The General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs, Dubai, United Arab Emirates: The Marketing and Government Communication Department GDRFA-Dubai Team

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The Marketing and Government Communication Department at the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA)– Dubai is tasked with planning and executing the public relations, marketing, and media activities for the Directorate to uphold and enhance its public image.

This department is also responsible for crafting and disseminating media content in both Arabic and English, as well as five other Asian and foreign languages, to effectively communicate with the diverse communities of residents, tourists, and visitors in the UAE. Additionally, the department coordinates media meetings for the official spokespersons of GDRFA. It also plays a pivotal role in developing and executing marketing campaigns and publications to promote the Directorate's services.

• The GDRFA’s organisational structure comprises a Support Services Branch and five departments: the Protocol and Government Relations Department, the Media Department, the Marketing and Corporate Identity Department, the Social Responsibility Department, and the Institutional Reputation and Communication Department. Each of these departments includes specialised branches focused on various aspects like media production, social communication, media content, sponsorships, voluntary work, planning and marketing content, institutional reputation studies, and various marketing activities. These branches are integral to fulfilling the diverse functions of the department.
• As part of its commitment to the strategic objectives of the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs and to meet challenges in leadership, competitiveness, and proactivity, the Department has developed government communication strategies and policies in line with best practices, governmental directives, and excellence programs. This approach has enabled the communication team to secure 64 intellectual property rights in various government communication fields. The team maintains a robust vision for innovation and continuous development across all work areas, updating programmes, systems, and communication tools, and staying abreast of advancements in information and communication technologies. This aligns with the digital transformation strategy of the Dubai government.
• Institutional reputation studies have been used to shape the content of reputation programmes, with the team devising a strategy based on international best practices and learning from experiences in countries like Canada and Britain. These studies have also aided in re-planning marketing content and enhancing institutional identity.

From 2021 to 2023, the Marketing and Government Communication Department achieved numerous positive results and indicators, supporting its bid for the Stevie Awards (Corporate Communications Category). Key achievements include:

• Production of 1,160 film materials covering internal and external activities and meeting partner requests.
• GDRFA’s social media accounts received 1,666,941 engagements, reflecting customer satisfaction and interaction with its services and society's happiness-oriented policies.
• Broadcasting of 485 media contents and interviews through local and international radio and TV channels, along with the publication of 2,650 news and media reports in daily newspapers, amassing 2,810,609 views. Additionally, over 95 episodes of the programme "Good Morning Nation" were aired, winning multiple awards.
• Launching 15 marketing campaigns for 39 GDRFA and Amer service centres, promoted by 9 influencers and social media celebrities who offered their services pro bono.
• Using 7 languages, in addition to Arabic, to deliver media messages and marketing campaigns to a diverse international audience.
• Handling 511 calls and inquiries through the live streaming service.
• organising 61 community initiatives, involving 2,216 volunteers from GDRFA employees, contributing 25,356 volunteer hours. Volunteer participation increased from 90 in 2018 to 1,037 in 2023 due to enhanced communication channels. Initially, we communicated through the messaging system, then transitioned to email, and ultimately employed the WhatsApp application.
• Achieving financial savings of AED 7,450,813 through self-media production and marketing services using in-house resources over the past three years.