UAE brand ambassadors from Hollywood and Bollywood over the years

Jennifer Aniston, Jason Mamoa and Nicole Kidman are among the famous faces who have starred in campaigns

David Hasselhoff is on to lifeguard duty in Aquaventure's relaunch campaign, called Where Legendary Lives. Photo: Aquaventure Dubai

David Hasselhoff, best known for his role as lifeguard Mitch Buchannon in 1990s TV show Baywatch, is the face of Aquaventure's latest campaign.

The actor will appear in videos in the coming months at the water park on Atlantis, The Palm.

He will be seen marshalling some of the water park’s most famous rides, running some relatively unorthodox lifeguard drills along Atlantis beach – and getting caught in the canteen queue or at the dry cleaners.

“As we've grown and evolved over the years, we knew it was time to shake things up with an epic campaign that screams fun,” said Karim Bidri, the marketing director at Atlantis, The Palm.

“We wanted this campaign to transcend generations, so we upped the nostalgia by bringing in The Hoff himself. Because, let's face it, who doesn't love a 1990s icon?”

Hasselhoff isn’t the only international celebrity to become a UAE ambassador, or star in a tourism campaign. Here’s a look at the other famous faces who have also done so.

Ryan Reynolds

In April, the Deadpool star was announced as Yas Island Abu Dhabi’s new chief island officer, taking over the role from Jason Momoa, who took the position last year from comedian Kevin Hart.

Responsible for promoting the destination to an international audience, Reynolds was revealed as the mystery skydiving celebrity who appeared in a new teaser campaign from the destination.

In the clip, Reynolds appears to skydive onto the Abu Dhabi island.

"Welcome Ryan", read lights on the W Abu Dhabi Hotel, the star's intended landing spot. But in what seems to be classic Reynolds comedy, the actor misses the mark and lands on the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix circuit.

“I've been an actor, a producer, a Welsh football club owner and I could go on. So I will," says Reynolds.

The rest of his speech is drowned out by the roar of F1 cars as they zoom around Abu Dhabi's Yas Marina Circuit, including a part where he says it's his "mission to create the first-ever Yas Island... [inaudible]", which is bound to leave viewers wondering what's to come at the destination.

Shaquille O’Neal

The former NBA star was recently in a summer campaign video for Experience Abu Dhabi to help promote Yas Island during the summer. In it, Shaq is singing along in Arabic to Miami Band’s hit song AACHAW, before directing people to visit the website for Yas Island.

“Man, that song sure does stick. You know what else sticks forever? A vacation on Yas Island,” he says in the short clip before speaking in Arabic.

Oprah Winfrey

The American talk show host and personality has joined the latest campaign for DCT Abu Dhabi. Called Be Moved in a Thousand Ways, the video is introduced and narrated by Winfrey, and shares the message of the transformative power of culture to unite, inspire and open minds.

Other contributors to the campaign video include artists Mohammed Ibrahim, Najat Makki and Afra Al Dhaheri, actor Idris Elba, musician will.i.am and pianist Lang Lang.

Penelope Cruz

The Academy Award-winning actress and philanthropist was an ambassador for Emirates Airline last year.

In campaigns airing in English and in Cruz's native Spanish, she was shown sampling luxuries that are exclusive to first and business-class passengers on Emirates, such as the A380 on-board lounge and the in-flight shower.

“From one hotel room, to another,” says the Vicky Cristina Barcelona star as she settles into one of Emirates' “game-changing” first-class suites.

The campaign also showed Cruz settling in for a siesta on a lie-flat bed, wearing the Emirates' “hydra-active moisturising pyjamas” that are given to premium travellers.

“I’m thrilled to partner with Emirates after years of travelling with them on some of the most special trips in my life,” said Cruz.

Cruz takes over the reins as Emirates' newest ambassador from Gerry the Goose who also chose to “fly better” by ditching his migratory flock and travelling with the Dubai airline in 2022. The feathery star was voiced by British actor Michael Cronin doing his best Sir David Attenborough imitation.

Jessica Alba and Zac Efron

Alba and Efron starred in several movie-like Dubai Tourism campaign videos set in the city. The Dubai Presents series includes A Brand New You, in which a future version of Efron time travels to the present to try to better himself, and A Romance to Remember, which riffs off a rom-com meet cute.

The videos have the Hollywood stars venture into the desert, touring around the souks in Deira, skydiving, enjoying abra trips, and dining at Jumeirah Al Qasr hotel. The pieces are all directed by Cruella's Craig Gillespie.

Shah Rukh Khan

Bollywood hero Khan's Dubai Tourism campaign was launched in 2016. The My Name Is Khan star showcased the best of Dubai through the #BeMyGuest six-video series.

In the final video, the star receives a mysterious box. He follows a set of clues around the emirate, to solve a puzzle. He eventually does, and in the last scene walks around a beach before spotting Hollywood star Gwyneth Paltrow.

He sets the box down in front of her, as she asks: “What’s this?” He responds simply: “Be my guest”. Then he walks away.

Gwyneth Paltrow

Goop founder Paltrow takes on the mantle from Khan in the A Story Takes Flight film and campaign, which also stars Kate Hudson and Zoe Saldana.

The actresses embark on three journeys of exploration through the emirate “filled with inspiration, discovery and human connections”, according to Dubai Tourism.

In the film directed by Emmy winner Reed Morano, Paltrow explores the souks, tries her hand at watersports and dances in a nightclub. Hudson, meanwhile, is in Old Dubai, by the Creek at sunset and doing karaoke; while Saldana is in the desert with her children, exploring City Walk, checking out the Dubai Frame and motorbiking towards the Burj Khalifa.

Nicole Kidman

In 2015, Australian actress Kidman was introduced as the new face of Etihad Airways.

She starred in a five-minute film for the brand, titled Reimagine, that gave viewers a look at the airline's Airbus A380 as she tours the aircraft on a flight between New York and Abu Dhabi.

Of the campaign, Kidman said: “The film is a culmination of Etihad’s vision to tell the airline’s story in an extremely innovative way and a commitment to engaging with the public as has never been attempted by an airline before. It was a great challenge but one which has definitely paid off and it was great to be part of such an exciting project.”

Jennifer Aniston

Friends star Aniston starred in an Emirates campaign in 2015. In the advert, Aniston finds a child in her first-class cabin, then walking through the rest of the plane to find the boy's parents in economy class.

In a second campaign, she plays a bewildered US airline passenger, wearing a bathrobe and clutching a loofah and a bag of toiletries, who asks the flight attendants where she can find the shower.

The attendants tell her there is no shower and no bar, and offer hot towels and some nuts. “This isn’t an Emirates plane, ma’am,” they say.

In the next scene, Aniston wakes up in her private suite in an Emirates first-class cabin, and realises the whole episode was a nightmare. The ad’s slogan is: “Wake up to flying as it should be.”

John Cena

The popular former wrestler and actor was the star of an advert for Visit Abu Dhabi in October 2021, in which he takes a very last-minute detour to the UAE capital after reading about the city in a magazine, while sat in a private jet.

“Let’s go to Abu Dhabi instead,” Cena tells the pilot in the video. “Drop me off!”

“Sir, I have already flown past, I would have to change the flight path,” the stressed captain replies.

Cena takes matters into his own hands and, wearing a parachute and goggles, he opens the jet’s door and jumps out shouting, “Now’s the time, Mike.”

Kevin Hart

Hart was named as Yas Island’s first chief island officer in 2022, with the US comedian promising to “Hart-ify” the destination's many attractions.

“There goes Yas Island’s first chief island officer in a white Ferrari thinking he’s a big deal,” the star’s voice said, as footage shows him zipping along the streets of Yas in the supercar. “Guess what, this is a big deal.

“The world’s most entertaining island hired me, Kevin Hart, to Hart-ify everything out here. We are going big on K-everything, because going big, that’s my middle name. Actually, it’s Darnell, but whatever.”

The video also shows Hart enjoying several of the destination’s attractions, including Warner Bros World, Yas Waterpark, Ferrari World, Clymb Abu Dhabi and Yas Links golf course.

Jason Momoa

Momoa took over the reins from Hart to become Yas Island's chief island officer in 2023.

The Aquaman star kicked off his time in the Abu Dhabi destination by paddleboarding towards Yas Island, with the five-star W Abu Dhabi – Yas Island hotel and a setting sun behind him.

Since then, he's been busy enjoying some of the island's attractions, including Yas Waterworld, Warner Bros World Abu Dhabi, Ferrari World and Yas Marina Circuit.

“There comes a time when you discover your calling, when you realise your destiny and you know your whole life has led to this one ridiculously awesome job,” says Momoa in the campaign video. “They made me chief island officer of Yas Island Abu Dhabi so now I’m making sure everyone lives it up like me … Jason Momoa.”