Framework of Film Festival Strategy and City Branding in Dubai with a Focus on the Role of Government

Abstract

As global cities increasingly compete for attention, investment, and tourism, cultural strategies have emerged as powerful tools for enhancing urban identity and brand value. This study aims to develop and validate a conceptual framework linking film festival strategy to city branding in Dubai, with a particular focus on the mediating role of government. Data were collected from employees of the Department of Economy and Tourism, Dubai, and analysed using SmartPLS. The measurement model demonstrated strong reliability and validity, including construct reliability, convergent validity, and discriminant validity. Structural model analysis revealed that the film festival strategy is the dominant driver of city branding, with a significant direct effect (path coefficient=0.741). Additionally, the government’s role partially mediates this relationship, with a mediation effect strength of 0.149. Predictive assessment showed acceptable predictive relevance for all first-order constructs, and the model effectively predicted indicators at both first-order and higher-order levels. These findings offer practical insights into how cultural strategies, supported by government initiatives, can strengthen Dubai’s city branding efforts.