Brand UAE…
…has apparently been doing very well; it tops the recent regional Country Brand Index. The nation is set to see new attractions and thousands of hotel rooms soon. But is the brand powerful enough?
November 12, 2009 3:40 by Aarti Nagraj
The UAE has been ranked the top country brand in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region according to the Country Brand Index released by branding consultancy FutureBrand. The country came 29th in the overall index, which includes 102 countries ; it examines how countries are branded by travelers.
The report gushes with praise for the country. “The UAE is a good example of a visionary nation that was able to successfully promote itself while much of its infrastructure and attractions were nowhere near complete. By aggressively identifying itself as a country filled with icons of wonder, luxury accommodations and modern conveniences amid a cosmopolitan Middle Eastern atmosphere, the UAE was effectively able to capture the attention of global tourists and investors. The brand and the nation were built concurrently,” it says.
It also identifies the UAE as one of the top three “rising stars,” – those likely to become major tourism destinations in the next five years.
“The UAE is beginning to see dividends on the investments it has made in its tourism infrastructure over the past five years,” Rina Plapler, senior executive director of FutureBrand said in the report. “With more mega projects, such as the Palm Jumeirah and the Yas Marina gaining international attention, as well as an array of hospitality offerings, the UAE’s strength as a tourist market has enabled the country to weather the current economic climate better than its regional counterparts,” she said.
More on Cover Story
-
‘Renewable energy absolutely necessary’ – Saudi
-
Real cost of sending your child to a Dubai school
-
BurgerFuel rockets its way across Dubai
-
Middle East deadly virus – what do we call it?
-
Gold iPad at Burj Al Arab
-
Iranians face new Internet curbs
-
Qatar’s Leverage Over Banks Is On The Wane
-
Arabtec Says Workers End Strike
-
First report by Etisalat covering global footprint
-
Yahoo on Tumblr: ‘we promise not to screw it up’
-
Arabtec workers: strike will continue
-
Kuwait: expats sent packing
-
Minimum wage ‘unfair’ for employers?
-
Dubai Labourers on ‘rare’ labour protest
-
Tumblr officially off the market
-
Saudi government websites targeted
-
A major step for Turkey
-
Dusting off the Emirates ID card
-
Taking on Abercrombie & Fitch
-
Air Berlin doesn’t need Etihad’s help
Lately on Kipp
-
Dubai ruler makes horse doping illegal
-
CEO-elect of UAE’s fraud-hit RAKBANK has quit
-
Over 90% of passwords vulnerable to hacking
-
‘Renewable energy absolutely necessary’ – Saudi
-
NEC Display Solutions launches Full HD 3D ready compact meeting room projector
-
Saudi Arabia confirms another death from SARS-like virus
2 Comments
Is there a UAE branding? No.
The branding is done either as Dubai or as Abu Dhabi. They present themselves as separate entity and you never see a whole UAE branding.
As for the northern states, they all fall under the umbrella of Dubai, and considered only as a gateway from Dubai big city life, especially Umm Al Quwain and Ras Al Khaimah.
And we shouldn’t forget Fujairah, it established a good position in beach resorts.
“do you think the UAE’s branding as a country has been efficient?”
Not at all, I have never once seen any adverts, videos or more importantly a website that promotes UAE Tourism as a whole or as a country.
Is there one ?
Would people even know where or how to visit UAE if they wanted to ?
They have probably heard or Dubai or Abu Dhabi but think they are seperate countries.