Features Editor – Whats On, Abu Dhabi

Motivate Media Group; Dubai; On-site; AED 210,000 - 320,000; Full time

Job summary

Whats On, part of Motivate Media Group, seeks a senior Features Editor for Abu Dhabi to own the content calendar, plan commissions, write features, publish across channels, and oversee the monthly print magazine. The role demands high-volume digital publishing, long-form editorial writing, and expert SEO application.

You will produce SEO-driven articles and features, manage social/video content with no production team, and build UAE media and PR relationships to secure exclusives in a rapidly

Qualifications

• 3–5 years in digital publishing or lifestyle journalism.

Responsibilities

• Own the Abu Dhabi content calendar across digital, social and print.
• Publish 50 SEO-optimised articles per month across formats.
• Write long-form features for the monthly magazine.
• Produce a minimum of 16 social posts per month and 8 short-form videos for TikTok/Reels.
• Build and maintain Abu Dhabi PR and industry relationships to secure access and exclusives.

Skills

Editorial writing

SEO knowledge

Social video production

Analytics (GA4)

Strong English writing

Networking in UAE media

Job description

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 Ons 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.

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.