MONA, MEERA, DANA, KHAWLA, AND MAITHA'S IDEA — TRUE EMIRATES: Bridging Cultures Through Authentic UAE Experiences

+ What is your name?

True Emirates

+ Are you submitting as a team or as an individual?

Team submission

+ Where are you located?

Abu Dhabi Women’s Campus (ADW)

+ In one sentence, tell us about your idea.

True Emirates is a tourism platform that connects travelers with authentic Emirati cultural experiences through homestays, guided tours, and a mobile app that bridges cultures and creates lasting memories.

+ Describe your ideal collaborative partner or partners.

My ideal collaborative partners would be local Emirati families, cultural institutions, and tech developers who share a passion for authentic storytelling and cultural exchange.

+ What is the most immediate or most pressing challenge you're facing right now?

Starting it — we don't know where to begin and who to contact to help us actually bring this idea to life.

+ What is it about your idea that makes you feel good?

Sharing who we truly are and what we represent as Emiratis — sharing our culture and tradition.

+ What makes your idea innovative? Why has no one ever done it before?

True Emirates is innovative because it uniquely blends cultural tourism with a digital matchmaking platform, allowing travelers to book authentic experiences with local Emirati hosts — something traditionally hard to access in a region known more for luxury tourism than cultural immersion. This direct cultural connection, enabled by technology, hasn’t been widely implemented in the UAE, making it a fresh and impactful concept.

+ Who will benefit the most from your idea?

The families that will be hosting and also the local tour guides.

+ At Sigmund, we are interested in ideas at the intersection of People, Planet, and Profit. How does your idea support these three categories?

People: Fostering cultural exchange and mutual understanding by empowering local Emirati families to share their traditions and stories with travelers.
Planet: Promoting sustainable tourism by encouraging community-based experiences that reduce the environmental impact of large-scale commercial tourism.
Profit: Creating a scalable platform that generates income for local hosts while offering unique, high-value experiences to travelers, ensuring economic sustainability for all stakeholders.

+ Ideally, when would you launch this idea?

Two years from now

+ Indicate which UN goals your idea relates to?

• Decent Work and Economic Growth