The strength of the relationship between the public and private sectors has helped the UAE to become a global leader in hosting large-scale events, just as revenue in the “experience economy” grows rapidly, the World Economic Forum in Davos has heard.
Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed, chairwoman of Dubai Culture, told delegates that authorities in Dubai were skilled at keeping people safe while staging major gatherings, which required the public and private sectors to work closely together. Her comments at a panel session came in the wake of a string of major events being staged in the UAE, including Expo 2020 Dubai and concerts by many of the world’s top musicians.
The live events sector globally is in the midst of huge expansion, with annual revenue forecast to break through the $1 trillion barrier in the coming years.
In Dubai, partnerships with the private sector are key to successful large-scale events, Sheikha Latifa said during a session titled "Mass Events, Massive Gains".
“In my experience and the experience of Dubai, the government is in a position where it’s moving just as fast, if not faster, than the private sector,” Sheikha Latifa said.
“Couple that with all the investments that government has put into infrastructure, into different industries – into AI, into new technology – we have gained the trust of the private sector. From my experience in the cultural and creative sector, most if not all of our initiatives are actually executed by the private sector and that is hugely due to the trust they have in the government.”
Abu Dhabi and Dubai regularly stage major music concerts, having hosted artists including Madonna, Justin Bieber, Rihanna, the Rolling Stones and Guns N’ Roses. Coldplay’s four concerts at Zayed Sports City this month reportedly attracted 200,000 people.
There was one clear ethos at the heart of decision making by authorities in the UAE.
"There is one overarching goal within the government of the UAE and specifically the government of Dubai that feeds every strategy we work on and every initiative and every plan, and that is the happiness and the well-being of the people of Dubai and creating a better quality of life for people," she said.
"Culture is a very important part of social fabric. It's the thread that connects communities, it's the thing that formulates your self identity, your values, and it's the thing that really connects people and brings people together."
Events in numbers
The 2024 Paris Olympics and Paralympics sold 12.1 million tickets, a record figure for an Olympics, while Taylor Swift’s Eras tour in 2023 and 2024 grossed more than $2 billion in ticket sales – more than double the previous record, held by Elton John’s Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour, which ended in 2023.
Anna Marks, global chairwoman of Deloitte, cited market research, indicating that the global live events sector was growing by six per cent a year and would be valued at $1.2 trillion by 2032.
“The impact that has economically is really significant,” she said. “It’s not just on the wider economic picture, it’s actually locally, to people in the local communities. If you think about the influx of people into any one city for any one event, what that does for local communities, local businesses, your local cafe, retail outlets, accommodation providers, it’s really significant.”
Ms Marks highlighted news reports suggesting that in London alone, Swift’s tour generated £300 million (Dh1.36 billion) for the local economy.
Major events, Ms Marks said, also had a positive legacy, with the Olympics helping to support grass-roots sports programmes for children and leading to the renovation of public spaces.
Getting the balance right
Sheikha Latifa said intensive planning was the key to Dubai being able to maintain rigorous security at major public events while allowing visitors to feel free and enjoy themselves. At events such as Expo 2020 Dubai, which have “many heads of state visiting”, Sheikha Latifa indicated that security should not be intrusive.
“There’s rigorous security but at the same time there has to be a balance between heavy security and people feeling free and safe to roam around and to experience this mass event,” she said. “I think it all comes down to rigorous planning, it comes down to collaborations – locally and internationally – with security from the UAE and international security. We’ve seen it happen on the ground with so many delegations coming in, many on a single day as well. It comes to a lot of foresight, crisis management, role playing as well."
Governments in the region are increasingly hosting large events as part of wider efforts to change perceptions, said Sir Martin Sorrell, the chairman of the board of directors of S4 Capital, a major digital advertising company.
"What's really interesting in the Middle East is we're seeing nation branding on a scale that we've never seen before," he said. "What's happening in the Middle East is the rulers of the countries are really thinking about not jut the sports positioning, it goes much, much deeper. It's political, social, cultural."
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Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
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SPAIN SQUAD
Goalkeepers Simon (Athletic Bilbao), De Gea (Manchester United), Sanchez (Brighton)
Defenders Gaya (Valencia), Alba (Barcelona), P Torres (Villarreal), Laporte (Manchester City), Garcia (Manchester City), D Llorente (Leeds), Azpilicueta (Chelsea)
Midfielders Busquets (Barcelona), Rodri (Manchester City), Pedri (Barcelona), Thiago (Liverpool), Koke (Atletico Madrid), Ruiz (Napoli), M Llorente (Atletico Madrid)
Forwards: Olmo (RB Leipzig), Oyarzabal (Real Sociedad), Morata (Juventus), Moreno (Villarreal), F Torres (Manchester City), Traore (Wolves), Sarabia (PSG)
Prop idols
Girls full-contact rugby may be in its infancy in the Middle East, but there are already a number of role models for players to look up to.
Sophie Shams (Dubai Exiles mini, England sevens international)
An Emirati student who is blazing a trail in rugby. She first learnt the game at Dubai Exiles and captained her JESS Primary school team. After going to study geophysics at university in the UK, she scored a sensational try in a cup final at Twickenham. She has played for England sevens, and is now contracted to top Premiership club Saracens.
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Seren Gough-Walters (Sharjah Wanderers mini, Wales rugby league international)
Few players anywhere will have taken a more circuitous route to playing rugby on Sky Sports. Gough-Walters was born in Al Wasl Hospital in Dubai, raised in Sharjah, did not take up rugby seriously till she was 15, has a master’s in global governance and ethics, and once worked as an immigration officer at the British Embassy in Abu Dhabi. In the summer of 2021 she played for Wales against England in rugby league, in a match that was broadcast live on TV.
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Erin King (Dubai Hurricanes mini, Ireland sevens international)
Aged five, Australia-born King went to Dubai Hurricanes training at The Sevens with her brothers. She immediately struck up a deep affection for rugby. She returned to the city at the end of last year to play at the Dubai Rugby Sevens in the colours of Ireland in the Women’s World Series tournament on Pitch 1.
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Battery: 8200mAh, up to 10 hours video
Platform: Android 11
Audio: Stereo speakers, 2 mics
Durability: IP52
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'Worse than a prison sentence'
Marie Byrne, a counsellor who volunteers at the UAE government's mental health crisis helpline, said the ordeal the crew had been through would take time to overcome.
“It was worse than a prison sentence, where at least someone can deal with a set amount of time incarcerated," she said.
“They were living in perpetual mystery as to how their futures would pan out, and what that would be.
“Because of coronavirus, the world is very different now to the one they left, that will also have an impact.
“It will not fully register until they are on dry land. Some have not seen their young children grow up while others will have to rebuild relationships.
“It will be a challenge mentally, and to find other work to support their families as they have been out of circulation for so long. Hopefully they will get the care they need when they get home.”
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Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
- Grade 9 = above an A*
- Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
- Grade 7 = grade A
- Grade 6 = just above a grade B
- Grade 5 = between grades B and C
- Grade 4 = grade C
- Grade 3 = between grades D and E
- Grade 2 = between grades E and F
- Grade 1 = between grades F and G
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The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
