Brand and 'Make it Happen' capture the Emirati can-do spirit

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Brand and Make it Happen capture the Emirati can-do spirit
TOGETHER WE DID: Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, ministers and top officials during the launch ceremony of the Seven Lines logo at Qasr Al Watan in Abu Dhabi. - Supplied photo

The UAE let the world decide its Nation Brand through online voting.

By Vicky Kapur (From the Executive Editor's desk)

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Published: Thu 9 Jan 2020, 8:49 PM

You did vote for it, didn't you? Well, the majority of us did. The leaders of the UAE yesterday unveiled the 'Seven Lines' logo as the UAE's Nation Brand. And a majority of the cross-section of citizens and residents that Khaleej Times spoke with acknowledged that they'd voted for this one. Of course, the other two - Emirates in Calligraphy and The Palm - are brilliant as well, but it was Seven Lines that captured the imagination of a majority of the 10.6 million voters.
Reflecting the openness and acceptance that forms the fabric of the nation, the UAE let the world decide its Nation Brand through online voting by allowing anyone and everyone from anywhere to vote for it. And an extremely heartening fact is that, as a symbol of hope, the UAE has pledged to plant 10 million trees in Amaltaari (Nepal) and Numfoor Island (Indonesia) to empower the communities affected by climate change.
In the words of Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of UAE, and Ruler of Dubai, the logo, seven lines in the colours of the country's flag and in the shape of the nation's map "represents seven emirates, seven founders and seven horses with which we will compete in the global race for development." The slogan 'Make it Happen' nicely captures the Emirati can-do spirit, the nothing is impossible attitude of the leaders and the never-say-never approach of the nation's citizens.
There are, of course, other nations in the world that have leveraged brands to promote the essence of their countries, but the UAE is perhaps the youngest and most dynamic in that domain. The UAE isn't even 50 years old yet (it will be, on December 2, 2021) and yet, according to the FutureBrand Country Index 2019, which ranked 75 countries, the UAE emerged top in the Arab world and #16 overall. Obviously, that ranking - ahead of some of the oldest nations of the world - reflects the vision of its leaders and the sweat of its citizens. Here's to the Next 50.
 


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