Investment Corporation of Dubai is title sponsor of Dubai International Film Festival

The Dubai International Film Festival, the leading festival of its Middle East, Asia and Africa, held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President & Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, has announced that Investment Corporation of Dubai, the specialised investment management organisation of the Government of Dubai,will be its title sponsor.

ICD supervises the government's investment portfolio adding value through the implementation of world best-practice corporate governance, the recruitment of the best people and the embracing a global investment strategy. Its mandate is to generate a superior return on investment in a way that will benefit the entire Dubai community.

Mr Abdulhamid Juma, Chairman of the Dubai International Film Festival, said: “We are honoured by the Investment Corporation of Dubai’s recognition of DIFF as a strategic, blue-chip organization with proven, exponential returns across geographies and socio-economic and cultural domains.”

“The title sponsorship support extended by ICD is a mark of the continuing high-level government support for the Festival. We thank His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President & Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, for his unstinting support of the Festival and its mission, and look forward to working with ICD to accelerate our growth and mutual benefit.”

DIFF, he added, is both an investment in the film industry of the UAE, the Arab world and near Asia and Africa, and a cultural investment in improving multilateral relationships at home and abroad.

Mr Khalifa Al Daboos, Director of Investments, Investment Corporation of Dubai, said: “Over the years, DIFF’s contribution has expanded to encompass capacity building in the regional film industry, promoting regional film talent overseas and driving the growth of a Dubai-centered film industry in addition to providing an unmatched cultural experience for UAE residents and visitors. The Festival has also made tangible contributions to the city’s vital growth sectors including tourism, hospitality and retail. Our partnership with DIFF offers a new opportunity to strengthen DIFF as a strategic cultural initiative of Dubai, and drive greater international interest in the city as a holistic hub for business and living.”

ICD’s investment portfolio features some of Dubai’s flagship entities spanning the utilities, energy, transportation, finance, industry, real estate and leisure sectors, such as:  Emirates National Oil Company (ENOC), the Emirates Group, Dubai Duty Free, Emirates NBD, Dubai Islamic Bank, Commercial Bank of Dubai, HSBC Middle East Finance Company, Dubai Aluminum Company Limited (DUBAL), Emaar Properties, and Dubai World Trade Centre, among others.

DIFF is held in association with Dubai Studio City. Dubai Duty Free, Dubai Pearl, Emirates Airline and Madinat Jumeirah, the home of the Dubai International Film Festival, are the principal sponsors of DIFF. The Festival is supported by the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority.