UAE. Dubai International Airport (DXB) has introduced Emirati District, a hub dedicated to empowering young local entrepreneurs.
The initiative is led by the Federal Youth Authority in partnership with the Fatima bint Mohammed bin Zayed Initiative. It represents a key project within the first phase of the National Youth Agenda 2031.
The comprehensive roadmap aims to position young Emiratis as regional and global role models while expanding their access to international markets.
Located between the Concourses B and C in Terminal 3, the Emirati District capitalises on high footfall, estimated at six to seven million guests annually.
Roots of tomorrow. Take a piece of homeEmirati District at DXB is a gateway to the soul of the UAE, where each piece tells a story; each product carries the heartbeat of its maker; and every corner speaks of heritage passed down through generations. This is where the future meets the past. The district is a celebration of young Emirati entrepreneurs who have taken the values of their ancestors and breathed new life into them. They are the makers, the dreamers, the innovators – each one crafting something to share. Their creations are memories in the making, destined to be taken home and cherished. As you walk through the Emirati District, you don’t just witness crafted objects; you experience the essence of sogha – the act of giving from the heart. It is an age-old tradition in the UAE, where every gift represents a piece of home, a part of the giver’s story. Each carefully crafted item holds the spirit of the UAE, not just as a symbol of its rich culture, but as a token of its future, meant to connect people across borders. These are not just keepsakes – they are bridges between the past and the present, gifts from the hands of the UAE to the world. The pieces of a legacy that we build today with the knowledge that what we do today will echo in the stories of tomorrow. – Courtesy of Dubai Airports |
The dynamic space provides a platform for launching small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in high-growth sectors, providing specialised training programmes focused on effective management and enhancing competitiveness in both local and international markets.
The launch of the Emirati District features four flagship projects:
Amadal by Afnan Bushalat: A concept centred around creating products that offer a taste of home;
Mira Farms by FBMI: A social enterprise by FBMI that empowers underprivileged communities, particularly female farmers, by providing global market access for their natural produce;
Nuwa by Abdulaziz Al Jaberi: A brand that celebrates the UAE’s agricultural heritage by using locally sourced ingredients to produce world-class quality products;
From the Arab by Alyazi Almheiri: A luxury home fragrance brand designed to reintroduce Arabic scents to modern homes worldwide.
Dubai Airports said: “The Emirati District provides a unique opportunity for ambitious young Emiratis, allowing them to launch their businesses and display their products at DXB, the world’s busiest international airport.
“It allows ambitious young Emiratis to gain a unique opportunity to launch their businesses on a global stage. The initiative exemplifies the UAE’s commitment to cultivating a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem for its youth.
“Through access to resources, training, and this unparalleled platform, the project aims to empower a new generation of Emirati business leaders who will drive the nation’s economic growth and global competitiveness.” ✈
‘A gateway to the soul of the UAE.’ Dubai Airports has deployed that evocative aphorism to describe Emirati District, a new retail hub dedicated to empowering young local entrepreneurs and showcasing their artisanal skills.
It’s an admirable initiative and its ‘Roots of tomorrow. Take a piece of home’ explanatory text (see above) offers as fine an articulation of the Sense of Place concept as you will ever read, parts of which I quote below.
“As you walk through the Emirati District, you don’t just witness crafted objects; you experience the essence of sogha – the act of giving from the heart. It is an age-old tradition in the UAE, where every gift represents a piece of home, a part of the giver’s story,” it reads.
“Each carefully crafted item holds the spirit of the UAE, not just as a symbol of its rich culture, but as a token of its future, meant to connect people across borders. These are not just keepsakes – they are bridges between the past and the present, gifts from the hands of the UAE to the world.”
Nice words but there is a bigger point to be made here, one I have returned to many times down the years of my journalistic career. And that is that every airport should be ‘a gateway to the soul’ of its city or country.
They are, after all, the first and last experience of a city for most travellers. They are, always, among the most important pieces of infrastructure of that location in multiple ways – yes, as transport gateways but also as economic drivers; symbols (hopefully) of civic pride; and, at best, cultural reflections of a society.
And it is the last, crucial point that Dubai Airports has embraced so boldy. The airport world is packed with examples of so-called ‘Destination Merchandise’, often as not foreign-made goods with local theming. Yes that essentially souvenir business, which spans a wide gamut from key rings to fridge magnets, chocolates to plush toys, is important commercially.
But only commercially. It doesn’t reach into the soul of a society. Emirati District does. And for that Dubai Airports should be warmly applauded.
