Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan honoured with a Happiness Card in Dubai

The cards give tourists discounts and access to promotions around Dubai

Dubai's General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs officials present Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan with the Happiness Card. Photo: GDRFA Dubai

Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan has been honoured with a Happiness Card in Dubai.

Khan, the face of several Dubai Tourism campaigns, received the card on Wednesday. The tourism initiative gives cardholders discounts and access to promotions around the emirate for the duration of their stay.

"GDRFA Dubai welcomes Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan and grants him the Happiness Card with the aim of achieving happiness for them through various benefits, discounts and offers," the General Directorate of Residency and Foreign Affairs tweeted.

The Happiness Card initiative, first announced in December 2020, is free and available to visitors upon arrival.

The Pathaan actor's love for Dubai is well documented.

“Dubai is my second home. There is something about the city that keeps calling me back. I am amazed by the warmth, hospitality, love and memories that Dubai and its people have given me over the years. Dubai is much more than its breathtaking locations and extravagance; it's a feeling. The city is full of surprises, and every time I visit, I know that there’s something new that awaits me," he previously said.

Shah Rukh Khan in Dubai Tourism campaigns

In March, Khan was announced as the face of a new Dubai Tourism campaign, continuing the run of celebrity-studded videos.

The actor appears in an advertisement, which shows him dancing at Dubai Creek, visiting the recently opened Museum of the Future and shopping at one of the biggest malls in the world.

The video, called Dubai Presents: Shah Rukh Khan in Dubai, was released by the emirate's Department of Economy and Tourism on Tuesday. It's the fourth collaboration between the Bollywood legend and the tourism authority.

Shot over three days in November 2020, it shows the star singing and dancing to music composed by Indian duo Vishal-Shekhar.

The score is combined with the lyrics of a poem written by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, which reads: “Dubai is the rarest land of wonder, as it charms you, captives you and enlightens you.”

Aimed at "rekindling the spirit of travel and aspiring travellers to explore Dubai, like never before", the video shows the megastar wrapping up a film shoot in front of Atlantis, The Palm, before heading out to explore the city.

He runs on the beach, scoring a goal in a game of football with Burj Al Arab — Dubai's "seven-star hotel" — serving as an impressive backdrop.

One of the world's richest actors, Khan, 56, is also seen exploring the souqs of old Dubai, where he stops to clean a vendor’s glasses for him.

He also appears to gatecrash a party in Dubai Marina, after his daughter Suhana Khan, 21, calls and tells her father: “You're in Dubai, walk around, have fun”.

Famed for his charm, personality and box-office success over almost three decades, Khan wraps up the video on a balcony overlooking Dubai’s glittering skyline, telling his daughter that he had "the best day of his life".