We’ll always have Dubai

The Financial Times has placed its feature “We’ll always have Dubai” behind its paywall and is pressing renewed subscription offers as the gateway for readers to access the full piece. The publisher is advertising an introductory offer of “Only $1 for 4 weeks,” followed by monthly plans that include a Standard Digital tier at $45 per month, a Premium Digital tier at $75 per month, and a Premium & FT Weekend Print bundle at $79 per month.

"Only $1 for 4 weeks. Then $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial. Keep reading for $1"

Context and what's included

The FT’s marketing copy outlines the features bundled with each tier, emphasising multi-device access and a range of editorial offerings. Subscriptions promise “Global news & analysis,” “Expert opinion,” and access to the FT App on Android & iOS. The publisher highlights flagship formats such as FirstFT — described in the copy as “the day’s biggest stories” — and Lex, “FT’s flagship investment column.”

• Standard Digital ($45 per month): Essential digital access with the FT App on Android & iOS, FirstFT, 20+ curated newsletters, and 10 monthly gift articles to share.
• Premium Digital ($75 per month): “Complete digital access” with expert analysis, 20 monthly gift articles, Lex, 15+ Premium newsletters, and the FT Digital Edition (the digitised print edition).
• Premium & FT Weekend Print ($79 per month): Adds Saturday delivery of the FT Weekend newspaper on top of the Premium Digital package.

The FT also notes the option to “Pay a year upfront and save 20%,” encourages potential subscribers to “Check whether you already have access via your university or organisation,” and points readers to FT Professional and other organisational plans for multiple readers. Ancillary offerings highlighted in the copy include FT Videos & Podcasts, FT Edit (access on iOS and web) and the ability to “Follow topics & set alerts with myFT.”

Outlook

The subscription messaging around “We’ll always have Dubai” underscores the Financial Times’ strategy of gating premium features and long-form journalism behind monetised access points. The introductory $1 trial is aimed at lowering the barrier for readers to experience the FT’s suite of products — from FirstFT briefings to Lex analysis — before committing to monthly rates that range from $45 to $79. The copy cites scale as a selling point: “See why over a million readers pay to read the Financial Times.”

With tiered offers that bundle newsletters, podcasts, digital editions and limited monthly gift articles, the FT is signalling a continued reliance on subscriptions as the primary route to monetise its reporting and commentary. For readers specifically seeking the “We’ll always have Dubai” article, the trial and tiers set out by the publisher are the immediate path to full access.