“Thank You UAE” Brings Community Stories Together at Dubai Festival City and Transforms Them into Digital Stars

“Your Message Shines Like a Star in the World’s Sky” — An Interactive Three-Day Experience Welcoming Families and Children in Conjunction with the Year of the Family

Published Date Saturday, 12 September 2026
“Thank You UAE” Brings Community Stories Together at Dubai Festival City and Transforms Them into Digital Stars
Dubai, United Arab Emirates — The “Thank You UAE” campaign, organized by the Security Industry Regulatory Agency (SIRA), continues its community outreach tour across shopping malls with its latest stop at Dubai Festival City Mall, where it is welcoming visitors over three days starting Friday. The interactive community experience is being held in conjunction with the Year of the Family.
The experience invites families, children, and members of the wider community to participate by recording messages of gratitude to the UAE and sharing stories that reflect their connection to the country and their experiences of safety, security, opportunity, and quality of life. Through interactive technology, the campaign transforms these messages into stars within a digital universe, bringing participants’ words together and allowing them to view and explore their messages in a unique visual experience.
H.E. Khalifa Ibrahim Al Saleis, CEO of the Security Industry Regulatory Agency (SIRA), said: “Thank You UAE is a space for everyone who carries a story about this nation in their heart.”
He explained that the campaign’s presence at Dubai Festival City Mall provides an opportunity to engage directly with families and children and gives them a platform to express their love and gratitude to the UAE.
He added: “Every person has a story, an experience, and an aspiration connected to the UAE. Today, we bring these emotions together in one message: Thank You UAE.”
The on-site experience begins with participants recording a message of gratitude, which is then transformed into a star within an interactive digital universe. Participants then embark on a virtual journey to the “UAE Planet,” where they can see their message displayed inside a glowing star alongside messages featuring the stories and experiences of other participants.
Speaking about the concept behind the experience, H.E. Al Saleis said: “Through Thank You UAE, we want every participant to see the impact of their words and feel that their message has become part of a global story of love and loyalty to the UAE.”
He noted that the participation of children and their families helps instill a culture of gratitude and belonging across generations, turning the expression of appreciation into a shared experience that brings families and communities together while reflecting the deeply rooted humanitarian values of the United Arab Emirates.
This activation is part of the campaign’s wider outreach efforts to connect with members of the community in the places where they gather, alongside its digital presence, which enables people of different nationalities and generations, both inside and outside the UAE, to submit their messages.
The public can participate by visiting the “Thank You UAE” experience at Dubai Festival City Mall during the three-day activation or by submitting their messages through the campaign’s online platform:

https://shukranuae.emaratalaman.ae/

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