Dubai Land Department (DLD) has announced the winners of the Gulf Real Estate Awards 2018, who were honoured at a closing ceremony that took place last night. The second edition was exceptionally successful and consolidated the awards programme's position as the most prominent event attracting industry leaders from across the region.

The event is inspired by the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and his vision of encouraging further innovation to achieve a qualitative leap that positions Dubai as the regional capital of real estate innovation. The initiative celebrates the top regional real estate achievements in cooperation with Awards International UAE, an organisation that played an important role in organising various stages of the programme.

During the closing ceremony, DLD announced the winners from 22 categories in the presence of several prominent real estate personalities. DLD received more than 170 nominations submitted by 69 companies in 22 categories from eight countries including Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, as well as Egypt, India and the Maldives from outside the GCC region.

His Excellency Sultan Butti bin Mejren, Director General of DLD, said: "Even though this is only the second edition of the Gulf Real Estate Awards, the programme has already acquired an international reputation that exceeds the boundaries of the region. This evident from the entries we received from non-GCC countries, shows the great confidence that the world has in Dubai's initiatives and transparent judging mechanisms. This year, we were pleased to introduce the 'Real Estate Personality of the Year' award, which is designed to honour deserving members of the sector and will strengthen the competitive culture we have fostered through the Gulf Real Estate Awards."

Attracting a more diverse set of participants and a higher number of entries than last year, the second edition of the Gulf Real Estate Awards has achieved the main objectives set by the organisers, particularly celebrating and honouring achievements in the region's real estate sector. The awards programme also highlights the success and continuous development of the real estate sector, underscoring its positive role in supporting national economies.

Mahmoud El Burai, CEO of the Dubai Real Estate Institute (DREI), commented: "We would like to thank all our sponsors and partners, who have stood by us and supported us to reach this high degree of success. We would also like to congratulate all of the winners, who deserve our appreciation and respect, and wish them more success in the future. The awards we are announcing today help to elevate the region's real estate landscape and fuel a spirit of fair competition among all players."

The winners of the 22 categories were:

Best Real Estate Project (Affordable Housing) – Deyaar
Best Real Estate Project (Luxury Residential) – Knight Frank (Atlantis)
Best Real Estate Project (Hotel) – Dubai World Trade Center (Courtyard Hotel)
Best Real Estate Project (Master Development) – Diamond Developers (The Sustainable City)
Best Real Estate Project (Off Plan) – Binghatti Stars
Best Real Estate Brokerage Initiative (Commercial) – Mallorca Properties
Best Real Estate Brokerage Initiative (Residential) – P.K. Properties
Best Real Estate - Customer Experience Initiative – Emaar Community Management LLC
Best Real Estate Developer - Sustainable 'Green' Development – Diamond Developers (The Sustainable City)
Best Marketing Campaign – Binghatti Stars – Binghatti Developers
Best Facility Management Company – Emaar Community Management LLC
Best Owners Association Management Initiative – Mullak
Best Government Initiative – National Housing Company (NHC)
Best Employer in Real Estate – KAIZEN Asset Management Services 
Happiest Community – Diamond Developers (The Sustainable City)
Best Media and Communications – Majid Al Futtaim – Communities
Best Real Estate Registration Trustee – Tamleek Real Estate Registration Trustee
Best Architecture Project – Dubai World Trade Center (Theatre)
Best Real Estate Research – Majid Al Futtaim – Communities
Best Real Estate Consultancy Company – KAIZEN Asset Management Services
Overall Real Estate – Binghatti Developers – Binghatti Stars
Real Estate Personality of the Year – His Excellency Marwan Bin Ghalaita, CEO of the Real Estate Regulatory Agency, in recognition of his efforts to organise and develop the sector

Mark Hamill, Managing Director of Awards International UAE — the organisers of the awards —commented: "We are pleased to partner with Dubai to launch a regional award that has become a landmark for real estate excellence and is being sought by the region's leading companies and personalities. The award will continue its success from year to year. "

The awards programme is aligned with DLD's vision of making Dubai the leading global real estate destination for innovation, trust and happiness. It also contributes to the consolidation of DLD's position and leadership in all areas of the real estate sector, specifically in stimulating innovation and encouraging best practices that support sustainable growth in the GCC region.

DLD set a number of goals for the launch of the Gulf Real Estate Awards, in particular the reward and recognition of the best real estate institutions in the GCC. The launch of the awards programme is another milestone in Dubai's journey towards becoming a leading destination for global awards in various sectors.

DREI, the educational arm of DLD, first signed an agreement with 'Awards International' on the side-lines of Cityscape Global 2016 to launch the awards programme, which targets all real estate companies in the Gulf region.