Abu Dhabi and Yas Island is all set to jointly host the 23rd edition of the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards 2023 for the second consecutive year. Rolling out the green carpet for Bollywood stars, Abu Dhabi is prepared to unite both Indian and global film lovers on a single platform as well as showcase its cinematic offerings to the world. IIFA 2023, scheduled to be held during February 10-11, 2023, is expected to boost the global brand image of Yas Island and Abu Dhabi.
To spread the buzz about the IIFA Awards 2023, the team from Abu Dhabi including Hans Fraikin, Film & Television Commissioner at Abu Dhabi Film Commission; Tagrid Al Saeed, Executive Director of Group Communication & Destination Marketing, Miral; Nouf Al-Boushelaibi, Director of Strategic Marketing & Communications, DCT Abu Dhabi; along with the widely popular stars of Bollywood Salman Khan, Farhan Akhtar, Varun Dhawan, Maniesh Paul, Karan Johar, Farah Khan, Badshah, Sunidhi Chauhan, Amit Trivedi & Nucleya recently organized a press conference in Mumbai.
Speaking on the occasion, Fraikin said that UAE and India enjoy a close relationship based on shared cultures, trade, and tourism. Today, UAE is India’s third largest bilateral trade partner after the USA and China. Around 30,00,000 Indians living and working in the country which is nearly one-third of their UAE’s population. He added that Abu Dhabi has been a shooting location for so many of India’s top producers, including Yashraj Films, Tips, Fox Star Studios, Sajid Nadiadwala, and more, as well as it has been a home for many production offices.
Yas Creative Hub in Yas Island has nurtured the trade and film fraternity of India with a purpose-built media, entertainment, and gaming campus. He drew light on similar developmental plans saying, “the government has announced US$ 6 billion to accelerate the growth of the culture-creative industries. And one of the first projects to come out of this new strategy will be a massive Studio City Complex”. With IIFA happening in February 2023, the Commissioner expects that the India – Abu Dhabi mutually beneficial cooperation is set to continue to grow in strength and volume for many years to come.
Saeed mentioned that an event of this scale is integral to Abu Dhabi positioning as a top global destination. This will bolster their agenda in capturing global attention and grabbing a spotlight on Yas Island’s offerings to millions of fans and visitors. Endorsed by the Bollywood royalty, Yas Island is thus set to compete with world-class attractions, and position itself as an adventure, holiday, and film destination.
“The United Arab Emirates and India have always enjoyed strong bond of friendship. Based on historical-cultural ties, this year marked 50 years of mutual relations and we believe a key area of collaboration will be our continued partnership with the powerful Indian film industry. The Indian film industry is of great importance to the United Arab Emirates as it has driven economic diversification, sparking our creative sector by creating jobs and flourishing opportunities,” Saeed added.
As the United Arab Emirates evolves to be a prominent filming destination, the capital city – Abu Dhabi, is also expected to emerge as the preferred choice for Indian film directors. In the past decade, more than 130 Hollywood and Bollywood and regional productions have been filmed in the Emirates. Saeed expects a positive growth in the popularity of Abu Dhabi amongst Indian filmmakers, which is certainly going to be strengthened with the IIFA Awards 2023. “We know that the upcoming IIFA 2023 will bring together global celebrities, international media, fans, and worldwide film lovers to witness fascinating entertainment and performance by Bollywood stars,” she said.
Nouf mentioned that India remains to be amongst the top three key markets for attracting tourism and travelers. They are with the unhindered vision to continue looking at how to increase offerings and create products that attract Indians. “We’re always looking at what other potential partnerships can we unlock, how can we work and collaborate with the influential celebrities of India to show what Abu Dhabi has to offer,” she concluded.
