A UAE billionaire is inviting solutions from the public to two challenges, promising an "incredible reward" or even the option to sign a job contract if someone impresses him.

Mohamed Alabbar, founder of Emaar, said he wants to make Downtown Dubai the most visited place on Earth. He wants to see a one-year marketing campaign that will help attract much more than the 150 million visitors it welcomed.

The second challenge is related to housing. Recalling his own upbringing in a single room with his 13 brothers, he said: “Many people in Dubai used to live in social housing, but then UAE government provided houses to citizens. Currently, 1.8 million people worldwide are facing housing shortages.”

He wants to see a campaign focused on creating a hub to address and resolve this pressing issue.

Addressing the 1 Billion Summit in Dubai on Monday, Alabbar displayed his personal email address up on the screen, inviting participants to send their solutions.

During the session, Alabbar shared insights into the rationale behind his decision to let go of his marketing team. He advocated for a shift towards genuine product quality and authentic engagement over traditional marketing methods. Traditional marketing often resembles propaganda, he said.

He revealed how a 30-second video that cost Dh70,000 to produce generated billions in sales in one of his company’s real estate projects. Effective marketing, he argued, goes beyond traditional methods.

The video — posted in February last year — showed Mohamed Alabbar, founder of Emaar properties, with his 12 grandchildren in a villa. In response to a comment about how short the video is, he remarked: "That’s why I don’t use anyone; I use my grandchildren."

He said he could not adhere to the same marketing policies that had previously been in place. "The subject of marketing is riddled with deception. My focus must be on enhancing the quality of my products," he stated. He urged others to "be honest and concentrate on the quality of what you offer".

During the session, he casually discussed his recent social media presence, highlighting that “we are in a golden age and in an amazing city like Dubai and we should capitalise on the opportunities presented by this dynamic environment”.

Alabbar reflected on his early career, admitting he was unaware of the necessity of partnering with skilled individuals. Coming from a background where his parents were illiterate, he acknowledged the delay in understanding this critical aspect of success.

Responding to an Emirati woman's concerns about partnerships, he candidly admitted that many of his own partnerships had been unsuccessful. "But try it, and you will learn," he advised, sharing his own journey of starting at 17 and not finding success until around 39. "You must work tirelessly every day to succeed. It's not about a weekly effort. Hard work is essential."