How Dubai Frame Drew Over 2 Million Visitors. And What It Means for You!

A Quick Look at Dubai Frame

Opened in January 2018, Dubai Frame stands at 150 metres high and 93 metres wide in Zabeel Park. It offers visitors sweeping views of both “old Dubai” to the north and the modern skyline to the south, making it both a landmark and a storytelling device.

From elevator rides to sky-decks, multimedia galleries and a glass-floor walkway, the visitor journey is immersive, dramatic and built for both locals and tourists.

Key Factors Behind Its Success

Here are some of the factors that helped Dubai Frame move beyond novelty and become a high-volume attraction:

• Strong design narrative: It doesn’t just show Dubai, it tells its story: past, present and future. That emotional arc gives it depth.

• Iconic structure + location: A visually unique landmark with one foot in heritage (old city view) and one foot in futurism (modern skyline) creates broad appeal.

• Photography and social media-ready experience: The glass floor, sky-deck views, and gold facade make it highly shareable, helping word-of-mouth and social channels boost visibility.

• Accessible pricing & local audience: Reports indicate the attraction draws a mix of international tourists and Emirati local visitors. One source notes more than a third of visitors were from within UAE.

• Clear visitor journey and immersive tech: Elevator experience, interactive exhibits, immersive media and an iconic glass bridge floor all combine to turn a visit into an event, not just a view.

Lessons for Your Destination or Cultural Project

When you help a city, developer or cultural institution build an attraction, simply being “big” or “beautiful” isn’t enough. The success of Dubai Frame gives you actionable lessons:

Embed story and identity: Visitors stay in and return to projects when they feel connected to the place and its narrative.

Design for shareability and experience: Moments that people talk about, photograph and share boost reach, drive visitation, and widen audience.

Mix local and tourist audiences: Attraction projects should appeal both to visitors and locals, generating repeat visits.

Focus on the full journey: From arrival to exit, every touchpoint from ticketing to exhibits to views matters.

Link design to performance: Imaginative design plus data-driven modelling (attendance, dwell time, revenue) enable justification of investment and funding.

How Your Project Can Do The Same

Here’s how:

• Strategic Project Planning: Model attendance, segment audiences and assess market context so your attraction is feasible and defensible.

• Story, Brand & Experiential Design: Craft immersive narratives and design environments that connect emotionally and visually.

• Marketing & Sales Strategy: Build programs that create the anticipation, drive early momentum and convert visitors into advocates.

• Performance-Mindset Implementation: Define key metrics, visitor flows and ROI-aligned milestones, so design and budget align with results.

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Final Thought

The Dubai Frame’s success shows that a landmark attraction isn’t just about height or facade, it’s about delivering an experience people want, one they will share, return to, and talk about. If you’re planning a cultural or destination project and want to ensure you deliver more than just structure, let’s talk.

At The Fourth Voice, we specialise in turning cultural, destination and attraction projects into high-performing experiences and projects that draw visitors, drive revenue and build community value.