VisitBritain and the British Council create a new online community to update perceptions of the UK amongst young Emiratis

VisitBritain, in partnership with the British Council, created the new online youth community for the UAE called 'GB4U' (Great Britain For You), after research commissioned by VisitBritain had revealed that young people in the UAE have relatively limited perceptions of the UK.

GB4U is a new online community (registration is free) offering information on travel, work, study and contemporary culture in the UK for its young members; it went live in November 2007. As well as information and the unique content of the site, members benefit from a quarterly e-newsletter, special offers, and a chance to win monthly prizes of CDs and DVDs, courtesy of site partner, Megastar Home Entertainment Middle East.

According to original research by VisitBritain in the UAE, young Emiratis still associate the UK closely with tradition - HM the Queen, Shakespeare, history and heritage - and most strongly with London.

The GB4U online community and campaign aims to update the traditional perceptions of the UK to reflect the modern, dynamic and creative multicultural society that is the reality of the UK in the 21st century.

Carol Maddison, VisitBritain Regional Marketing Manager, said: "The UK is a very popular destination amongst Emiratis and we know from our research that young Emiratis feel that they know the UK and this sense of familiarity is a positive factor. However, further questions reveal that many of these perceptions are clearly outdated and are based on the immense wealth of history and tradition in the UK - and the dominance of London within the UK. We are aiming for GB4U to be the most trusted source of information about the UK for young Emiratis and to broaden and deepen their knowledge of the UK, beyond London and beyond tradition, and ultimately hope to encourage more young people from this region to visit the UK. The initial response to the site has been very positive."


With the UAE's high degree of online connectivity and the fact that younger people are very comfortable with the online world, the internet quickly became the preferred way of creating a new community of young people dedicated to sharing information about the UK.

Alison Devine, Deputy Director, British Council UAE, added: "GB4U creates a new window on contemporary UK culture, which is one of the most dynamic and creative in the world, at the cutting edge in many areas. From the Arts to science and technology, design and engineering, fashion, music, and architecture, it's a dynamic blend of ideas and culture that fuse into a highly creative society. GB4U has been created to help young people get a more accurate view of the UK and it creates an exciting and familiar platform from which they can learn more about the country, from studying and living there, to vacations, to the latest in the music and Arts scene."

The UK continues to be a very popular destination for Emiratis for overseas study and leisure: The 2006 UK arrivals figures (statistics obtained from International Passenger Survey) included 178,000 visitors (all nationalities) from the UAE, a 34% increase over 2005.

According to the latest figures from the British Council (provided by the UK's Higher Education Statistics Agency), the total number of students from the UAE studying Higher Education in the UK in academic year 2005/6 rose to more than 2,000 - an increase of 15% compared to the previous year; the number rises to well over 3,000 students from the UAE when those studying at Further Education level and on English language courses are taken into consideration.