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Al Ain going places with `new branding'

AL AIN - The branding of Al Ain, the Garden City, has fired the imagination of residents and tourists alike.

The branding was a much needed one that was aimed at promoting the city as a unique and booming tourism hub all over the world.

The distinctive branding that has caught everybody's eye - and is the talk of the town - was produced by the Al Ain Economic Development and Tourism Promotion Authority (AAEDTPA). The two people, two Oryx, the archaeological drawings and symbols, and the word Al Ain in both Arabic and English at the bottom, instantly evokes the spirit of the city. The Hili Archaeological Park, which was the inspiration, dates back to more than 3000 years BC.

The new brand is the first of its kind in the region. "It highlights the authority's commitment to promote heritage and historical tourism," Shaikh Sultan bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, Chairman of the AAEDTPA Board of Directors, told Khaleej Times.

Al Ain has embarked on ambitious strategy to promote its tourism potential like Jebel Hafeet, the sand dunes, and a number of evergreen oases, besides the famous Hili Archaeological Park. As a part of these efforts, the department and the United Nations Education, Science and Culture Organisation (Unesco ), signed the Al Ain Heritage Conservation Strategy last year. The strategy aims at protecting and promoting the Garden City's cultural and natural heritage.

"The new brand will be one of the main elements in all our future promotion plans," said Shaikh Sultan, who is also Under-Secretary at the Ruler's Representative Court in the Eastern Region of Abu Dhabi. The sketch has been designed in such a way as to "arouse the tourists' imagination and eagerness to be acquainted with the city, its history and civilisation," he added.

Landor Associate, an international brand and design consultancy, created the strong, eye-catching destination brand through a three-phased project. The second stage of the plan will involve working with the Al Ain's urban planners to design exhibition stands and information booths that will carry the brand forward and will be located at key spots in the city. The third and final phase will be the production of a promotional video that will be used as tourism promotional material.