- Sheikh Mohammed launched the Dubai-it campaign to share Dubai’s work philosophy widely
- Dubai-it emphasizes swift achievement, exceptional execution, and visible results quickly
- The initiative aims to embed Dubai’s culture of excellence in institutions and companies
For years, Dubai has been synonymous with record-breaking skyscrapers, artificial islands and headline-grabbing megaprojects. But beneath the city's glittering skyline lies a deeper philosophy that is simply described as the ability to “Dubai-it.”
On Wednesday, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, launched a campaign called Dubai-it. The initiative aims to codify the emirate's approach to work and share it with institutions, companies and future generations.
In a post shared on X, His Highness explained that the concept is about "achieving the extraordinary with excellence in record time with precision and excellence" The approach is built on delivering results quickly without compromising quality. "‘Dubai-it' means swift achievement, exceptional execution, and results the world can see in record time."
The announcement included footage filmed decades apart showing Sheikh Mohammed flying over Dubai in a helicopter. One clip featured him looking down on a vast desert where a modern city now stands. The second clip showed him observing the transformed emirate, with landmarks like Burj Khalifa and Palm Jumeirah visible below.
"We launched ‘Dubai-it' to pass Dubai's philosophy of work on to future generations, embed it as a culture across our institutions and companies, and build the next leaps forward," he added. "Our motto has always been: We say what we do, and we do what we say."
This campaign shows how Dubai is sharing the lessons behind its transformation into a global metropolis, tourist destination and business hub. The transferable philosophy presents the city as more than an economic powerhouse but also as a cultural model. Dubai seems to take inspiration from other elite global concepts, such as Silicon Valley's "move fast and break things," that export ideas along with goods.
The idea carries credibility because of the city's track record. In the 1960s, Dubai was a trading creek town with about 60,000 people and almost no infrastructure. What followed was not slow, incremental growth but transformation at a pace rarely seen anywhere else. Today, Dubai ranks among the world's top destinations for tourism, business and talent.
