His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, announced Emaar Properties as the recipient of the Dubai-it Award for Institutions in the Field of Real Estate, in recognition of the company’s success in embedding the Dubai-it philosophy across project development, delivery and operations, combining speed, quality and meticulous attention to detail to create landmark destinations and strengthen Dubai’s global competitiveness and reputation for excellence.
His Highness said: “The Dubai-it Award for Institutions in the Field of Real Estate goes to Emaar for embedding Dubai’s philosophy of work in development, delivery, management and service quality.”
He added: “What Emaar achieves in one year surpasses global benchmarks. Major projects, high quality, speed of delivery, development that never stops. Emaar has created destinations that rank among the world’s most visited. Emaar reflects Dubai-it in every project. When it announces a project, the world trusts its quality and speed. Congratulations to Emaar and Mohamed Alabbar.”
Over the past years, Emaar has developed an array of Dubai’s most prominent real estate projects, including towers and hotels in Dubai Creek, major residential projects and communities in Dubai Hills Estate, Emaar Beachfront and Emaar South, alongside its continued development of Downtown Dubai, Arabian Ranches, Dubai Marina and The Valley, among other projects that have helped shape integrated urban and residential landscapes and enhance the emirate’s appeal as the world’s best place to live, work and invest in.
The company has achieved remarkable rates of delivery, launching 62 projects within a single year and delivering more than 12,000 residential units over the same period, an achievement that reflects its ability to manage a vast portfolio of projects and to continue development to high standards of quality, efficiency and speed of execution.
As part of developing Dubai’s main destinations, Emaar carried out a comprehensive renovation and maintenance project for The Dubai Fountain in five months and reopened it with a new look, while Dubai Mall and Downtown Dubai continued to offer diverse experiences to visitors throughout that period, ensuring uninterrupted access to one of the world’s most prominent tourist destinations.
World’s most visited destination
Dubai Mall recorded 111 million visitors in a single year, becoming the world’s most visited destination, an indicator that reflects the appeal of the destination and its ability to attract visitors from around the world, and underscores the importance of integration between the development of infrastructure and commercial and entertainment destinations in enhancing the visitor experience.
Emaar also continued to organise New Year’s Eve celebrations year after year, offering a renewed experience that attracts visitors from many countries, with 2.8 million visitors through the festive week, including more than 500,000 visitors in a single night, an achievement that reflects Dubai’s ability to organise world-class events, strengthening its presence as a leading destination for celebrations and exceptional experiences.
His Excellency Mohammad Abdullah Al Gergawi, Chairman of the Executive Office of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, said: “A city earns its reputation by turning its promises into a reality people can see and experience. Emaar has helped embed Dubai’s philosophy of work through projects and destinations that combine ambitious design, speed of delivery, and quality in the finest details. Its impact extends to building a global reputation for what can be achieved through the Dubai-it approach.”
His Excellency added: “Recognising Emaar with the Dubai-it Award honours the excellence it has demonstrated in real estate, with quality in every detail, helping raise standards of competition and development across the city. What we seek to embed through the Dubai-it Award is Dubai’s way of working: in the largest companies and the smallest, in the most ambitious projects and the finest details.”
These achievements associate Emaar’s name with quality and speed of execution and embody the Dubai-it philosophy in developing exceptional real estate projects that go beyond their urban function to help create integrated global destinations. They also highlight the role of the real estate sector in supporting economic growth and strengthening Dubai’s position as a global model in planning, developing, and executing residential, tourist and commercial destinations.
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, had launched the ‘Dubai-it’ initiative to embody Dubai’s philosophy of work and its development model, which is based on a track record of achievements, hard work, and the determination to turn ambitions into tangible accomplishments in record time.
The initiative aims to embed a culture of achievement in institutions and companies, and to turn Dubai’s philosophy of work into a sustainable institutional approach built on speed, quality and creating impact.
Under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Dubai-it Award was launched as an annual award to honour those who have delivered in line with Dubai’s philosophy of work and demonstrated the true meaning of ‘Dubai-it’: accomplishing something exceptional, with excellence, in record time.
The award targets individuals, projects, institutions and companies that have helped turn ideas and ambitions into tangible achievements and results, thus embodying Dubai’s philosophy of work through actions and projects of clear impact.
