The Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) has teamed up with Google to launch ‘Map Your Dubai: Insider Edition’, a new program aimed at increasing visibility and foot traffic for the city’s homegrown food and beverage businesses. The initiative will leverage Google Maps’ community of ‘Local Guides’ to curate lists of top restaurants and cafes, which will then be opened to a public vote to drive discovery.
Quick Facts
- Partnership: Dubai’s DET and Google collaborate.
- Goal: Promote local F&B SMEs.
- Mechanism: Curated Google Maps lists with public voting.
How ‘Map Your Dubai’ Works
The program utilizes Dubai’s community of Google Local Guides—active users who contribute reviews, photos, and information to Google Maps—to create specialized, thematic lists of their favorite local dining spots. These lists are designed to showcase neighborhood gems and unique culinary concepts often overlooked by mainstream guides.
Starting today, the public can access 11 of these insider lists through the official campaign portal, MapYourDubai.com. Users can explore the recommendations and visit the venues directly through their Google Maps accounts. The voting period is set to run from June 22 to July 6, 2026, after which the winning Local Guides will be featured on official social media channels.
A Public-Private Push for Dubai’s SMEs
The initiative was announced at an event at the Etihad Museum, attended by key figures including Ahmad Al Room Almheiri, CEO of Dubai SME. It operates under DET’s broader ‘From Dubai, For Dubai’ movement, a campaign encouraging residents and visitors to support local businesses.
“Map Your Dubai: Insider Edition empowers Google Local Guides to transform their authentic city knowledge into a powerful community movement,” said Anthony Nakache, Managing Director at Google MENA. “We are driven to enable, support small and homegrown F&B businesses by equipping them with tools they need to stay competitive and reach new audiences.”
Ahmad Al Room Almheiri highlighted the initiative’s alignment with city-wide economic goals. “It is a strong example of how public-private collaboration, digital platforms, and local voices can translate discovery into real economic value for Dubai-based businesses,” he stated. “By increasing visibility for local F&B concepts and homegrown brands, Map Your Dubai reinforces Dubai’s position as a global gastronomy hub…while supporting long-term resilience and sustainable growth aligned with the Dubai Economic Agenda, D33.”
About Map Your Dubai
‘Map Your Dubai: Insider Edition’ is a collaborative initiative between the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) and Google. It is designed to support the local F&B sector by using Google Maps’ Local Guides community to create and promote curated lists of homegrown restaurants, cafes, and dining concepts. The program aims to increase digital discovery and drive economic value for small and medium-sized businesses across the city.
Source: Zawya
