Dubai launches “Map Your Dubai” to spotlight local culinary gems
Dubai is giving its homegrown food scene a fresh digital push. The Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) has teamed up with Google to launch “Map Your Dubai: Insider Edition”, a new initiative designed to support local restaurants, cafés, and neighbourhood dining concepts by turning community recommendations into real visibility and footfall.
The idea is simple but timely: Google Local Guides — active users who write reviews, upload photos, answer questions, and update listings on Google Maps — will create curated lists of their favorite Dubai food spots. Those lists will then be opened to the public, allowing residents and visitors to explore them, visit the featured venues through their own Google Maps accounts, and vote for the most compelling culinary selections.
The initiative was launched during a special Breakfast Club gathering at the Etihad Museum, attended by Ahmad Al Room Almheiri, CEO of Dubai SME, alongside senior officials, homegrown culinary founders, and food-focused creators from the region. According to DET, the campaign sits under the wider “From Dubai, For Dubai” movement — a community-led platform created to support the people, businesses, and ideas shaping everyday life in the city.
For Dubai People, what makes this especially relevant is that the project reflects a larger shift in how cities build cultural value. Dubai is no longer promoting only headline restaurants and internationally known venues — it is also investing in the discovery of smaller, local concepts that give the city its everyday character. In that sense, “Map Your Dubai” is not just about food. It is about narrative, community, and helping residents participate in shaping the city’s identity.
The campaign will feature 11 insider-curated lists gathered on the official platform, with more than 100 homegrown restaurants, cafés, and neighbourhood spots expected to be highlighted. Public voting is scheduled to open on June 22, 2026, and will continue until July 6, 2026, with the winning Local Guides later celebrated across official channels.
Anthony Nakache, Managing Director at Google MENA, said the initiative gives Local Guides a way to turn their authentic city knowledge into a broader community movement, while also helping small F&B businesses stay competitive and reach new audiences. Ahmad Al Room Almheiri added that the project reflects what makes Dubai distinctive: a city shaped by the diversity of its people, businesses, and experiences, and strengthened by collaboration between public and private sectors. He also positioned the initiative as part of Dubai’s broader ambition to reinforce its standing as a global gastronomy hub and support long-term growth aligned with the Dubai Economic Agenda D33.
In practice, the initiative gives Dubai-based businesses something increasingly valuable: discoverability. In a city where digital presence can strongly influence where people choose to go, curated Google Maps visibility can help local restaurants and cafés move from hidden gems to regular destinations. It also makes exploration easier for both residents and tourists looking to go beyond the obvious.
Dubai has long understood the power of community storytelling, from #MyDubai to newer local engagement projects. “Map Your Dubai” feels like the next step in that logic — using digital tools, local voices, and public participation to turn recommendation into economic value. And in a city where the food scene continues to grow in both scale and diversity, that kind of support may matter more than ever.
