Posts using the hashtag #Dubai_it highlight the transformation from desert landscapes and early construction sites to today’s modern landmarks and infrastructure.
The action-first initiative, designed to embed Dubai’s philosophy of swift execution and excellence across institutions, has prompted government bodies and companies to showcase decades of transformation through visual storytelling.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, launched the Dubai-it initiative as a model aimed at turning ambition into measurable, visible results. The concept reflects the belief that speed must go hand in hand with quality, ensuring that ideas move rapidly from planning to delivery.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum defined “Dubai-it” as the act of accomplishing extraordinary goals with excellence and speed, emphasizing the conversion of bold ideas into reality. He compared it to Dubai’s own transformation from desert landscape to global city in a relatively short time.
He added that the initiative was launched “to pass on Dubai’s philosophy of work to future generations, embed it as a culture across institutions and companies, and build the next leaps forward.”
Institutions share before-and-after photos
Since the launch, a wave of before-and-after posts has spread across social media, with government entities and major institutions rallying behind the campaign. Shared under the hashtag #Dubai_it, the posts juxtapose archival images of construction sites, modest facilities, and barren desert landscapes with today’s gleaming landmarks and world-class infrastructure.
Among the participants, the Dubai Health Authority and Dubai Health shared images contrasting a modest clinic from decades ago with its current Outpatient Clinics complex. The entity noted that healthcare development in Dubai “was never just an ambition; it was a vision that evolved over the years into a modern system delivering advanced care and meaningful impact on people’s lives.”
Expo City Dubai also shared a comparison showing a vast, empty desert site that has since been transformed into one of the world’s most recognisable urban developments. The entity said its evolution “reflects the spirit of a city that delivers on its ambitions, creating lasting impact for generations to come.”
Meanwhile, Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation (PCFC) shared black-and-white archival images of early port infrastructure alongside present-day views of Jebel Ali Port, now one of the world’s busiest ports.
The entity described “Dubai It” as “not just an idea… but a story told through achievements,” adding that its ports continue to play a key role in driving global trade and strengthening Dubai’s logistics network.
Dubai Future Foundation showcased the Museum of the Future during its skeletal construction phase, contrasting it with the completed architectural landmark that now defines the Dubai skyline.
The Foundation said, “For us, that philosophy is part of the work: taking future ideas from paper to pilots, from prototypes to places people can experience.”
Dubai Police joined the wave with a video tracing its journey from the earliest training formations at the Police Training School to its current status as a world-leading law enforcement agency equipped with advanced technologies and smart solutions.
The force wrote, “A journey that shows when ambition is backed by action, the impossible becomes possible,” capturing in a single line the spirit the “Dubai-it” campaign seeks to embed across the emirate.
More than a campaign
The initiative goes beyond a retrospective celebration, positioning itself as a strategic effort to ensure that the speed and quality of execution that shaped Dubai’s rise—from a modest trading creek settlement of around 60,000 people in the 1960s to a global metropolis of more than 3.4 million today—remains the benchmark for the future.
The momentum behind the campaign gained further traction on Wednesday, when 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, directed the launch of the ‘Dubai-it Award’.
The annual award will recognise individuals, projects, companies, and institutions that have delivered outstanding achievements aligned with the ‘Dubai-it’ philosophy—transforming bold ideas into tangible results with excellence and in record time.
“Inspired by the vision of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and Dubai’s remarkable development journey, Dubai-it has become a philosophy of action that drives innovation and progress,” Sheikh Hamdan said.
