For people of my generation, being social meant frequent gatherings with family members, endless long conversations with friends and celebrating important milestones and occasions. Don’t get me wrong. People of my children’s generation are just as social if not more than we are; only the spaces in which these interactions take place have found a new ecosystem of their own.
Social media is new to me, and to a large number of others from my generation, for that matter. The fact that some of us have caught on to the trend faster than others is a story for another time. Right now, I would like to focus on socialising or as I really like to put it – socialising, the digital way.
As an Emirati, I am not only proud of the pace at which Dubai has grown and advanced – in terms of its infrastructure and development, but also its determined spirit that empowers the emirate to adapt to changing times, take big leaps of faith, make bold moves, experiment with ideas unheard of before, and, each time, emerge as a pioneer and trend setter.
This incredible transformation has led to the development of a robust and dynamic communication landscape, one where the majority of the interactions between businesses and their consumers, governments and their people, and companies and their employees, take place today and round-the-clock, within the space of social media.
What may have seemed to start as just casual social networking sites that we thought were only for our children, have transformed into a powerful marketing tool that knows no boundaries and which has the ability to reach, within minutes, an inter-connected network and global audience.
These social platforms shape the business strategies of some of the world’s biggest businesses. They also have dedicated teams that work hard to best leverage these tools, engage with new customers from all parts of the world and turn digital footfall and ‘mentions’ into sales figures. Needless to say, DAMAC Properties is no exception.
In what are referred to as impactful social media campaigns, Dubai has been credited for producing some of the most remarkable work, that have caught the attention of the world and have truly reinforced Dubai’s position as a city determined to innovate and think outside of the box.
And who can forget that ultimate moment of pride and honour when Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, set a magnificent social media record on LinkedIn by becoming one of the five most influential global political readers in terms of his following.
So, in keeping pace with my Group’s communication strategies, my emirate’s rising position in the global communications industry and children’s new ways of communicating, I have become more involved in socialising – the digital way. It is through this digital presence that I look forward to discovering more about people and give them the opportunity to reach out to me and share with me the role they are playing in making change happen.
