# Interesting article: "Times TV to ‘shoot’ Dubai!"



## malec (Apr 17, 2005)

*Warning, long read*

Whoops forgot the link:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/Display...r/theuae_September100.xml&section=theuae&col=




*Times TV to ‘shoot’ Dubai!*
By Patrick Michael (Deputy Editor)

4 September 2005 



DUBAI — Two docu-journalists of Times TV New York are braving the scorching heat as they zip around Dubai in their rented Mazda meeting top industry guns, scouring web sites, taking copious notes, recording voices and researching facts about this vibrant city.


The duo are in Dubai on a 60-day reconnaissance trip setting their groundwork for a 30-minute documentary that will be shot during November -December and aired on CBS News early January. 

New Yorker Kate Van Akin, a Middle East business analyst, and Finn Tiina Kylmala who operate out of the TV station's London office put in a good 16 hours each day, six days a week. But this does not faze the two who have the style and the smarts as they are determined to pack in as much research and information as they can, even if it's at the cost of leisure time that could have been used to explore Dubai and the other emirates.

"No other Gulf city has exhibited such a desire to become an internationally recognised regional and global hub, a prime example being the opening of the Dubai International Finance Centre. This makes Dubai the natural choice for US business investors looking for a gateway to the Middle East," says Kate, breaking the ice.

Kate and Tiina are on a mission to find out what makes Dubai tick and, in the final analysis, project the right image of this city to Americans. A city that's pushing back the sands and reaching for the skies. 

The world knows that when Dubai says it will do something, it will fulfil that promise. The "just do it" strategy that other cities in the world are just waking up to is paying rich dividends here. But do American investors — besides the large corporate houses — know of Dubai or know it well enough to evaluate what it has to offer?

That's precisely what Kate and Tiina are here for, as they probe, record, research and later return with their film crew to 'shoot' the city and the people who make things happen here for investment-hungry Americans to learn and understand.

It will take them three to four months before they can piece together their story. And, like Michael Moore of Bowling for Columbine fame, they're aware that only diligent research is what will make a documentary stand out. They've done it before, in Tanzania, and now it's Dubai's turn. 

In the short time they've been here, it is clear to them that Dubai is a place that enables people to go as far as their talent will take them and that it has taken a bold vision, coupled with realistic timelines to propel this city forward.

*But why Dubai? What's it got that other cities in the region do not?* 

"To put it simply, what Dubai has that other cities in the Gulf don't is His Highness General Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and his awesome vision. The Crown Prince of Dubai and UAE Defence Minister is a man who walks the walk and walks the talk. No other city in the GCC can lay claim to the level of effort and money that Dubai has invested to become a regional and global hub," they say.

Their research clearly shows when Kate adds that the "corporate free zones, in particular, are a unique business concept funded by the phenomenal wealth in the region." The government is reinvesting in the country — a far-sighted and strategic plan to build a long-lasting infrastructure, both physical and in terms of business and industry to spread prosperity and in turn, continue feeding re-investment.

It's Kate and Tiina who decide what countries to cover for the New York market and this is based on a combination of three factors: viewer interest, viewer knowledge and country/market potential. 

"In this case, the growth of Dubai, represented by its landmark projects such as Dubailand, Burj Dubai, the Business Bay and so many others that are on the anvil, along with the opening of a second direct daily flight to New York, is making investors in US sit up and take notice of Dubai," says Kate. 

"However," she's quick to point out, "according to travel statistics, only four per cent of business travellers head for the GCC region, as compared to 52 per cent who travel to Europe. This can only mean that to the US, Dubai is still relatively undiscovered except by the major American corporations." 

According to them, this city "is still a 'virgin market', and their documentary on Dubai hopes to reach out to a larger, untapped American investor market. For this city that openly welcomes foreign investment, a documentary on it is a win-win situation.

"Our documentaries are watched by 20.7 million viewers who are becoming increasingly curious about this vibrant city that embraces over 140 nationalities," says Kate.

"The documentary, projected to the New York market, is ideal because New York is 'the last frontier' in Dubai's quest for global business leadership. And the tremendous success of Dubai so far, along with the vision of Gen. Shaikh Mohammed for its future, ensures that it has a large amount of potential in the years to come," says Tiina, the marketing arm of the team. 

*If you think New Yorkers, or for that matter most Americans, know by now what and where Dubai is, think again.*

"From personal experience I can assure you that people from New York really do not know where Dubai is yet. Some may have heard of it, but no one is aware of the tremendous investment opportunities available, especially in real estate and construction," says Kate, who, like the typically American, does not believe in skirting embarrassing questions. 

"My father, who is in the construction industry in the US, believed that there would be armed militia on every street corner here -- there is a sense that the 'Middle East' as a whole is unsafe. But you and I both know this is untrue, as does most of the rest of the world.

"However, because Dubai has not specifically targeted New York/US with its marketing yet (although it is starting to), there are a lot of misconceptions to clear up. That is the goal of this documentary: to make people aware of the incredible potential that Dubai, 'the oasis in the desert', offers..

According to the duo, making a documentary of this kind usually takes between 4-5 months. "Tiina and I are here not to shoot the documentary but to interview captains of industry and CEOs and significant political figures, to filter through the Dubai business community and select the best people to represent their country." 

"We will be here for a few months, focusing on different sectors of the Dubai economy. We hope to conduct over 300 interviews, shortlist the best and then pick around 15 companies/people for the 30-minute documentary." 

"It is a long process, but we want to make sure we give the right representation to our viewers. Then, once we are finished, a production crew will come to Dubai and spend a few weeks shooting interviews and footage. After that, it will take about another month of editing and putting the script together to ensure a smooth flow," says Kate.

*So will the Dubai documentary be aired during prime time and who exactly will it's audience be?*

"The documentaries are always eagerly anticipated. They get prime time viewing, typically after the evening news when most business investors are watching.

"CBS New York, the station the programme is aired on, is known for 60 Minutes and CBS News. There are 20.7 million viewers in the tri-state area (New York, New Jersey, Connecticut), with an average income of $61,400 (the average US income is somewhere around $35,000), so these viewers are more upmarket)," says Kate.

*Their first impressions*

"WHAT we've been most impressed with are the people. There's a lot of positive energy flowing about opportunities and Gen. Shaikh Mohammed's vision. 

It's a very interesting city to be in because it has been built mainly in the last 5-10 years. It does not feel at all like New York, or London, or any other city in the world where there is a specific downtown and you can walk down all the streets, into little shops, go to the theatre or to see a concert.

It's very surreal because there are no sports teams, villages, or other basic aspects that you would expect to find in any community. That being said, I think Dubai has done a great job providing for its expat community. It's also done a great job creating a feasible business community to promote its growth.

As far as changing any preconceived impressions go, we didn't really know what to expect when we arrived! The people have lived up to their reputation of being friendly, hospitable, and very open, so in that sense, it reaffirmed everything we had heard about Dubai in particular. 

“I think Shaikh Mohammed's vision is very achievable. There has been tremendous growth in the region. The pace is ambitious, but the demand (for now) seems to be there. I think the key is getting New York's attention. If Dubai really wants to be taken seriously, it has to have the attention of arguably the most sophisticated and advanced business community in the world. 

“In business schools and communities in New York/America, people are focused on China, India, and Brazil. There is virtually no time spent discussing the Middle East / Dubai, except for oil (of course) and regional instability in terms of Iraq, Iran, Israel/Palestine. There's little or no discussion of the massive investment opportunities or the ability to use it as a regional hub. Of course the major MNCs have set up here, but they are the exception, not the rule." — Patrick Michael

*Round and About! * 

"THE infrastructure in terms of roads is a nightmare! What we don't' understand is why people don't give directions using road names. All the major roads have names — Shaikh Zayed Road, Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Road, Emirates Road.

However, when people give us directions, they say 'Go over the bridge, take your second exit, then skip the first right, turn left at the mosque by the auto showroom, make a u-turn, and you'll see us by the Karachi sign.' 

Of course, it is hard to gauge what the second exit off the bridge is because you're not even sure when the bridge ends and there's five exits in a row. The worst has been the interchanges. People say 'Oh we're between the third and the fourth interchange' but none of the interchanges are numbered, and sometimes you can't even tell if it's an interchange or just more construction.

It's the only major city where roads have been such a nightmare, although many places in the world operate like this. But the great thing is that Dubai Municipality recognises this and is working very hard to improve the systems. It will be very interesting to come here in 10 years and see public transportation and the city has grown!”

*On the building boom...*

It's fascinating...there are a number of opportunities here for architects, engineers, and other people in the construction field who want the freedom to experiment creatively."


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## Qatar4Ever (Feb 3, 2004)

tooooooooooooo long


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## malec (Apr 17, 2005)

Qatar4Ever said:


> tooooooooooooo long


OK posted a warning at the top 
Thought it was interesting because it's about the whole thing of Americans not knowing about the place. In the city vs city discussions people say it doesn't compare because Dubai's not as well known. The thing is that it is well known in other places like here in Ireland most people would know where it is and would probably recognise the burj al arab and some might know about the palm island. There's a huge potential market from Americans and documenteries like this can help open it up a little


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## DUBAI (Aug 24, 2004)

Sounds realy good for dubai, and these guys must do some serious research! 60 days!

btw, this will fully establish dubai as the financial hub f the region if it goes well. americans belive what they see on TV, and if they see dubai, they realy wont care about pearls and financial harbours.


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## dubaiflo (Jan 3, 2005)

"americans believe what they see on TV"
that sound s great :rofl:

yepp thats a good step forward, has already worked in europe though most of the stuff abt dubai in german tv as old and not very accurate..


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## juiced (Aug 18, 2004)

i bet we will still have pottebaum shouting for freedom after he watches that documentary


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## Dubai-King (Apr 17, 2005)

Qatar4Ever said:


> tooooooooooooo long


then don't post. 





Anyway, that was pretty interesting. I hope they're able to highlight Dubai the right way.


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## dubaiflo (Jan 3, 2005)

no matter what they are showing it will be impressive.
because i doubt they won't go in detail,and an overview abt dubai projects is always impressive.

of course pottebaum will still be there juiced,maybe you can manage sth there, you work for the FBI if i am not wrong.


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## Dubai_Steve (Jan 11, 2005)

On the topic of TV programmes.

There is going to be a programme about the Dubai property market on Real Estate TV - channel 250 - in the UK - on Monday 5th September at 8 o'clock.


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## Qatar4Ever (Feb 3, 2004)

how does the article being to long have anything to do with me not posting..


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## kong (Jul 27, 2005)

hahahahahahhahah, your so lazy


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## scorpion (Sep 14, 2002)

i got rid of my TV 3 years ago!!


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## DG (Sep 2, 2005)

great job, hope Americans understand Dubai, i faced agonies from them in SSP for years.


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## dubaiflo (Jan 3, 2005)

because they prefer to talk abt a 12 storey building proposed in a chicago slum instead of the world's tallest building under construction.
ignorant and stupid.


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## DG (Sep 2, 2005)

dubaiflo said:


> because they prefer to talk abt a 12 storey building proposed in a chicago slum instead of the world's tallest building under construction.
> ignorant and stupid.


Exactly


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