Title: Soft power and place branding in the United Arab Emirates: examples of the tourism and film industries

Authors: Donya Saberi; Cody Morris Paris; Belisa Marochi

Addresses: Middlesex University Dubai, Dubai Knowledge Park, Blocks 16, P.O. Box 500697, Dubai, UAE ' Middlesex University Dubai, Dubai Knowledge Park, Blocks 16, P.O. Box 500697, Dubai, UAE; School of Tourism and Hospitality (STH), Bunting Road Campus, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa ' Middlesex University Dubai, Dubai Knowledge Park, Blocks 16, P.O. Box 500697, Dubai, UAE

Abstract: A state's global influence can be systematically and strategically developed through policies and planning of a carefully crafted national brand and soft power strategies. The United Arab Emirates has actively employed policies and strategies to create a positive brand image of the country to increase its regional and global standing as an emerging regional power. The country's progress strong international brand has attracted significant foreign investment, international tourists, and a reputation as a great place to work and live. The purpose of this article is to explore the relationship between soft power, place branding, and diplomacy, and to illustrate this relationship through a description of the film and tourism industries in the UAE.

Keywords: place branding; public diplomacy; international tourism; city branding; economic diversification; cultural diplomacy; United Arab Emirates.

DOI: 10.1504/IJDIPE.2018.091405

International Journal of Diplomacy and Economy, 2018 Vol.4 No.1, pp.44 - 58

Received: 07 Sep 2016
Accepted: 12 Jun 2017
Published online: 30 Apr 2018 *

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