The UAE's 'new-age' charm is attracting talents from all over the world

I believe Dubai will win in the near future. It might surprise you, but it’s true. I’m not talking about winning in terms of political or economic power, but in terms of social media.

Why do I believe this? And why social media? Years ago, I did a video called The Magnet Trap. It essentially talked about how in the world, people only want to visit some places — Paris, California, London — and not others — Dubai, the Philippines, Puerto Rico — because they see those places on the news, on TV, in films, and, of course, on Facebook.

Just like how magnets are attracted to a piece of metal and not a piece of wood. For years, Dubai was like that piece of wood.

When people thought of Dubai, the middle of a desert appeared to be the total recall. Nobody cared that this was the home to some of the world’s greatest innovations. That’s why Dubai and the UAE started investing in more than just technology or science. It opened its doors to the world’s media powerhouses, like BBC or CNN. It created Dubai Media City to attract foreign news organisations, publishing firms, production companies, and advertising agencies.

In 1971, the year the UAE was founded, the young nation had just two newspapers — only in Arabic, the lingua franca of the region — and not a single major media company.

Now, 50 years later, it has more than 2,000 media organisations based out of Dubai Media City alone. Dubai became a hub for media in the Middle East and the rest of the world. But in 2021, traditional media isn’t enough.