Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, said the success of a global city is not measured solely by its skyscrapers, tourists or investment. More important, she said, are the trust and sense of belonging felt by the people who live there.

She made the remarks during a keynote address titled “Stories That Shape Our Cities” at the Arab Media Summit 2026 in Dubai. She said Dubai and the UAE had long moved beyond simply building a reputation and were now placing greater emphasis on fostering trust — trust that is strengthened during difficult times and when the performance of institutions directly affects people’s lives.

Sheikha Latifa stressed that jobs, investment, infrastructure and quality of life can attract people to a city, but attraction alone does not create a sense of belonging. Belonging takes shape when people feel that, in addition to benefiting from a city’s opportunities, they can also contribute to its future and success.

She also said the most powerful narrative about Dubai is not the one the city creates about itself, but the stories residents tell based on their personal experiences of living, working and contributing there. In her view, successful cities attract people, but great cities make them part of shaping the future.

Another part of Sheikha Latifa’s address focused on artificial intelligence and the spread of misinformation. She said creating and distributing content had become easier than ever, but so had fabricating and manipulating it, potentially undermining public trust even in accurate information.

In such an environment, she said, genuine human experiences and organic narratives become more valuable because technology can accelerate the spread of a story, but it cannot replace authentic human experience.