Dubai-it Award 2026: How to nominate and what it takes to win recognition
Here’s how individuals and companies can apply
DUBAI – Nominations for the first edition of the Dubai-it Award open today, giving individuals, projects, companies, organisations and other entities an opportunity to put forward achievements that reflect Dubai’s philosophy of action.
The nomination window will remain open until September 10, 2026, with submissions accepted through the award’s digital platform.
The award recognises achievements that turn ambitious ideas into tangible results, with a particular focus on excellence, speed of delivery and measurable impact. It was launched as part of the Dubai-it initiative, which reflects the philosophy that Dubai acts on its ambitions and delivers on its commitments.
For the inaugural edition, the award will consider achievements, projects, initiatives and transformations delivered during the past four years. From the second edition onwards, the nomination period will focus on achievements made during the preceding 24 months of each annual cycle.
The Dubai-it Award announces that nominations for its first edition are open from 10th August to 10th September 2026, inviting individuals, projects, companies, organizations and entities that have worked and achieved results in line with the ‘Dubai-it’ approach and philosophy to… pic.twitter.com/tuM0Mm2Vhx
— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) August 9, 2026
Here is what potential nominees need to know about the Dubai-it Award, from the categories and eligibility requirements to the information and evidence that must be submitted.
Who can nominate?
The Dubai-it Award is open to a broad range of nominees and does not restrict nominations to a particular type of organisation or professional group.
Individuals can nominate themselves or other individuals whose work reflects the Dubai-it philosophy. Companies, organisations and entities can also nominate themselves, their projects, work teams or individuals who played a leading role in delivering an achievement.
The award accepts nominations for three main recognition segments: Individuals, Projects, and Institutions & Companies.
This means an achievement can be presented through the person who led it, the project through which the transformation was delivered, or the institution or company responsible for turning an ambition into a tangible outcome.
The award is designed to recognise those who have contributed to turning extraordinary ideas into reality, ambitions into achievements and visions into results that can be demonstrated.
Nominees therefore do not have to fit into a single professional profile. An individual who led a major transformation, a project that produced significant change, or a company or institution that delivered an exceptional result can all be considered.
The central requirement is that the achievement should demonstrate the principles behind the Dubai-it approach: bold ambition, disciplined execution, high-quality delivery, speed and tangible impact.
When to apply
The nomination window for the first Dubai-it Award edition runs from August 10 to September 10, 2026.
Potential nominees have this period to prepare their submissions and provide the information and supporting material required for assessment.
The inaugural edition is different from future cycles in one important respect. For the first award, eligible nominations can cover achievements, projects, initiatives and transformations delivered over the past four years.
This wider timeframe is intended to allow the first edition to capture prominent examples of the Dubai-it philosophy in practice over a four-year period.
From the second edition onwards, the award will move to a more recent timeframe. Nominations will cover achievements made during the last 24 months of each annual cycle.
The award itself operates on an annual cycle running from September to May. The months of June, July and August are allocated to receiving and evaluating nominations for the next edition.
This structure allows achievements to be identified, documented and assessed as part of a continuing annual process rather than through a one-off recognition programme.
Throughout the cycle, the award highlights achievements across its designated fields and recognition segments, bringing attention to individuals, projects, institutions and companies that have delivered measurable results.
Choose a field
Applicants must identify the field under which the achievement falls when submitting a nomination.
The Dubai-it Award covers 10 key fields:
- Government
- Real Estate
- Economy
- Business
- Technology
- Sports
- Society
- Education
- Services
- Health
The fields cover major areas of Dubai’s development and provide the framework through which achievements are considered during the award cycle.
A nomination should therefore clearly establish where the achievement belongs and explain how the work produced meaningful results within that particular field.
The award's fields also allow different forms of achievement to be recognised. A technology initiative, for example, can be assessed within the technology field, while a major transformation in service delivery can be submitted under Services.
Similarly, achievements involving public administration, property development, economic activity, business, sport, education, healthcare or social development can be presented under their respective fields.
The award highlights each field at defined points during the annual cycle, creating an ongoing platform for recognising achievements across sectors.
What must be submitted?
A complete nomination must be submitted through the Dubai-it Award’s approved digital platform.
The application must provide sufficient information for the award team to understand what was achieved, why it mattered, how it was delivered and what resulted from it.
The nomination must detail the achievement, its nature, objectives, field of work and recognition segment. It must also explain the nominee’s role in delivering the accomplishment.
Applicants need to describe the achievement clearly rather than simply identifying a project or initiative.
The submission should explain the challenge or opportunity that prompted the work, the steps taken to implement the idea, the results achieved and the impact created.
The role of the nominee is also important. Where an organisation nominates an individual, for example, the submission should establish what that person contributed and how their role was connected to the achievement.
For project nominations, the application should explain the project’s objectives, implementation and outcomes. Company and institution nominations should demonstrate how the organisation turned its vision or ambition into tangible results.
The information provided must be supported by evidence wherever possible.
Evidence matters
Supporting material forms an important part of the nomination.
Applicants are asked to provide evidence and data demonstrating the scale and quality of the achievement, including performance indicators, figures, reports, pictures, media materials, certificates and other relevant documents.
The purpose is to allow the award team to verify the claims made in the nomination and understand the actual results produced.
Figures can help establish the scale of an achievement, while performance indicators can demonstrate whether stated objectives were met.
Reports and other documents can provide additional evidence of implementation, while pictures and media materials may help demonstrate the project or achievement in practice.
Certificates and related documentation can also be submitted where they support the nomination.
The evidence should demonstrate not only what was delivered but also the quality and speed of implementation and the impact generated.
A nomination is therefore expected to go beyond a description of an idea. The application should establish a clear connection between the original challenge or ambition, the action taken, the result achieved and the impact that followed.
The award team will review nominations to assess whether the information is complete, credible and supported by evidence.
How nominations are assessed
The Dubai-it Award evaluates nominations against a framework based on its official definition of Dubai-it: achieving something extraordinary with excellence in record time.
The assessment considers several dimensions of an achievement, including its scale, quality of execution, speed of delivery, clarity of results, depth of impact and alignment with Dubai’s philosophy of work.
The framework includes eight evaluation criteria.
Exceptional achievement
The first criterion examines how distinctive and significant the achievement is within its field.
Assessors consider the scale of the challenge, the ambition behind the work and the boldness of the idea, decision or project.
The assessment also looks at whether the achievement created a meaningful shift beyond what would normally be expected and whether its impact is significant enough to stand out.
The criterion is concerned with the substance of the accomplishment rather than simply the size or visibility of the project.
An achievement is assessed on whether it demonstrates an exceptional level of ambition and produces an impact worthy of Dubai’s standing.
Excellence in execution
The second criterion focuses on how the achievement was planned and delivered.
This includes professionalism, quality of outcomes, attention to detail and adherence to high standards.
The Dubai-it philosophy places importance not only on reaching the intended result but also on the quality of execution throughout the process.
A strong result therefore needs to be supported by evidence of effective planning, implementation and delivery.
The criterion considers whether the work was carried out with the level of proficiency and excellence expected of a Dubai-it achievement.
Speed and efficiency
Speed is a central element of the Dubai-it philosophy, and the award specifically assesses how quickly an idea or vision was converted into tangible results.
This criterion considers decision-making, resource efficiency and the ability of an individual, team, institution or project to accelerate delivery.
Applicants should therefore be able to establish the timeframe involved and demonstrate how the achievement was delivered without compromising quality.
The assessment looks at whether time was compressed through effective execution and whether results were delivered with discipline and efficiency.
Dubai’s work philosophy
Another criterion examines how closely the achievement reflects the way of working associated with Dubai-it.
This includes bold ambition, rapid movement, agile execution, a distinctive experience and the ability to turn challenges into opportunities.
The assessment looks at whether the achievement demonstrates a preference for action and results, rather than remaining at the level of promises or plans.
The connection between the achievement and Dubai’s philosophy of work is therefore a central part of the evaluation.
Turning vision into results
The award also assesses whether a vision, idea or ambition was converted into a practical reality.
The resulting outcomes should be clear, measurable and capable of being demonstrated through evidence.
Applicants need to establish what was produced, how it can be measured and what evidence exists to support the claimed results.
The assessment also considers whether the achievement has produced an impact that people, organisations, sectors or communities can see or experience.
Exceptional impact
Impact is another key element of the evaluation.
The award considers the scale and depth of the difference created by an achievement, whether its effects are felt by people, the city, a particular sector, the economy or quality of life.
Impact can also extend to Dubai’s reputation and global standing.
The assessment is not based solely on the number of people affected or the size of a financial figure. It also considers the transformation created, the value added and the real difference made by the achievement.
Applicants therefore need to demonstrate what changed as a result of their work.
Sustainability and growth
The award also examines what happens after an achievement has been delivered.
This criterion considers whether the work can continue, expand, scale or evolve beyond its initial launch or implementation.
Assessors look at whether the achievement has established a foundation for further progress, opened a new pathway or created a model that can be developed further.
An achievement with potential for continued growth can therefore demonstrate value beyond its immediate results.
Clarity and inspiration
The final criterion considers whether the achievement can serve as a clear model for others.
The award looks at whether the work can be understood and potentially followed by other individuals, institutions or projects.
A Dubai-it achievement is intended to contribute to a wider culture of ambition and action. The assessment therefore considers whether the success story can encourage others to act and pursue exceptional results.
The criterion also looks at the clarity of the model and its ability to demonstrate how ambition can be translated into achievement.
What happens after submission?
Nominations are subject to a review and evaluation process designed to verify the completeness of the information, credibility of the evidence and clarity of the reported results.
The award team may request additional information or supporting documents if further details are required to assess a nomination.
The evaluation process may also include meetings or interviews with nominees or parties associated with the achievement.
These steps are intended to ensure nominations are assessed fairly and objectively using evidence and demonstrable results.
The information provided in the nomination therefore needs to be accurate and sufficiently detailed to support the claims being made.
A clear description of the achievement, reliable data and credible supporting evidence can help establish the scale, quality, speed and impact of the work under assessment.
The award team also tracks outstanding achievements throughout the year. This enables it to identify examples that reflect the Dubai-it philosophy of putting ambitious ideas into practice and converting them into tangible results.
The award consequently operates not only as a nomination platform but also as a mechanism for identifying and documenting achievements across Dubai.
Three recognition segments
The award's three recognition segments determine the type of achievement being put forward.
- Individuals recognises the people who led or played a significant role in delivering an accomplishment.
- Projects focuses on initiatives that produced transformation and tangible results.
- Institutions & Companies recognises organisations that converted vision into outcomes and delivered achievements with measurable impact.
The segments are designed to capture the different contributors behind a successful achievement.
An individual may be nominated for leading a transformation, while the project through which that transformation was delivered can be submitted as a project. An organisation may also be recognised for creating the conditions, systems or capabilities that enabled the result.
Companies and organisations can nominate themselves, their projects, their teams or individuals who played pivotal roles.
Individuals can submit their own nominations or be nominated by companies, organisations or affiliated bodies.
What makes a strong application?
The Dubai-it Award is looking for more than ambitious plans.
The application needs to demonstrate that an idea, ambition or vision was actually converted into a result, and that the result can be evidenced.
The nomination should establish the starting point, including the challenge or opportunity. It should then explain the response, implementation process and timeframe before setting out the measurable outcome and broader impact.
Evidence should support the key claims.
For example, performance figures can establish measurable results, reports can document implementation, photographs can demonstrate physical transformation, and certificates or media material can provide additional verification.
The application should also make clear why the achievement was exceptional rather than simply successful.
Speed is another important consideration. The timeframe in which the achievement moved from idea to implementation should be clear, particularly where rapid delivery was a defining feature.
The award also assesses whether the achievement can continue to create value, grow or provide a model for future work.
These elements together allow the evaluation process to examine an achievement from its initial ambition through to its implementation, results, impact and future potential.
Dubai-it Award
The Dubai-it Award is structured as an annual cycle rather than a single event.
The cycle runs from September to May, with June, July and August allocated to receiving and evaluating nominations for the following edition.
During the cycle, the award highlights its 10 fields and recognises achievements through its three core segments.
The structure is intended to maintain a continuous focus on the people, projects, institutions and companies contributing to Dubai’s development.
The inaugural cycle provides a broader historical window, with achievements from the previous four years eligible for consideration.
From the second edition, the eligibility window will narrow to achievements from the preceding 24 months, keeping future editions focused on more recent results.
Nominations for the first edition can be submitted from August 10 until September 10, 2026, through the Dubai-it Award’s digital platform at www.dubai-it.ae.
The platform is the designated channel for submitting the approved nomination form, documenting the achievement, providing supporting evidence and ensuring the application meets the award’s requirements.
The Dubai-it initiative was launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to reflect Dubai’s philosophy of action: saying what is going to be done and then doing it.
The Dubai-it Award was launched under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai.
The award is intended to keep that philosophy visible through an annual process that identifies, documents and celebrates achievements across Dubai’s government, economy, business, technology, society and other key sectors.