Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council of Dubai Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum has launched the Dubai Font — Microsoft’s first font to be created by a city and named after it — in line with the UAE’s vision to become a regional and global leader in innovation.
On this occasion, Shaikh Hamdan officially directed government institutions in the Emirate of Dubai to adopt the font in government correspondences, saying: “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.
"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. Therefore, we urge all government entities to use the Dubai Font in their official correspondence, which is considered as a positive shift that will boost the emirate’s competitiveness in smart technology. This should be a commitment from the Dubai Government to guarantee the dissemination and success of this initiative on a local and global level.”
Moreover, Shaikh Hamdan was introduced to the minutiae of the “Dubai Font”, which sets it apart from many other fonts available throughout the world. He lauded its meticulous design that combines the authenticity of the past and the aspirations of the future, crossing all borders and barriers to give every person, wherever they may be, the means to express themselves. Shaikh Hamdan described the font as the new tool for a more tolerant and happy world.
He added: “I have personally overseen all the stages of the development of this font, from the first design sketches to the execution phase. I congratulate the project team and everyone who contributed to the success of this unique initiative.”
On the same note, Secretary General of the Executive Council of Dubai Abdullah Abdul Rahman Al Shaibani said: “Based on the directives of Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who has always urged us to communicate and to open new channels with others to exchange ideas and experiences, in addition to the continuous support of Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council of Dubai Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and the valuable trust bestowed upon us, we are gathered here today to witness a new contribution from Dubai to serve the region and the world. The Dubai Font — the emirate’s new and innovative mark in the digital world — builds a knowledge bridge linking the East to the West.”
He added: “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 was simultaneously designed in both Arabic and English, which was later extended to include 21 other languages. 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, and asserting its influential role in serving governments and the community across all levels.
“We continuously explored all possibilities and high potentials that technology provides us and we have used them in new and effective ways.
“We commend the efforts of the project team that has materialised the directives of our wise leadership and worked to achieve this success using the latest technologies. The Dubai Font reflects many of the values that characterise the personality of the Emirate of Dubai, whose vision revolves around giving, happiness, smartness, boldness, living in harmony, respecting one another and combining the authenticity of the past, the modernity of the present and the aspirations of the future.”
Developed as per the highest and most cutting-edge technological standards, the font is the first font in Microsoft applications and solutions to be developed by a city and to carry its name. The Dubai Font is not only a digital typeface used for writing but also a form of communication allowing people around the world to express their personalities and feelings in an ever-evolving digital world.
Assistant Secretary General for the Executive Council and General Secretariat Affairs Sector of Dubai, and Project Director of Dubai Font, Ahmad Al Mahri said: “The Dubai Font reflects the commitment of the General Secretariat of the Executive Council to employ the best technologies and tools in an innovative and effective way. It integrates the traditions of the UAE and its ancient and honorable past with its developed and innovative future, as per the directives of our wise leadership. Our team has executed the orders of the Crown Prince and has ensured that the Dubai Font adopts the latest international practices in the world of typefaces.”
Al Mahri added: “This initiative will surely mark Dubai’s position in this fast-paced world of digital typography; therefore, it was necessary for us to embrace these technologies and present them to the people in a way that gives them pride and happiness, allowing them to express themselves with the people around them.
“We present the Dubai Font to the world today, to restate the essential role played by the United Arab Emirates in promoting the values of giving and tolerance not only within the country but also around the world. The font also supports the technology sector in general by offering a high-quality digital font with unique specifications in different countries of the world without any costs. The font carries special characteristics that facilitate reading and supports printing and display on electronic screens. Dubai Font happens to be the most exemplary font to use in designing promotional ads to be used in larger sizes. It is important to note that the high technical quality of the font fills an important need for high-quality Arabic fonts as part of the Office 365 program by Microsoft.”
President of Microsoft in the Middle East and Africa Samer Abu Ltaif 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 debut of this font is a great example of successful collaborations between the public and private sectors to encourage reading and adopt more technical solutions to serve the communities. This reinforces the vision of Dubai, which aims to become one of the most inclusive cities, as well as Microsoft’s vision to provide better fonts to the world that are accessible to everyone.”
The Dubai Font was designed by Dr Nadine Chahine in collaboration with a team from a global agency Monotype. It was developed as a font with unique specifications that aims to encourage self-expression and reading. Created from scratch, the Dubai Font fills a design gap between Arabic and Latin texts and presents harmonious typefaces combining the two scripts seamlessly.
“The openness and harmony of the people in the UAE, the essence of Dubai and its vision to become the quintessential modern Arab city were our source of inspiration to design the Dubai Font”, explains Dr Nadine Chahine, Type Director and Legibility Expert at 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.”
The Dubai Font helps people around the world to express themselves and share their views, thoughts and life experiences with everyone around them. To achieve that, the need emerged to design the Dubai Font as a means for expression in its fullest details.
On the other hand, the design of the font captures the unique nature of the Emirate of Dubai. The Dubai Font mirrors the city’s qualities and promotes its global standing. The font includes 23 languages.
To download the font visit www.dubaifont.com
