Dr. Diana Galeeva‏‏

GCC countries can count this past November as a successful month of state-branding mega-events. On 28 November 2023, Saudi Arabia won the right to host Expo 2030, and on 30 November, COP28 (the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change) began in Expo City Dubai in the UAE. This article aims to explore the concept of state-branding through these and similar events. What do Gulf countries aim to achieve with this strategy? Have they in fact achieved what they hoped? How effective has this branding concept been for the GCC states?Understanding State BrandingIn his article "Place Branding: The State of the Art," Peter van Ham presents the concept of place branding, which includes norms, values, and rules in global <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0002716207312274" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">politics</a>. A "place brand" is a form of intellectual property, which comprises "the totality of the thoughts, feelings, associations and expectations that come to mind when a prospect or consumer is exposed to an entity’s name, logo, products, services, events, or any design or symbol representing them." <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0002716207312274" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ham</a> suggests that anything can be branded, including credit cards (such as American Express), computer components (Intel), or even states. In other words, any state can be branded with symbols and meanings, enabling governments to produce an attractive and positive global image. However, when governments do not consider branding seriously enough, not only do they miss the opportunity to promote a positive image of their state, but also leave their identity open to misinterpretation.This concept is related to, though distinct from, the well-established concept of soft power in influence and control. Joseph <a href="https://foreignpolicy.com/2018/08/20/the-rise-and-fall-of-soft-power/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Nye</a> defined soft power as a state’s ability to achieve political influence without resorting to the use of force or financial clout. According to van <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0002716207312274" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ham</a>, place branding an attempt to "use strategies developed in the commercial sector to manage, if not necessarily wield, the soft power of a geographical location." In other words, the identity of a place is wielded as a source of influence. Place branding goes beyond selling products, ideas or services to solidify reputation and expand recognition. Ultimately, place branding is an essential component of projecting state identities on the international stage, and accessing corresponding soft power opportunities. Desired AmbitionsSaudi Arabia has pursued branding efforts to transform its image worldwide and project its preferred identity, while combatting a set of (often negative) stereotypes with which the Kingdom has been associated for years. According to Saud Kateb, former deputy minister for public diplomacy in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Saudi Arabia is utilizing multiple entities in its rebranding initiative, including "the Ministry of Culture, Misk Foundation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Media, the Ministry of Sports, the Shura Council, the General Entertainment Authority and <a href="https://agsiw.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Alhussein_Soft-power-1.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">others</a>." The breadth of involvement in this initiative illustrates the energy and diversity of current approaches. However, Eman Alhussein has argued that these approaches unfortunately "haven’t been unified under one common <a href="https://agsiw.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Alhussein_Soft-power-1.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">strategy</a>." If such a unified strategy is developed, what is the key message that Saudi Arabia would like to share about itself with the world? How it would like to rebrand? In this regard, it might be useful to draw on academic analyses of official Saudi discourse. Discourse analysis sheds light on the desired brand that Saudi officials aim to create. For example, Ranaa Madani used a mixed-method framing analysis that included examining 100 Instagram posts and conducting interviews with three of the main organizers of the MDL Beast festival. According to Madani, "opening up to the world, positive change, and national pride were the most common frames to promote a new image of Saudi Arabia through the MDL Beast festival." The author added that the "MDL Beast festival sends the message that Saudi Arabia no longer conforms to stereotypical conservative perceptions and has been <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/23311983.2022.2105511" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">changing</a>." Madani draws attention to the focus on transformation in Saudi rebranding, including changing old perceptions and projecting a modern, adaptive energy. Recent Saudi successes with regarding to hosting Expo 2030 and the 2029 Asian Winter Games, as well as being the only remaining contender to host the FIFA World Cup in 2034, have helped bring attention to Saudi transformations. As Al Majalla writes, "Riyadh Expo 2030 will coincide with the completion of Vision 2030, cementing the Kingdom’s commitment to modernization and <a href="https://en.majalla.com/node/293791/business-economy/riyadh-opens-its-arms-world-expo-2030-bid" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">excellence</a>." In his remarks, Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah stressed that Saudi Arabia would present a "new type of Expo 2030, changing the dynamics of international exhibition," and offer "an Expo for the world." Furthermore, branding itself as a "modernizing" nation that breaks stereotypes seems to have a successful strategy in winning the bid to host the 2029 Asian Winter Games. Saudi Arabia has plans to build a mountain resort called Trojena, which will offer outdoor skiing, a man-made freshwater lake, and a nature <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/oct/04/saudi-arabia-to-host-2029-asian-winter-games-at-desert-megacity-neom-trojena" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">reserve</a>.&nbsp;Nadhmi al-Nasr, the CEO of NEOM, stated that "Trojena will have a suitable infrastructure to create the winter atmosphere in the heart of the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/oct/04/saudi-arabia-to-host-2029-asian-winter-games-at-desert-megacity-neom-trojena" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">desert</a>." The Kingdom is rebranding itself as being open and committed to the world. Meanwhile, the UAE launched an initiative in 2019 to create a logo for the "UAE Nation Brand" that would represent the country to the world. According to the initiative: "Through highlighting the distinctive features of the Emirates, the Nation Brand aims to share the country’s journey of development and progress as an inspiring success story worth celebrating and sharing with the <a href="https://www.nationbrand.ae/en/about" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">world</a>." The Nation Brand presents the UAE as a "melting pot for cultures, a meeting point for ideas and ambitions, a destination to live and work." It casts the UAE as a land of opportunity, a global trade center, a futuristic vision, a culture of innovation and possibility, happiness in practice, and a beacon of hope, tolerance, and openness that embodies the value of <a href="https://www.nationbrand.ae/en/about" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">giving</a>. COP28, which is currently underway in the UAE, is driven by the concept that all people are inhabitants of one world. It is intended to bridge divides between north and south, private and public sectors, civil society and the academy, and to build bridges with women <a href="https://wam.ae/article/hszrg9qq-abdullah-bin-zayed-launches-cop28-uae-logo" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">and youth</a>. Not unlike the emerging Saudi brand, the UAE brand is also about being open to the world, committed to international challenges, and offering innovative solutions for global problems. I personally visited and witnessed the success of Expo 2020, where the entire world could be seen in Dubai. Expo 2020 hosted pavilions from <a href="https://www.bucketlistly.blog/posts/dubai-expo-2020-most-beautiful-pavilions" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Argentina to France</a> and one indeed had the feeling that the UAE was open to and at the heart of the world today.To sum up, recent state-branding initiatives have become crucial to promoting a positive image of GCC countries, particularly to avoid misinterpretation of state identities or negative stereotypes about the region. This is the main goal behind the GCC branding strategy. Combating old stereotypes of insularity, conservatism, and backwardness has been necessary to create new international reputations in politics and business. Mega-events have enabled Gulf countries to invite the world to visit and to show off their transformations from regional players to world actors. The GCC rebrand replaces one-dimensional cliches about oil-producing countries with images of rich cultures and open and modernized societies. Mega-events offer visions of global innovation and development to humankind, such as by bringing winter to the heart of the desert. Promoting mega-events is an integral part of state branding and serves as an effective tool to challenge existing stereotypes. &nbsp;

Why Are GCC Countries Prioritizing State Branding?