Dubai-it: When a city’s name becomes a verb and a philosophy of progress

In June 2026, Dubai effectively turned its own approach to development into a new verb. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, launched the Dubai-it initiative to pass on to future generations a philosophy of work built around achieving exceptional results in record time, with precision and excellence in execution

The term “Dubai-it” can be understood as “doing it the Dubai way” – achieving outstanding results quickly, efficiently and at a scale capable of redefining what is considered possible. Yet speed here does not mean rushing, while ambition only has value when it is turned into reality.

For Aviamost readers, this idea carries particular symbolism. The magazine has been published in the UAE since 1996 and has spent three decades witnessing Dubai’s remarkable transformation.

When the first issue of Aviamost was published, much of the Dubai we know today was still taking shape. The city already had ambitions to become an international business centre, but many of the emirate’s iconic landmarks were either still being planned or did not yet exist. Over the following decades, projects emerged that transformed not only the city’s landscape, but also the perception of what a modern metropolis could achieve.

This contrast between past and present was at the heart of the Dubai-it presentation. A video released alongside the initiative shows Dubai through aerial footage captured decades apart, with desert landscapes gradually giving way to a modern urban skyline.

For someone who arrived in Dubai recently, this may look like an extraordinary story of success. For those who have lived here for decades, it is part of their personal history. That is why Dubai-it can be seen not simply as a new slogan, but as an attempt to give a name to a transformation witnessed by several generations.

From ideas to a working system

The philosophy of Dubai-it is reflected above all in Dubai’s ability to turn ambitious visions into functioning projects. Many cities develop ambitious plans, while companies speak about innovation and leadership. Dubai places particular emphasis on the next step: what has actually been achieved and how quickly an idea can become part of everyday life.

This approach is evident in the city’s transformation. Dubai has consistently developed infrastructure designed not only to meet current needs, but also to support future growth: an international airport, a major port, the metro, business districts, tourism destinations, digital services, and financial and technology ecosystems.

Over several decades, the emirate has learned to turn its geographic location into an economic advantage, infrastructure into a global platform, and major projects into an integral part of everyday urban life.

The airport has become a global aviation hub, while the port has grown into a key component of international trade. The financial centre has attracted banks and investment companies, while tourism has become one of the pillars of the economy. Technology clusters have also drawn international corporations and entrepreneurs.

Even the name Dubai Internet City carries a different meaning today than it did two decades ago. What began primarily as a hub for internet companies and the digital economy has evolved into a broader technology ecosystem encompassing artificial intelligence, fintech, cloud computing, blockchain, research and development, and other areas of the new economy.

Why it matters to the Russian-Speaking Community

For the Russian-speaking community in the UAE, this story has particular significance. Over the past 30 years, not only has the size of the Russian-speaking population changed, but so has the composition of the community.

In the 1990s, many Aviamost readers were involved in trade, aviation, tourism and traditional business. Today, the Russian-speaking community is far more diverse, including entrepreneurs and investors, finance professionals, architects, designers, IT specialists, developers, and founders of their own brands and technology ventures.

For many, Dubai has become more than a place to live or do business. It is a platform where ideas can be tested quickly and taken to international markets.

This is why Dubai-it should not be understood simply as a cult of speed. Its essence lies in the combination of pace, precision and quality. The scale of projects in Dubai requires not only decisiveness, but also the ability to manage an enormous number of details. The ultimate goal is a real, functioning and measurable result.

For a Russian-speaking community that has itself become part of the emirate’s economic and professional transformation over the past three decades, this concept may feel particularly relevant. Dubai has changed and so has the environment of the people who live, work, invest and build new ventures here.

At the end of June 2026, the concept received a practical extension when Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum announced the establishment of an annual Dubai-it Award. The award will recognise individuals, companies, organisations and projects that turn bold ideas into outstanding results with quality and speed of execution.

Dubai-it is therefore gradually moving beyond a definition and becoming a way of measuring not only the scale of an ambition, but also the ability to see it through.

For Aviamost, this story carries particular significance. In 1996, the magazine began telling Russian-speaking readers about a UAE that was only beginning to emerge on the global stage. Over the following three decades, the city’s skyline changed, new districts, roads and airports appeared, tourism and business expanded, and a diverse international community took shape.

Aviamost did more than document these changes. Its own history became part of this era. And today, 30 years later, this journey has a name.

Dubai-it is the ability to turn ambition into action, action into results, and results into a new standard of what is possible.

Perhaps this is one of Dubai’s defining characteristics: the city does not wait for the future. It plans it, builds it and brings it to life.

For the next generation, the question will not only be what Dubai will become, but what else can be done the Dubai way more boldly, more precisely and more effectively, turning today’s ideas into tomorrow’s reality.