“Green pastures. Water. Shade. That is what you wish heaven to be when you are in a desert without a single tree; no water in sight; and no where to hide from a merciless 50 degrees Centigrade sun”, my good friend, Ghassan,  from Fujairah tells me. Perhaps this is the raison d'être behind the oases that rise above the sand in the UAE: the tallest building; the biggest indoor ski facility; the largest man made island resorts; and highest star rated hotel..this is man’s attempt at branding a desert.

Brand symbols like this oases in the sky at nearly double the height of Petronas Towers..

And this cool oases below..where you can get great Lebanese servings of humus, kibbeh, tabbouleh, mutabbel..as good as in Marrickville, Sydney.

Then there is the Knowledge Village; Free Trade Zones; and Port; and Banks, of course. And even the mountains can be branded, and personified..

This transformation from desert to brand has been rapid. It was only 30 years ago that the parents of today’s generation travelled from well to well with their camels: a nostalgia that this generation X and Y and their families are trying to replicate by having picnics under the starlit desert night. As for generation Z it’s 5-star cool all the way...

If the UAE is the endorsing ‘mother’ brand then Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Arjan, Sharjah, Fujairah are the brands of the UAE. Each extends the mother brand with its own offer of facilities, infrastructure, education and services. Impressive. And they are optimistic brands: what else would they be having risen from the desert sands.

David Lo

A Marketer in a Desert