Dubai Airports reveals ‘DXB’ brand amid drive to transform airport experience

UAE. Dubai Airports today revealed plans to elevate the airport customer experience as it unveiled a new brand, DXB, for Dubai International.

The company said it signifies Dubai Airports’ transition “from airport operator to a consumer-led company, committed to making the world’s busiest international airport, the world’s best”.

“Airports are not just about numbers. They are about the hearts and minds of every single person who comes through our doors every day.” – Paul Griffiths

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai (left) and Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, celebrate the new identity in front of local and international media.
(Left to right) His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai; Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai; and His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Airports, Chairman & CEO of Emirates airline and group and President of Dubai Civil Aviation share a lighter moment during the ceremony.
Royal salute: The significance of the DXB launch is underlined by the presence of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai (above, second left and below).

[Click on the icon above to hear Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths tell Martin Moodie about what is involved in winning “the hearts and minds” of DXB consumers.]

“We are proud to launch the DXB brand to reflect the fresh direction and transform DXB into the airport of the future, one that is led by a more customer-centric approach.” Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths greets the future at the new DXB brand launch.
Update: Dubai Airports unveiled a dynamic LED signage at Terminal 3 this morning following the launch of the new DXB brand on Wednesday evening. Dubai Airports’ leadership team including CEO Paul Griffiths (centre), Deputy CEO HE Jamal Al Hai (right) and Eugene Barry, Executive Vice President of Commercial, together unveiled the signage. It will play video content promoting exciting campaigns lined up at DXB to mark festivals, product and service announcements, as well as special events happening in the city.

The launch event was attended by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai; His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Airports; Paul Griffiths, Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Airports, as well as VVIPs of Dubai’s aviation industry, airport senior management, industry stakeholders and global media, including The Moodie Davitt Report. [A full on location report from Chairman Martin Moodie will follow soon.]

His Highness Sheikh Ahmed said: “In Dubai, we continuously strive to be at the forefront of the industry globally and to lead the way with unwavering ambition, innovation and timely investment. Aviation, tourism and travel have been fundamental in Dubai’s growth story and we believe this investment will yield further dividends by encouraging repeat traffic and enticing connecting passengers to visit Dubai.

The launch event is a moment of great national pride, shared by many aviation industry stakeholders. Pictured below are Dubai Duty Free Senior Vice President Marketing Sinead el Sibai, Executive Vice President Corporate Services Salah Tahlak, Chief Operating Officer Ramesh Cidambi and Executive Vice Chairman and CEO Colm McLoughlin.

“We recently welcomed our billionth customer at DXB, which was a remarkable milestone. Today we are making a clear statement that will ensure DXB continues to be one of the world’s most innovative and forward-thinking airports for years to come.”

Paul Griffiths said in a statement: “We are proud to launch the new DXB brand to reflect the fresh direction and transform DXB into the airport of the future, one that is led by a more customer-centric approach, that incorporates the hospitality, excitement, warmth and true spirit of Dubai.

“The new brand represents the ways in which we connect the world, not only by physically facilitating access to over 220 destinations around the world, but by transporting our customers through their experience of different cultures, food, music and art. This is what DXB, Dubai and the UAE are all about – and what our new brand will represent moving forward.”

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Move over Dubai International. Welcome DXB

Paul’s speech, delivered without notes in front of the Dubai ruler, other royalty and a host of VVIPs, was pitch-perfect. But perhaps one should not be surprised at his nervelessness. After all, this is the man who earlier this month played the organ in front of a live audience of over 135,000 people in Abu Dhabi there to meet the Pope, with millions more watching on television.

Rather wonderfully, he told local media The National, “I’ll be able to tell my grandchildren I’ve played to a bigger stadium crowd than U2 or The Beatles.”

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Addressing guests and speaking without notes, he added, “After Dubai International first opened its doors in 1960 it took us 21 years to welcome half a billion passengers. And yet it took just seven years between 2011 and 2018 to double that number.

“We want every single person to take away a remarkable experience with them. Something that they will remember – that will touch their lives. Something that will not just win over their minds, but will win their hearts as well.” – Paul Griffiths

“Today we seek to embark on another audacious challenge. And that is not just to be the biggest international airport in the world, which we’ve been for the last five years but to set ourselves another challenge of being the best.

“Airports are not just about numbers. They are about the hearts and minds of every single person who comes through our doors every day. 280,000 people travel through our airports on a typically busy day. We want every single person to take away a remarkable experience with them. Something that they will remember – that will touch their lives. Something that will not just win over their minds, but will win their hearts as well.

“Today we announce a bold new identity which is merely the start of a journey and it is a pledge to engage every single person of the 100,000 people across the entire aviation sector to deliver the best possible service experience to each and every one of our customers.”

Day of celebration: Martin Moodie with HWH Investments Co-founders Talha and Mustafa Al Hashimi, whose company provided hospitality for guests through their brands Treehouse Juicery and Nutella Café (below).

Martin Moodie with Andrew Day, Group CEO at MMI and Emirates Leisure Retail, at the launch,

Dubai Airports said that the new brand “embodies the values of its home city” through “hospitality, a culture of vibrant imagination, openness to new ideas, and a mesmerising mosaic of exciting and inspiring experiences”.

It said it aimed to transform DXB into “a destination in itself by creating exciting, immersive virtual experiences that bring iconic Dubai landmarks into the airport as well as an array of music, art, dance and even fashion exhibitions that showcase local culture and celebrate diversity”.

“We’ve realised that our role here is not as managers of infrastructure or not just managers of a business; we’re managers of the city’s reputation for millions of people every month. And we’re at the front line of that.” – Eugene Barry

DXB will also feature zones throughout the airport’s concourses that cluster together retail, F&B and themed attractions to cater for the diverse customer base.

Dubai Airports Executive Vice President Eugene Barry told The Moodie Davitt Report, “We’ve realised that our role here is not as managers of infrastructure or not just managers of a business; we’re managers of the city’s reputation for millions of people every month. And we’re at the front line of that.

“For those millions of people who connect through our airport every month, you’d never set foot in the city. They’re connecting through our airports. So, we’re the only glimpse of this city, this country, this region, that many, many people see. Looking at it differently like that means we’ve got a big responsibility to make sure that everything we put in front of them is of a certain standard and quality – the service we have, the partners we work with, the effort we make to make that experience a worthwhile experience.

“It’s a massive, massive step-change and it’s not just processing people. Paul spoke about customers, he spoke about travellers. He didn’t speak about passengers. So, even the terminology of what we’re managing is going to change significantly over the next year or two as well.”

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