His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Second Deputy Ruler of Dubai, noted that Dubai’s unique approach to development and sustainability, inspired by the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, offers the world an upliftingmodel of business excellence that catalyseseconomic growth. His Highness described Dubai as a place where creativity and enterprise come togetherto shape the city of the future that embodies the aspirations and ambitions of one and all.

His Highness said: “Dubai’s vision for economic excellence is rooted in our strong belief in the indispensable role of the business community as our primary partner in achieving success. This belief has enabled Dubai to become an incubator for major companies that confidently pursue excellence. In Dubai, excellence is a firmly established approach. It is a competition where all participate, and all emerge victorious because our goal is to serve society and our people.”

Sheikh Ahmed was speaking while honouring winners of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Business Award organisedby Dubai Chambers. The award ceremony was held at Union House in Dubai and attended by His Excellency Abdul Aziz Abdulla Al Ghurair, Chairman of Dubai Chambers; His Excellency Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications, and Chairman of Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy;His Excellency Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Group Chairman and CEO of DP World; and His Excellency Mohammad Ali Rashed Lootah, President and CEO of Dubai Chambers.

Congratulating the winners, Sheikh Ahmed said: “We encourage you to remain steadfast in developing and advancing your businesses. Leadership requires constant diligence and hard work, especially in our ever-changing world where innovation is crucial. Sustained excellence is our ambition for the business community in Dubai.”

His Highness added: “We are proud of you and your efforts. Your success serves as a message to the world; Dubai has been, and will remain, a city that embraces business and creativity and transcends borders to shape a better future. Together, we strive to build a more sustainable tomorrow for the benefit of all.”

Four categories

The awards recognise the highest level of business excellence across four categories, which are aligned with the strategic objectives of Dubai Chambers.Procter and Gamble Arabia received the Outstanding Business Award, Seddiqi Holding received the Family Business Award, DP WORLD GCC secured the Global Expansion Award, and the Emirates Group claimed the Digital Innovation Award.The winners were chosen in recognition of their commitment to fostering excellence in the business community and the improvement of business strategies, processes, and overall performance.

Reflection of evolving landscape

His Excellency Abdul Aziz Abdulla Al Ghurair said: “The Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Business Award represents the highest recognition of the contributions of organisations to Dubai’s sustainable development and serves as a platform to inspire continuous improvement in performance.

“These are the first winners of the relaunched Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Business Award, which has been redesigned to reflect Dubai’s continuously evolving business landscape, with the evaluation criteria closely aligned with the strategic priorities of Dubai Chambers. The award is a testament to Dubai’s favourable business environment that enables companies operating in the city to thrive, both locally and internationally.”

HE Al Ghurair added: “All four winners have demonstrated a strong track record and commitment to promoting a culture of excellence through the improvement of business strategies, processes, and overall performance. This embodies the award’s goal of establishing a platform for the exchange of knowledge and experience that will help drive and showcase leadership across all areas of enterprise.”

Global framework

The Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Business Award was originally launched in 2005 under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid to recognise the efforts of organisations that support sustainable economic development in the UAE. The framework for the award has undergone a comprehensive restructuring to reflect the efforts of the business communityin line with Dubai’s vision and the goals of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33. Participation in the award was open to all companies based in Dubai, as well as international companies with regional headquarters in the emirate, regardless of their sector or area of business.

Dubai Chambers launched the award in its new reimagined form in September 2023 under the umbrella of Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives. The new structure merged the award in its earlier guise with the Dubai Quality Award – regarded as two of Dubai’s most prominent awards for business excellence – along with a series of enhancements to the award model, evaluation mechanisms, and categories.

Dubai Chambers’ adoption of a framework for business excellence is designed to encourage companies to continuously improve their performance throughout the evaluation process. The new model is based on extensive research and reflects the latest methodologies, focusing on tangible measures of business success including leadership, strategy, workforce management, ESG(environmental, social and governance),and digital transformation, in addition to financial performance.

The Outstanding Business Award is sponsored by Dubai Chambers, the Family Business Award is sponsored by Dubai Chamber of Commerce, the Global Expansion Award is sponsored by Dubai International Chamber, and the Digital Innovation Award is sponsored by Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy.

The initiative comes as part of Dubai Chambers’ drive to promote a culture of creativity and innovation within the local business community and elevate standards throughout the business landscape. All applicants receive an extensive evaluation report on their submissions, and winners are encouraged to share best practices with other companies throughout the business community.