Hamdan bin Mohammed launches an award "Dubai Legacy"He confirms: The vision of Mohammed bin Rashid established Dubai’s unique approach to preserving the cultural and social heritage

DUBAI, 22nd November, WAM / His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, and Chairman of the Executive Council of the Emirate of Dubai, confirmed that the vision and directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, may God protect him, contributed to establishing a unique approach for Dubai in preserving the cultural and social heritage as an essential element in formulating its comprehensive development vision.

His Highness pointed out that Dubai draws inspiration from its ancient history and its cultural and social heritage, the pillars of progress and excellence, and is building its future with an ambitious vision that is inseparable from its past, pointing out that societies that know their past and understand its details are the most capable of shaping the features of their future with awareness and confidence, because they are based on solid roots and inherited values ​​that give them strength and balance in the process of progress.

This came on the occasion of the launch of His Highness, the “Dubai Legacy” Award, one of the largest specialized awards in the field of cultural, heritage and social documentation, which comes within the framework of achieving the goals of the “Dubai Legacy” initiative, which was announced by His Highness last February, with the aim of documenting the features of Dubai’s development and monitoring its cultural and social transformations, so that the award constitutes a practical extension of the initiative and an interactive platform that stimulates community participation, and translates Dubai’s vision of preserving living memory and preserving national identity for future generations.

His Highness said: “Today we launched the Dubai Heritage Award, which is one of the largest awards in the world in the field of cultural and social documentation, in honor of everyone who documents… and who creates… and who contributes to preserving Dubai’s heritage, which constitutes a mirror of our identity and the memory of our generations, and a national asset that we are proud of. Our goal is to honor everyone who preserved Dubai’s heritage and enriched its identity… and to celebrate everyone who embodied its values… preserved its details and linked its past to its present and future… “May its legacy remain a witness to the story of Dubai, which inspires the world with its vision and uniqueness.”

His Highness stressed that preserving Dubai’s societal memory and documenting its cultural and historical heritage is a shared responsibility that requires concerted efforts between individuals, institutions, and society as a whole. He added: “We call on everyone who lived in Dubai, and this city formed part of their memory, to share with us their experiences and stories, and the moments that remain in memory that made the features of Dubai, because whoever tells his story, tells the story of a nation.”

The “Dubai Legacy Award” aims to expand the scope of the local community’s participation in the Dubai Legacy Initiative, and to motivate citizens, residents, and government and private institutions to share their experiences and stories that reflect the features of social and cultural life in Dubai, as more than five million dirhams have been allocated to honor the best distinguished entries.

The award includes two main categories in addition to the grand prize, which are the community category, and the government and private agencies category, and in total includes seven sub-awards covering various areas of documentation and community participation.

The grand prize of one million dirhams is awarded to the best entry ever among all categories, in addition to prizes worth half a million dirhams given to the winners in each subcategory.

The award, within the community category, includes honoring the best creatively documented participation, the best recording of a family legacy, the best participation on social media sites, the best documenter of oral heritage, and the best participation by a resident of Dubai.

The award also includes the best participation from the private sector, in addition to special appreciation given to government agencies that have distinguished themselves by their initiatives in supporting the Dubai Legacy Initiative.

The ‘Dubai Legacy’ Award opens its doors to all segments of society, welcomes contributions from citizens and residents alike, and preference is given to entries that reflect the cultural and social dimension of the local community, and embody the Emirati identity in a creative, documented manner that combines craftsmanship and influential narration.

The award activities conclude with an official ceremony held during the first quarter of 2026, during which the winners who presented distinguished works that contributed to enriching the historical and cultural content of the Emirate of Dubai are honored.

All contributions, including stories and experiences, will be preserved in an interactive digital archive, allowing them to be easily accessed by researchers, interested parties, and the public in the future, thus contributing to enhancing their benefit and ensuring the sustainability of this valuable legacy.

This trend embodies Dubai’s future vision of preserving its history and consolidating its human, social and cultural identity for future generations.

His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the “Dubai Legacy” initiative last February with the aim of documenting the features of the emirate’s development and monitoring the societal and cultural transformations it has witnessed over the decades.

Since its launch, the initiative has received broad interaction from various segments of society, attracting thousands of entries that reflect the richness of the human experience in Dubai.

The initiative is one of the strategic pillars of the emirate’s efforts to preserve collective memory and enhance community participation in documenting local history.

Entries are submitted through the Dubai Heritage Initiative website (or through the smart application available on the Apple Store and Google Play stores) until January 15th.

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