Issuing 37,000 new building permits in Dubai and 35 million visitors to municipal facilities during 2025

The Director-General of Dubai Municipality, Marwan bin Ghalita, confirmed that the year 2025 witnessed the issuance of about 37,000 building permits in Dubai, in addition to receiving more than 53 million visitors to municipal facilities, which reflects the scale of the rapid urban expansion and urban momentum that the emirate is witnessing.

Bin Ghalita said, during his participation in the World Government Summit, that the world is witnessing the largest wave of urbanization in its history, as about one trillion square meters will be developed within cities globally in the coming years, at a time when half of the world’s population is expected to live within cities, which imposes major challenges that go beyond construction to the quality of life and the human experience within the city.

He explained that the role of Dubai Municipality is not limited to constructing buildings or developing infrastructure, but rather focuses primarily on creating an integrated human experience for everyone who lives in or visits Dubai, whether they are a citizen, resident, visitor, or even just passing through.

He pointed out that Dubai has a “spirit” or “magnetic attraction” that makes people want to be part of its social and cultural fabric, stressing that meeting the needs and expectations of more than 200 nationalities living in the emirate is a fundamental pillar of every project or design implemented by the municipality.

Bin Ghalaita added: “Building buildings has become an easy matter today in light of technological development and artificial intelligence, but the real challenge lies in creating the experience and creating a sense of place,” pointing out that the success of any facility is not measured only by the number of its users, but by the frequency of visits and the memories that people make inside it.

He stressed that the vision 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, is based on building the best city in the world for people, explaining that Dubai Municipality measures the success of its projects through people’s interaction with them, and not merely by their existence.

He stressed that the goal is for public facilities, such as parks, beaches and open spaces, to become places that people return to repeatedly as a true indicator of the city’s success and its ability to meet the aspirations of its residents and visitors.