The Dubai Media Narrative Committee will take charge of how the emirate speaks to the world, under a decision issued by the Dubai Media Council. Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Second Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Chairman of the Council, approved the move. The committee’s job ranges from aligning messages among government bodies to shaping how Dubai deals with international media.
Who leads the committee?
Mona Ghanem Al Marri, Vice Chairperson and Managing Director of the Dubai Media Council, will chair the new body. She frames the decision as a response to how much weight a country’s story now carries. A strong media narrative, she said, drives strategic influence and helps build awareness and shape how people see a place. Mona Al Marri continued:
“In today’s world, a strong media narrative is a key driver of strategic influence and an essential tool for building awareness and shaping perceptions,” she said.
“The ability to develop an influential media narrative has become a strategic imperative. Those capable of shaping their story and communicating it creatively and authentically, while sustaining its impact, are better positioned to build trust and strengthen their influence.”
Al Marri set out how the committee will operate. Its framework rests on clear messaging, coordinated effort, complementary roles, quick response, and the use of facts and figures. Credibility and transparency sit at the center of that approach. She said cities that can tell their story clearly, tie it to shared human values, and turn it into something people find inspiring will hold the advantage.
What the committee governs
The Dubai Media Narrative Committee will propose policies, plans, and priorities, working alongside relevant entities. Its recommendations go to the Dubai Media Council for approval, and the committee then tracks how they are put into practice. This structure keeps decisions accountable to a single body rather than scattered across departments.
It will also design ways to coordinate media work across government, semi-government, and private sector groups. The goal is complementary roles and less duplication. On the global side, the committee guides Dubai’s official presence across international platforms and channels, and works to build steadier ties with foreign media.
Measuring the message
Part of the mandate is self-assessment. The committee will set key performance indicators and prepare analytical reports on media trends at home and abroad. Those insights feed back to the Dubai Media Council to support decisions and point to where the approach can improve. The committee may also give technical advice on media matters when the Council or other entities ask.
Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed described the decision as a strategic step toward an integrated institutional framework, one that keeps key messages consistent and strengthens their reach. A clear, unified narrative grounded in facts builds trust, he said, and supports Dubai’s standing as a city focused on opportunity. He linked the effort to the long-running vision of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai.
Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed said: “A clear and unified media narrative provides a strategic point of reference grounded in facts, strengthens trust, and further enhances Dubai’s global standing as an inspiring city committed to shaping a future rich with opportunities for all,”.
Wider role in Dubai media strategy
The committee fits inside a broader Dubai media strategy that the Council has pushed over recent years. Permanent or temporary teams may support its work, and the Council can hand it further duties in line with the UAE’s media policies. Under the decision, every government entity in Dubai must cooperate and share the data, statistics, studies, and reports the committee requires. The General Secretariat of the Dubai Media Council will provide administrative and technical backing.
The formation of the Dubai Media Narrative Committee places responsibility for the emirate’s public voice with one accountable body. How it performs will show in the reports it sends back to the Council, and in whether Dubai’s message reads as consistent across the channels it reaches.
