Emaar wins Dubai-it Award for real estate institutions

Dubai, UAE - Emaar Properties has won the Dubai-it Award for Institutions in the Field of Real Estate, which 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 on 2 November.

The Crown Prince’s office said the honour recognises how the developer has built the Dubai-it philosophy into the way it develops, delivers and operates its projects, pairing speed and quality with close care over detail.

According to the announcement, the result has been destinations that help Dubai compete globally and build its name for excellence.

Sheikh Hamdan 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 recent years Emaar’s work in the emirate has taken in towers and hotels at Dubai Creek and large residential communities at Dubai Hills Estate, Emaar Beachfront and Emaar South. It has also kept building out Downtown Dubai, Arabian Ranches, Dubai Marina and The Valley.

The announcement said these schemes helped shape joined-up city and residential districts and made Dubai more attractive as a place to live, work and invest.

In a single year, the company launched 62 projects and delivered more than 12,000 residential units. Officials said that output shows the developer can handle a very large pipeline without letting quality, efficiency or build speed slip.

Emaar also overhauled The Dubai Fountain, refurbishing and servicing it over five months before it came back with a new look. Dubai Mall and Downtown Dubai stayed open to visitors for the whole period, so access to the tourist district was never cut.

Dubai Mall drew 111 million visitors in a single year and became the world’s most visited destination, according to the announcement. Officials tied the figure to infrastructure being built in step with shopping and entertainment attractions.

Emaar also stages the city’s New Year’s Eve celebrations each year. The festive week attracted 2.8 million visitors, with more than 500,000 of them arriving on a single night.

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.”

He 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.”

The announcement said the results link Emaar’s name with quality and fast execution. It said they also show how property supports economic growth and helps Dubai serve as a global model for planning and building homes, tourist attractions and commercial districts.

The award comes after Emaar reported record sales of $21.9 billion and revenue of $13.5 billion for 2025.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, set up the Dubai-it initiative to express the emirate’s philosophy of work and its development model. The model draws on a record of results, hard work and a drive to turn goals into finished work at speed.

Its stated aim is to make getting results a habit across public bodies and businesses, with speed, quality and impact as the lasting standard.

Sheikh Hamdan directed the creation of the Dubai-it Award as an annual prize. Individuals, projects, institutions and companies can all be honoured if their work has turned ideas into concrete outcomes, which the organisers sum up as “accomplishing something exceptional, with excellence, in record time”.

Earlier winners include Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed for aviation, the Red Carpet smart corridor at Dubai International Airport and a Dubai company that makes kiteboards and wakeboards, Gulf News reported.