Sheikh Hamdan invites residents to enter Erth Dubai Award – how you can participate
Dh500,000 for each sub-category winner across seven award sections
DUBAI – His Highness 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, has unveiled the Erth Dubai Award, one of the largest heritage initiatives of its kind, with a prize fund of more than Dh5 million.
The Erth Dubai Award invites citizens, residents, institutions and families to submit stories, memories and documented narratives that reflect Dubai’s cultural and social journey. Designed to preserve community experiences and highlight the richness of Emirati identity, the initiative encourages contributions from anyone who has called Dubai home.
Every family has a story, and every experience enriches Dubai's journey. To honour this legacy, we launch the Erth Dubai Awards, one of the world’s largest initiatives celebrating cultural and social heritage, with two categories: Community and Government & Private Sector.… pic.twitter.com/ut63Wb6bM1
— Hamdan bin Mohammed (@HamdanMohammed) November 22, 2025
Sheikh Hamdan highlighted that the emirate’s rich heritage continues to shape its progress, emphasising the importance of preserving stories that connect generations. He underlined the shared national responsibility of individuals, families and institutions in safeguarding Dubai’s collective memory.
What is Erth Dubai Award?
The Erth Dubai Award comprises two main categories: one for the community and another for the government and private sector. Across these categories are seven sub-awards, each recognising a different aspect of heritage documentation. The community-focused awards include Best Creatively Documented Story, Best Story to Document Family’s Legacy, Best Story Documented on Social Media, Best Documenter of Dubai’s Oral Heritage and Best Dubai Resident Story. Two further awards honour government and private entities that have contributed to heritage preservation.
A grand prize of Dh1 million will be presented to the best overall entry across all submissions. Each of the seven sub-category winners will receive Dh500,000. The entries will be evaluated for authenticity, creativity, historical relevance and their contribution to documenting Dubai’s evolving identity.
Submissions can take many forms including videos, written narratives, recorded interviews, photographs, digital archives or social media-based storytelling. The Award aims to capture not only the heritage of Emirati families but also the stories of long-term residents and institutions.
How to participate?
Participants can submit entries via the official Erth Dubai website or through the Erth Dubai app, available on the Apple Store and Google Play. The app makes it simple to upload stories, photographs, voice recordings or historical documentation directly from mobile devices.
To enter, participants should:
- Select one of the seven sub-award categories.
- Prepare the entry in any accepted format, ensuring it reflects cultural, social or family heritage.
- Register via the website or mobile app.
- Upload the storytelling submission with category details and supporting information.
- Registration is now open and will close on 15 January 2026. The Award is open to individuals, families, residents, researchers, cultural organisations and institutions.
Entries are welcome from anyone whose story reflects Dubai’s heritage, regardless of nationality, profession or duration of stay in the emirate. Submissions will be preserved in a dedicated interactive digital archive accessible to researchers, cultural institutions and the wider public. This initiative aims to ensure long-term preservation, protecting stories that reflect community life, identity and tradition.
The winners will be honoured at an official ceremony in the first quarter of next year. The archive and award are part of the broader Erth Dubai initiative, launched in February, which has already attracted thousands of submissions celebrating the diversity of life in Dubai.