What is the new Dubai-it Award? Nominations are now open
The new Dubai-it award will celebrate individuals, projects, companies and institutions turning big ideas into real results
Dubai is getting ready to celebrate the people and organisations making things happen, with the first-ever Dubai-it Award open for nominations starting, August 10.
The new award is built around Dubai’s “Dubai-it” philosophy, which is all about taking ambitious ideas and turning them into reality through action, speed and excellence.
Nominations will be open until September 10, giving individuals, companies and organisations the chance to put forward an achievement that they think deserves recognition.
What is the Dubai-it Award?
The Dubai-it Award was launched under the directives of HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai.
The award celebrates achievements that go beyond having a great idea. It focuses on what happened next, how the idea was delivered, how quickly it was achieved, the quality of the execution and the impact it created.
The official Dubai-it Award website describes the award as celebrating those who have “achieved according to Dubai’s philosophy of work” and embodied the meaning of Dubai-it by achieving something extraordinary with excellence in record time.
Who can be nominated?
The award is open to nominations for:
- Individuals
- Projects
- Institutions and companies
You can nominate yourself or someone else, while businesses and organisations can also put forward a project, team or individual who played an important role in an achievement.
For the first edition, achievements from the past four years can be considered.
What areas does the award cover?
There are 10 fields included in the Dubai-it Award:
- Government
- Real estate
- Economy
- Business
- Technology
- Sports
- Society
- Education
- Services
- Health
So whether it is a major development, a new technology, a community initiative, a sporting achievement or an innovative business idea, there are plenty of areas that could qualify.
What makes a Dubai-it achievement?
According to the award’s official criteria, judges will look beyond the end result and consider how it was achieved.
The criteria include:
- The exceptional nature of the achievement
- Excellence and quality of execution
- Speed and efficiency
- Embracing Dubai’s philosophy of action
- Turning a vision into tangible results
- The impact created
- Sustainability and potential for future development
- Whether the achievement provides a model that can inspire others
In short, it needs to be more than a good idea. The focus is on ambition, execution and results.
What do you need to submit?
Nominees will need to explain the achievement, including the challenge or opportunity behind it, what was done to make it happen, the results and the impact it created.
Supporting evidence can also be submitted, including figures, performance data, reports, photographs, media coverage, certificates and other relevant documents.
The award team may also request further information or speak to nominees as part of the evaluation process.
When do nominations open?
Nominations for the inaugural Dubai-it Award open on Monday, August 10, 2026 and close on Thursday, September 10, 2026.
The award will then follow an annual cycle, with the award period running from September to May and nominations and evaluations for future editions taking place during June, July and August.
How to nominate
Ready to put someone forward? Nominations can be made through the official Dubai-it Award website from August 10.
The process starts online, where you will be asked to enter your email before accessing the nomination form.
Nominate through the official Dubai-it Award website
Dubai-it Award nominations: August 10 to September 10, 2026
Eligible achievements: The past four years
Categories: Individuals, Projects, Institutions and Companies
Fields: Government, Real Estate, Economy, Business, Technology, Sports, Society, Education, Services and Health
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