If you are looking for somewhere new to eat in the city, the search just got much easier. Public voting opens today for Map Your Dubai: Insider Edition, a joint project by the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) and Google. The campaign shifts its focus to the public today, aiming to channel community recommendations directly into growth for local, homegrown restaurants and cafes.
Turning Everyday Reviews into Local Business Growth
The initiative is a major part of From Dubai, For Dubai, an ongoing community-led movement by DET to back local entrepreneurs. By using Google Maps as the core tool, the campaign translates casual digital tracking into concrete financial support for neighborhood food and beverage businesses.Ahmad Al Room Almheiri, CEO of Dubai SME, explained how this community storytelling helps the local economy:"The Map Your Dubai initiative reflects what makes Dubai distinctive: a city shaped by the diversity of its people, cultures, businesses, and experiences, and strengthened by the partnerships that bring them together. Through From Dubai, For Dubai, and in collaboration with Google, we are building on Dubai’s long-standing approach to community-led storytelling, from #MyDubai to MyDubai Communities, where residents, creators, and visitors play an active role in shaping the narrative of the city. This initiative also builds on previous collaborations with Google to highlight Dubai’s offering through digital discovery and community participation. 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. By increasing visibility for local F&B concepts and homegrown brands, Map Your Dubai reinforces Dubai’s position as a global gastronomy hub and the best city to visit, live, and work in, while supporting long-term resilience and sustainable growth aligned with the Dubai Economic Agenda, D33."
The Power of the Local Guide Community
Instead of corporate reviews, the platform leans completely on the city's active Google Local Guides, volunteers who spent weeks consolidating their personal, lived-in food recommendations into easy to follow, thematic dining paths.Anthony Nakache, Managing Director at Google MENA, emphasized that the campaign relies on authentic city knowledge:"Map Your Dubai: Insider Edition empowers Google Local Guides to transform their authentic city knowledge into a powerful community movement. 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. We are deeply committed alongside Dubai Department Economy and Tourism to support the region's F&B business sector."
How to Use the Lists and Cast Your Vote
The 11 curated lists are entirely live on the official portal at MapYourDubai.com. You can browse the selections, open them straight inside your personal Google Maps account to track down the venues, and vote for your favorite culinary shortlists before the 6 July deadline.