His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council of Dubai, has launched the Dubai Font in line with the UAE’s vision to become a regional and global leader in innovation.
يسعدني اليوم أن أقدم #خط_دبي للعالم بأسره كوسيلة رقمية جديدة للتعبير عن الذات #عبّر_عن_نفسك pic.twitter.com/FADTly2n1R
— Hamdan bin Mohammed (@HamdanMohammed) April 30, 2017
The font, developed in partnership with Microsoft, is the first font to be developed by a city and to carry its name.
His Highness has officially directed government institutions in the Emirate of Dubai to adopt the font in government correspondences. “The launch of the Dubai Font to the world is a very important step for us as part of our continuous efforts to be ranked first in the digital world,” he said. “We are confident that this new font and its unique specifications will prove popular among other fonts used online and in smart technologies across the world.”
The Dubai Font, which features 23 languages, is said to help people around the world “express themselves and share their views, thoughts and life experiences with everyone around them.”
Secretary General of the Executive Council of Dubai His Excellency Abdulla Abdul Rahman Al Shaibani said, “The ‘Dubai Font’ sets itself apart from other fonts because it was designed based on the main pillars that have turned Dubai into a remarkable symbol of success and tolerance. It reflects the commitment of The General Secretariat of the Executive Council of Dubai in executing the directives of our wise leadership, as well as achieving its strategy to encourage the use of technology in reaffirming Dubai’s global stature.”
The UAE is home to over 200 nationalities, and Al Shaibani believes that this diverse lifestyle is represented in this font. “This statistic proves that Dubai is not just for one nationality, and neither is this font,” he said.
Samer Abu Ltaif, president of Microsoft in the Middle East and Africa, said that the company’s partnership with the Dubai government is one that is held very dear at Microsoft. “We at Microsoft are so pleased to have such strategic partnerships in place with Dubai government,” he said. “Complementing the city’s efforts to adopt more designs and technology on a global level, we are happy to confirm that the ‘Dubai Font’ will be available globally to over 100 million users around the world through Office 365.”
The Dubai Font was designed by Dr. Nadine Chahine, type director and legibility expert, Monotype. “The challenge wasn’t to create a quality font but to create a new and a special medium of expression to unleash ambitions and transcend borders,” explained Dr. Chahine.
