Here’s why the UAE is geared to be a hub for large scale events post pandemic

I read somewhere that ‘Dubai is a fruit cocktail of cultures’ and I found that not just amusing, but also quite true. There’s isn’t another place in the world that could be truly described as a melting pot like the UAE. There was a time when New York was touted as a diverse city with hundreds of ethnicities thriving, growing and evolving, but I think Dubai has taken over the Big Apple in that respect.

This global confluence of cultures makes the UAE the perfect spot where the east meets west.

The post-pandemic world is expected to be different. And why not? The shift in tastes will highlight new expectations, new rules of engagement and new experiences. Consumer habits have changed over the last 18 months and as individuals and as a society we have re-evaluated our likes and dislikes, our preferences, our priorities and our environment.

Despite the pandemic, Euro 2020 took place a year late at 11 venues across Europe. The 2021 edition of the tournament, which was still referred to as Euro 2020, was the first major sporting tournament to be hosted in 11 countries. This shows how ready the world is to go back to embracing large scale events even if it requires all kinds of safety measures. The Euro 2020 group games, for example, required ticket holders to provide proof of full vaccination or a recent negative Covid-19 test result.

In so many ways you need to be a disruptor in the events and entertainment space because it’s not the run-of-mill concepts that will appeal to discerning audience anymore. People want to invest their precious time in experiences that will be more meaningful, more personalised and more memorable.

With the UAE doing an exceptional job with its vaccination drive, it won’t be long before we will witness large scale events soon, since cultural experiences play a huge role in changing perceptions.

The pandemic may have turned our worlds upside down, but amid the fear and suffering there are some silver linings. If there’s one thing we have learnt, it’s to be more appreciative of new and shared experiences. Each interaction and outing is a lot more meaningful and cherished than ever before.

Oweis Zahran is a UAE-based entrepreneur and the CEO of OWS Capital