For companies in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and the other emirates, a business award is a way to show customers, partners and new hires what the business has achieved, in terms an outsider can check. The difference between a nomination that stands out and one that is overlooked is rarely the size of the company. It is how clearly the entry explains what changed and how well it proves it. This guide walks through how UAE businesses can choose the right programme and category, which evidence to gather, and how to structure a nomination that evaluators can follow.
What UAE business awards recognise
The UAE Awards are the UAE country programme of the Arabian Best of Best Awards, organised by Golden Tree in Dubai. They recognise companies, entrepreneurs and business leaders that operate in the UAE across 25 industries, from hospitality and real estate to technology, healthcare, education and professional services. The programme has recorded 595 UAE winners in previous editions, all listed in the winner directory.
A business award looks at a company through what it has delivered: for customers, for its people, for the market it serves and for the wider economy. The UAE's business community is unusually varied, with long-established family groups, regional headquarters of international companies, fast-growing SMEs and founder-led start-ups operating side by side. Evaluators therefore look for an entry that explains the business in its own context rather than one that compares it with others.
That is why the strongest UAE nominations are specific. A sentence saying a company has grown rapidly is hard to assess. A sentence explaining how the number of active customers changed over a defined period, and what the business did to make that happen, gives the evaluator something to score.
Country programme or industry category?
A UAE company usually has two routes. It can be nominated in the UAE country programme, where the focus is on its contribution in the UAE market, or in an industry programme such as Real Estate, Hospitality, Technology or Healthcare, where the entry is assessed against businesses in the same field. Individuals can also be nominated in leadership and entrepreneur categories.
| Route | Best fit when the entry shows |
|---|---|
| UAE Awards (country programme) | Growth, service and contribution in the UAE market, including results across more than one emirate |
| Industry programme (for example Finance, Retail, Education, Logistics) | Performance that is best judged against other businesses in the same sector |
| Business Excellence and Corporate categories | Strength across the whole organisation: governance, service quality, people and results, rather than a single project |
| Leadership and Entrepreneur categories | A CEO, founder or senior leader whose own decisions drove the results |
If two routes could apply, choose the one where your evidence is strongest, and consider a second entry only when it can lead with different proof. The full list of programmes is on the award categories page.
Read our strategy guide on how to win an award, from choosing a category to structuring evidence.
Points that matter for UAE companies
A few practical points come up again and again in UAE nominations. Getting them right makes the entry easier to verify and easier to read.
- Use one name. Many UAE businesses trade under a brand that differs from the name on the trade licence. Choose the name you want on the award, state the licensed entity once, and use the same name in every part of the entry.
- Mainland or free zone. Both are eligible. Say where the business is licensed and where it actually serves customers, especially when the two are different.
- Several emirates. If the business operates in more than one emirate, present the overall result first, then show where the strongest change happened. This often clarifies whether the UAE programme or an industry category is the better fit.
- Regional headquarters. A UAE office that manages a wider GCC or Middle East region should separate what was achieved in the UAE from what was achieved elsewhere, so evaluators can see the UAE contribution clearly.
- National talent. Emiratisation, graduate programmes and the progression of UAE nationals into senior roles are strong evidence when they come with figures. Our guide to presenting national talent results explains how.
- Currency and units. Present financial results in AED or as percentages, and keep the period the same across all figures.
The evidence that makes a UAE entry credible
According to our selection process, the factual basis of each nomination is checked before it is scored. Choose measures the business already tracks, state the period they cover and say where they come from. Two or three solid figures per claim are more persuasive than a long list of loosely related numbers.
| Area | Useful evidence | What to avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Customers | Change in active customers, repeat business or retention over a defined period; satisfaction or review scores with their source | Named clients or contract values without written permission |
| Growth | Revenue growth as a percentage, new emirates or markets served, new products or services launched | Absolute financials you would not publish elsewhere |
| Service quality | Response or delivery times, complaint trends, quality certifications held with their dates | Claims to be the best or the first without independent proof |
| People | Training hours, internal promotions, national talent hired and developed, retention | Personal data, salaries or individual performance reviews |
| Innovation | A new process, product or digital service, with what it changed for customers or costs | Technology descriptions with no measured outcome |
| Sustainability and community | Energy, water or waste reductions with a baseline; community programmes with participation figures | Broad “green” statements with no figures |
| Independent confirmation | A short statement from a customer, partner or auditor who saw the result first-hand | Letters that only praise without describing results |
Three or four well-chosen supporting documents usually serve the entry better than a large folder. A one-page summary of key indicators signed off by a senior colleague, a current licence or certificate, and one customer statement are often enough to support the main claims.
A simple structure for the nomination
Most nominations have room for a few hundred words on achievements. A clear order helps the evaluator follow the story:
- Context. What the business does, where in the UAE it operates, and who its customers are.
- Challenge. The problem or opportunity at the start of the period, in figures where possible.
- Action. The investments, new services, systems or training the business put in place.
- Results. Two or three outcome figures with a defined period and a source.
- Wider effect. What changed for customers, employees, partners or the community.
Write in plain language and avoid superlatives. A sentence such as “repeat orders rose over the twelve months to June, based on our order records” is more persuasive than a claim to be the leading company in the emirate.
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Many UAE businesses also serve Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait or Bahrain. If the strongest results come from another market, the country programme for that market may be the better fit. Our country pages for Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain explain each programme. A group may enter more than one country programme when each entry leads with evidence from that market.
Checklist before you submit
- The programme and category match the strongest evidence in the entry.
- The same company name is used throughout, and the licensed entity is stated once.
- The entry shows the starting point, the actions taken and the results, in that order.
- Every figure has a period and a source that can be checked.
- Results for the UAE are separated from results in other markets.
- Clients are named only with their written permission, and no confidential pricing or contract terms appear.
- At least one customer, partner or auditor can confirm the result first-hand.
Frequently asked questions
What are the UAE business awards?
The UAE Awards are the UAE country programme of the Arabian Best of Best Awards, organised by Golden Tree in Dubai. They recognise companies, entrepreneurs and business leaders operating in any of the seven emirates across 25 industries, and winners are selected by the Jury team or the Management of Golden Tree.
Which companies can be nominated for UAE business awards?
Any business that operates in the UAE can be nominated, whether it is licensed on the mainland or in a free zone, headquartered in the UAE or running a UAE branch of an international group. Start-ups, family businesses, SMEs and large groups are all eligible, and individual leaders and entrepreneurs can be nominated in their own categories.
How much does it cost to nominate a company in the UAE?
Nomination is free — there is no nomination fee and no registration fee. The Free plan covers one award programme in one category at City level, with a mandatory Winner Package order if you are selected as a winner; optional paid plans start with Silver at USD 140, and choosing a paid plan does not guarantee a win.
Should a UAE company enter the UAE Awards or an industry category?
Choose the UAE Awards when the strongest story is about the company's contribution in the UAE market, and an industry category such as Real Estate or Healthcare when the evidence is best compared with businesses in the same field. A company may enter both when it can lead each entry with different evidence.
Can a company with branches in several emirates enter?
Yes. Present results for the business as a whole, then show where the strongest improvement happened, emirate by emirate if that helps. Use the same legal or trading name throughout so the entry can be matched to the business without confusion.
What evidence should a UAE business award nomination include?
Two or three figures for each claim, each with a defined period and a source, such as customer growth, satisfaction scores, service or delivery performance, training delivered or resource savings. Add current licences or certifications that relate to the claim and one short statement from a customer or partner who saw the result.
Can we submit a nomination in Arabic?
Prepare the entry in clear English so it can be reviewed consistently. Arabic-language supporting documents can be included when a short English summary explains what each one shows.
Who decides the winners?
Every nomination is scored on the same criteria, and winners are selected by the Jury team or, depending on availability, the Management of Golden Tree. A winner title is activated with the Winner Package.
When the evidence is ready, open the nomination form, select the UAE or the industry that fits, and choose the category that matches your strongest results. Nomination is free — there is no nomination fee and no registration fee. The Free plan covers one award programme in one category at City level, with a mandatory Winner Package order if you are selected as a winner; optional paid plans start with Silver at USD 140 — the nomination plans page sets out the options, and choosing a paid plan does not guarantee a win. Past UAE winners are listed in our winner directory.