Features Editor - What's On, Abu Dhabi

Whats On is building towards a clear position: the most useful most trusted lifestyle guide in the UAE. The Features Editor Abu Dhabi is the person who owns that position in the capital producing the daily digital content long-form features and social video that makes the brand essential to Abu Dhabi residents and visitors.

This is a strategic and production role at a brand in active transformation. It suits an experienced journalist or content creator who is equally comfortable filing a restaurant review producing a TikTok and writing a 1500-word feature and who understands the difference between all three.

ABOUT THE ROLE:

This is Whats On s most senior Abu Dhabi editorial role. The Features Editor owns the Abu Dhabi content calendar planning commissioning writing and publishing across the website social channels and the monthly print magazine.

The role produces at volume across owned channels while also writing the long-form carefully researched features that define the brands editorial authority in the capital.

WHAT YOU WILL RESPONSIBLE FOR:

Editorial and digital:

- Own the Abu Dhabi content calendar across digital social and print.

- Publish 50 SEO-optimised articles per month news reviews features and listings.

- Write long-form features on the Abu Dhabi lifestyle culture and hospitality landscape for the monthly magazine.

- Consistenly break exclusive or first-to-market stories.

- Contribute to series formats.

Social and video:

- Produce a minimum of 16 social posts per month carousels and tiles planned to the content calendar.

- Produce a minimum of 8 short-form social videos per month for TikTok and Instagram Reels.

- All social content is distinct from article amplification posts these are original platform-native formats.

- Maintain daily Stories across Instagram and Facebook.

- Monitor search trends and audience data to inform both SEO and social content decisions.

- Build and maintain Abu Dhabi PR and industry relationships to secure access and exclusives.

Requirements

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR:

Experience: 3-5 years in digital publishing features writing or lifestyle journalism. UAE experience is preferred. Abu Dhabi-specific knowledge is a genuine advantage.

SEO: Applied SEO knowledge writing headlines for search keyword strategy content structure meta data. Not just awareness of what SEO is.

Social video: Independent production of short-form video: shooting editing and publishing without a production team. TikTok and Reels experience required.

Analytics: Comfort using GA4 Parsley or equivalent to review content performance and make editorial decisions based on data.

Editorial voice: Strong written English. Portfolio evidence of both high-volume digital publishing and long-form editorial writing.

Network: Established UAE media and PR contacts or clear evidence of how you would build them in Abu Dhabi quickly.

ABOUT WHATS ON :

Whats On has been the UAEs lifestyle authority since 1979. It covers food and dining nightlife things to do travel culture family sport shopping and news in print on the website and across social channels and email.

The brand is in active digital transformation and this is a genuine growth moment the Features Editor Abu Dhabi is a central part of it.

Whats On is part of Motivate Media Group which has operated across the GCC since 1979 with a portfolio that includes Gulf Business Emirates Woman Campaign Middle East identity Business Traveller Middle East and Golf Digest Middle East .

HOW TO APPLY:

Send a CV two or three writing samples that represent the range of your work (long-form and digital) and a short covering note no longer than one page that addresses the following:

What draws you to Abu Dhabi as an editorial territory and what specifically do you know about it

How does your current or most recent role prepare you for the output volume and format range this role requires

What is one story you would break in Abu Dhabi in your first month

Applications without writing samples will not be reviewed.

Required Skills:

Requirements: Bachelors degree in marketing business or a related field. Over 3 years of experience in social media sales. Proficiency in using social media platforms for business purposes. Exceptional organizational and time-management skills.