Nominations Open for Gulf News and BeingShe Sustainability Excellence Awards 2026.
Following the success of its debut edition, Gulf News and BeingShe have announced the return of the Sustainability Excellence Awards 2026. The prestigious second edition will be held on September 12 at Dubai’s iconic Museum of the Future.
The inaugural Sustainability Excellence Awards, hosted in 2025 at the SEE Institute in The Sustainable City, brought together leaders from government and industry to celebrate 20 exceptional organisations and individuals chosen from more than 100 nominations. The winners represented a diverse range of sectors, including construction, healthcare, manufacturing, finance, technology, retail, agriculture, free zones and sustainability consulting, showcasing the wide-ranging innovation driving the UAE’s green transformation.
Building on the success of last year’s awards, the 2026 programme will recognise both organisations and individual sustainability champions who are making measurable contributions to environmental progress across industries.
The awards celebrate innovation, leadership and long-term commitment to building a more sustainable future, while encouraging businesses to embed sustainability at the core of their strategies and operations.
As the UAE continues to advance its sustainability agenda through major national initiatives such as the Net Zero by 2050 Strategic Initiative, the UAE Green Agenda 2030, the National Circular Economy Policy and the UAE Energy Strategy 2050, sustainability has emerged as a key driver of economic growth and competitiveness.
Businesses are increasingly integrating ESG principles into their strategies, while advancements in clean energy, resource efficiency and responsible governance continue to strengthen the UAE’s position as a global leader in sustainability.
Announcing the second edition of the awards, Vijay Vaghela, CEO of Gulf News, said the programme has become a leading platform for recognising organisations and individuals who are redefining responsible business practices and setting new benchmarks for sustainable impact.
“The response to our inaugural Sustainability Excellence Awards exceeded every expectation. We celebrated 20 remarkable winners whose achievements demonstrated that sustainability is no longer just an aspiration — it is becoming a foundation of business excellence in the UAE.
“As we launch the 2026 edition, we aim to recognise even more organisations and individuals whose vision, innovation and commitment are helping create a greener, more resilient future. These awards celebrate leadership that inspires industries, communities and future generations,” said Vijay Vaghela, CEO of Gulf News.
Aparna Bajpai, Founder of BeingShe, said the awards are helping build a movement that encourages organisations to transform sustainability commitments into measurable action.
“The first edition showed that remarkable sustainability stories exist across every sector, but many of them remain untold. By recognising both organisations and individual changemakers, we hope to inspire others to innovate, collaborate and lead with purpose.
“Sustainability is no longer a separate business agenda; it is the defining opportunity of our time. Through these awards, we are building a community that celebrates impact, shares best practices and accelerates positive change across the region,” she said.
The Sustainability Excellence Awards 2026 will feature a wide range of categories celebrating achievements across sectors including sustainable manufacturing, construction, healthcare, retail, technology, finance, energy, real estate, education, hospitality and innovation. The programme will also recognise individual sustainability leaders, ESG professionals, consultants, entrepreneurs and community champions.
Entries will be assessed by an independent jury of leading sustainability experts, with winners selected based on criteria including innovation, measurable impact, scalability, governance and long-term contribution.
Hosting the awards at the Museum of the Future reflects the organisers’ vision of recognising organisations that are not only tackling today’s environmental challenges but also helping shape the economy of tomorrow through innovation, collaboration and responsible leadership.
Nominations for the Sustainability Excellence Awards 2026 are now open. Organisations and individuals across the UAE are invited to submit their entries and highlight initiatives that are creating meaningful and lasting impact
