the expected and make the experience of Dubai truly remarkable for visitors and residents alike.”