As advertising executives from 67 countries mingled on the lawn at Media City for the opening night event of the 40th International Advertising Assn. World Congress, they embarked on a three-day “marketing of Dubai” journey.

It was clear from the illuminated logos on the surrounding buildings that some of the world’s most prestigious news organizations use Dubai as a regional broadcast and reporting center.

The Emirate recognizes the influence of the media to create a positive image for investment and tourism, and the impact was not lost on any of the 2,000-plus congress delegates. Similarly, the congress dinner at the construction site for a new Emirates terminal underscored how
locally-based Emirates Airline, which recently purchased 45 new Airbus A380s, has expansion plans to insure that Dubai is a prominent regional transportation hub.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, U.A.E. VP
& prime minister and ruler of Dubai, participated in the ribbon-cutting ceremony with Joseph Ghossoub, IAA chairman & world president.

Given that an apparent 25% of the world’s cranes were being used on construction sites throughout Dubai, it was clear to delegates that they were watching—rising from the sand—the rapid development of a modern city, complete with working infrastructure, that wanted its place on the geo-political map.

Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, president of the Dubai Department of Civil Aviation and chairman of the Emirates Group, opened the Congress by saying, “Excellence in communications is one of the key components of the future of Dubai and the future of this region.…We have to develop our image, one that accurately reflects who we truly are and what we do here. We have to channel that image, to ensure it reaches as many people as possible. And then we have to listen.”

Delegates were not only intrigued by the “marketing of Dubai” but pleased with the running of the Congress and the involvement of the country’s leaders. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, U.A.E. VP & prime minister and ruler of Dubai, who served as patron of the congress not only cut the ribbon to open the exhibition hall but chatted amiably with participants. The blending of myth and reality of the local royalty (Sheikh Mohammed drove himself—sans chauffeur—to and from the congress in a Land Rover) also had its effect on the mood of the Congress and intrigue about the setting. All of this was reinforced by a night at the Margham Desert Camp, a spectacular celebration of Dubai’s earliest Bedouin traditions complete with camels, falcons, music, dancers, fireworks, and carpets and cushions on the sand with low tables for dining.


Despite the glitz, there was substance in the presentations and conversation. Joseph Ghossoub, new IAA chairman and world president, used the Congress to draw parallels between the host city and the IAA. In his welcome address, he said, “The IAA has more in common with Dubai and the Arab world than you could imagine. Both of us need to reinvent ourselves, and each of us can learn from the other.” He continued, “The IAA needs to re-brand and stay relevant to its membership…. In many ways we can take inspiration from Dubai which is constantly re-forming, re-energizing, and reinventing itself.” Ghossoub also announced that his presidency “is not mine alone but a beacon for the Gulf, the Middle East, and an opportunity for all who practice in the region to talk to the world and an opportunity for all of my colleagues from around the world to talk to us.”

In perhaps the most controversial address, Obaid Humai Al Tayer, president of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry and managing director of Al Nisr Publishing, publishers of Gulf News, talked about Western stereotypes of the Arab world, recent changes in the Arab media, and how democracy was
coming to the region.—Deborah Malone •