Fighting Clever
Saeed Al Saeed talks to Yalla
Saeed Al Saeed, Destination Marketing Director at Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi, on how the capital’s approach to the Return to Fight Island has put the capital on the map
The entire world is having difficulty putting on sporting events, yet the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) have been successful in organising and hosting the Return to Fight Island, thus highlighting Abu Dhabi as an international destination. What does this mean to Abu Dhabi?
It’s a moment of pride to be able to put Abu Dhabi on the map once again, especially when you look at what the government has been doing, which positively responded to the pandemic from the get go. The leadership inspires us to always go that extra mile when it comes to a health and safety component. So for us to say that we actually have one of the safest bubbles that has been created for a sporting event is just natural and a continuation of such efforts by the leadership.
How does this make you feel on a personal level?
It’s justification for what myself, and the team on the ground, has had to go through in terms of Fight Island. I was away from my family for about five weeks. I’m going to be away from them for six weeks. I missed my daughter’s second birthday; I’m missing my anniversary today. So I’m going through all of that personal investment; not just on my part, but, also the collective team which numbers over 2,000 individuals.
How does Fight Island diversify Abu Dhabi’s tourism offering?
Exposure is never a bad thing and even if people know, it’s always good to remind them. Operating within different verticals means you’re reaching different audiences. Many UFC fans in the American Midwest are not going to know about Abu Dhabi as a cultural hub. They would have probably never heard of Abu Dhabi as a tourist destination to begin with. But this Fight Night component, which is huge, will see some fans fly out to follow their favourite fighter and the UFC. At DCT Abu Dhabi, we want to make sure we cater to all these interests, whether it’s a mother who wants to go and see the museum or a father that wants to go and have shisha or somewhere for the kids such as Warner Bros. World™ or Ferrari World, among others. We try our best to complement these current attractions and experiences with even more, I would say, niche segments to a wider audience. It’s about showcasing what the country, the city, the Emirate has to offer.