Full Video: Google and Abu Dhabi Want to Rewrite the Rules of Destination Marketing
Photo Credit: Google MENA Managing Director Maxim Braverman, Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) Executive Director Steve Cox, and Skift CEO Rafat Ali at Skift Global Forum East on October 30, 2025 in Abu Dhabi. Skift
Skift Take
Abu Dhabi wants to market its future while it’s building it in real time. With Google as both platform and partner, the city is using AI, creator content, and cultural capital to try to cement its place as a global tourism powerhouse.
Steve Cox from the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi and Maxim Braverman of Google sat down with Skift CEO Rafat Ali at Skift Global Forum East on October 30, 2025 in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
The three explored how long-term investment,