The Dubai-it Award has officially announced that nominations for its first edition are open from 10th August to 10th September 2026. This inaugural call invites individuals, projects, companies, organisations, and various entities that have worked and achieved results in direct alignment with the ‘Dubai-it’ approach and philosophy to participate in the award’s diverse fields. The initiative seeks to engage both individuals and institutions in highlighting achievements delivered in record time, ensuring that every success story becomes a new, inspiring chapter in Dubai’s ongoing narrative.
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, launched the Dubai-it initiative to reflect the city’s core philosophy of action: we say what we do, and we do what we say. The initiative aims to instill this philosophy of action in future generations and embed it as a pervasive culture across all institutions and companies, fostering a mindset of tangible execution.
Launched under the directives of Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, the Dubai-it Award celebrates those who have achieved according to these high standards. The award is specifically aimed at anyone who has contributed to turning extraordinary ideas into reality, ambitions into achievements, and visions into results that can be clearly seen, whether they are an individual, a project, an organisation, or a company.
Mohammad Abdullah Al Gergawi, Chairman of The Executive Office of Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, stated, “The Dubai-it Award draws its vision from the philosophy of Sheikh Mohammed and from his exceptional leadership experience in transforming big ideas into reality.” He added, “The Dubai-it Award is the force that keeps Dubai’s philosophy of action alive, visible, and moving forward year after year. It is designed to pull people toward action, to spotlight those who lead, build, transform, and deliver.”
Al Gergawi further noted that the award functions as an annual cycle that identifies, documents, and celebrates the achievements shaping Dubai’s progress. The evaluation criteria for the award are strictly grounded in the official definition of Dubai-it: to achieve something extraordinary with excellence in record time. This framework ensures that the recognition remains focused on high-impact outcomes that contribute to the city’s strategic development.
The Dubai-it Award is presented across three core recognition segments: Individuals, Projects, and Institutions & Companies. It recognises those who have embodied the Dubai-it philosophy of work and achievement, bringing its meaning to life through concrete results. The award celebrates the individuals who led the achievement, the projects that created transformation, and the institutions and companies that provided the environment for such success to flourish.
Structured as an annual cycle that runs from September to May, the award is dedicated to celebrating excellence throughout the year. During this cycle, the award highlights strategic fields that reflect Dubai’s development journey and future ambition. The months of June, July, and August are designated for receiving and evaluating nominations for the next edition, ensuring a continuous and rigorous process that maintains the award’s prestige and relevance.
The award spans a set of vital fields that reflect Dubai’s development journey and its ability to turn vision into tangible progress. These fields include Government, Real Estate, Economy, Business, Technology, Sports, Society, Education, Services, and Health. Through these categories, the Dubai-it Award does more than recognise accomplishment; it maps where transformation is happening and identifies the leaders driving that change.
The nomination process is designed to be open, ambitious, and inclusive, allowing anyone to nominate individuals, projects, organisations, and companies that have embodied the ‘Dubai-it’ philosophy. Individuals, organisations, and companies can nominate themselves or others, specifying the field under which the achievement falls, through the official digital platform. For the first edition, nominations will include achievements, projects, initiatives, and transformations delivered within the recent period.
From the second edition onwards, nominations will cover achievements made during the last 24 months of each cycle, thereby ensuring the award remains up-to-date and focused on recent achievements that have yielded clear, measurable results. Individuals may nominate themselves directly or be nominated by their companies, organisations, or affiliated bodies, provided they meet the stringent requirements of the application process.
To be eligible for the award, a complete application must be submitted via the digital platform, detailing the nominee’s achievement, its impact, and the methodology used to reach the goal. The nomination must include a clear explanation of the achievement, the challenge or opportunity that prompted it, and the specific steps taken to ensure excellence. Supporting evidence and data must also be attached, including performance indicators, figures, reports, pictures, and media materials.
Finally, all nominations are subject to a thorough review and evaluation process to verify the completeness of the information and the credibility of the reported results. The evaluation stage may involve meetings or interviews with nominees or parties associated with the achievement to ensure that the recognition is awarded based on verified, extraordinary contributions to Dubai’s success.
Exceptional Achievement: This criterion looks at how distinctive and significant the achievement is, and whether it has created a meaningful shift beyond what is expected in its field.
It considers the scale of the challenge, the level of ambition, the boldness of the idea, decision, or project, and its ability to create exceptional impact worthy of Dubai’s name and standing.
Excellence in Execution: This criterion looks at the level of professionalism in planning and delivery, the quality of outcomes, the attention to detail, and the commitment to the highest standards.
In the Dubai-it philosophy, achievement is not measured only by reaching the result, but by the quality of the journey and the excellence shown at every stage.
It considers the speed of decision-making, the efficiency of resources, and the ability of the individual, team, institution, or project to compress time, accelerate delivery, and achieve results with discipline and effectiveness.
Embodying Dubai’s Philosophy of Work: This criterion looks at how deeply the achievement reflects Dubai’s way of working: bold ambition, fast movement, agile execution, a distinctive experience, and the ability to turn challenges into opportunities.
It considers how closely the achievement is connected to Dubai’s belief in action over waiting, results over promises, and execution over slogans.
It considers the clarity of outputs, the evidence behind them, and the extent to which they have become an impact people can see or feel across the city, sector, institution, or community.
Impact is not measured by numbers alone.
Sustainability and Potential to Grow: This criterion looks at the ability of the achievement to continue, grow, scale, and evolve beyond the moment of launch or delivery.
It considers whether the achievement has created a foundation for future progress, opened a new pathway, or established a model that can be built upon.