Dubai inspires curiosity

The latest tourism campaign aims at being more authentic, taking couples or families from cities such as New York or LA, living in Dubai, speaking in their own language, so that people say ‘that person can be my neighbour’, says Issam Kazim

- Melanie Swan and Michal Divon

It is over a decade since Issam Kazim joined Dubai Tourism, setting out on a detailed strategy to set up the emirate for its leap into the world’s leading destinations.

Since he joined in 2014, the emirate has become one of the most sought-after holiday spots in the world, and the tourism and economic sectors have merged to turn the city into not only a tourism hub but a business capital in the region, under Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET).

“We never relied on oil and it gave us an entrepreneurial spirit,” he told Khaleej Times.

“When Dubai started, it was about diving off the creek, pearl diving, trade — and even before the formation of the UAE, we were reliant on the creek. So the first mega project for Dubai was the dredging of the creek, which showed the passion and drive the city has which has continued until today,” he said.

Today, the city has become home to some of the most iconic buildings known across the planet.

‘Burj Al Arab, the ‘world’s first seven star hotel’, was a statement to the world, the same as Burj Khalifa, the tallest tower,’ he said. ‘We wanted to scream to the world we are here — this was us announcing to the world we are ready to receive.’

Last year, Dubai won a host of accolades. It secured the first place in Tripadvisor’s Travellers’ Choice ‘Best of the Best’ awards, and at the 31st annual World Travel Awards, announced in November, Dubai was crowned the world’s leading shopping destination and the world’s leading exhibition destination.

It was a record year for visitors, the city welcoming 18.72 million international overnight visitors from January to December 2024, a 9% year-over-year increase that surpassed the previous record of 17.15 million in 2023, according to data from the DET.