The Public Diplomacy Office

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The Public Diplomacy Office was established in 2014 as an affiliate office to the Ministry of Cabinet Affairs, with the aim of proposing and implementing strategic national and regional initiatives reinforcing the standing of the United Arab Emirates and its leadership through partnerships with media and the public and private sectors. The Public Diplomacy Office undertakes the mission of documenting and highlighting the outstanding success story of the UAE and its leadership and representing the UAE’s regional and global model of progress. It also aims at strengthening the intellectual, cultural, humanitarian and developmental legacy of the UAE and implementing strategic initiatives promoting this legacy. The Public Diplomacy Office seeks to develop direct communication tools between the federal government, local community and broader communities in order to strengthen ties through implementing community-based initiatives and celebrating national and cultural occasions.

Since its establishment, the Public Diplomacy Office has undertaken the proposal, planning and launch of several major projects, in partnership with relevant authorities and institutions, such as launching the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, the Arab Reading Challenge (ARC), the Mohammed bin Rashid Library, the Emirates Mars Mission, the 100-Retreat within the Year of Reading 2016, and the strategic communication management of the World Government Summit 2016. The office also has undertaken the proposal, launch and management of several major national campaigns in the UAE, including Thank you Khalifa in 2014, Thank you UAE Army in 2015, and Thank you Mohammed bin Rashid in 2016, in addition to the full media coverage of UAE the humanitarian campaigns including Dress 1 Million Needy Children, UAE Water Aid and UAE Compassion Campaign.

In March 2016, His Highness Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, ordered the establishment of the Public Diplomacy Office as an independent entity under the Ministry of Cabinet Affairs and the Future, and appointed His Excellency Saeed Mohammad Al Eter Al Dhanhani as the Director General of the office.