Sheikh Mohammed’s Dubai-it sparks wave of before-and-after posts from Dubai entities

The action-first initiative, designed to embed Dubai’s philosophy of swift execution and excellence across institutions, has prompted government bodies and companies to showcase decades of transformation through visual posts.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, launched the Dubai-it initiative — a model designed to translate ambition into measurable, visible results. The concept reflects a belief that speed must go hand in hand with quality, and that ideas are expected to move rapidly from planning to delivery.

Defining it as a verb, Sheikh Mohammed wrote: “‘Dubai-it’ is to achieve something extraordinary with excellence in record time. It’s about turning big ideas into reality, just like Dubai’s incredible transformation from desert to global city in a short span.”

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He added: “We launched ‘Dubai-it’ to pass on Dubai’s philosophy of work to future generations, embed it as a culture across our institutions and companies, and build the next leaps forward.”

Institutions share before-and-after photos

Since the launch, a wave of before-and-after posts has swept across social media platforms as government entities and major institutions rallied behind the campaign. The posts, shared under the hashtag #Dubai_it, pair archival images of construction sites, modest facilities, and barren desert plots against the gleaming landmarks and world-class services that stand in their place today.

Among the participants, the Dubai Health Authority and Dubai Health shared images of a modest clinic from decades past, set against its current Outpatient Clinics complex. The entity noted that healthcare development in Dubai “was never just an ambition; it was a vision that grew over the years into a modern system that advances care and creates meaningful impact in people’s lives.”

Expo City Dubai also offered a view of a vast, empty desert site that has since been transformed into one of the world’s most recognisable urban developments. The entity said its evolution “reflects the spirit of a city that delivers on its ambitions, creating lasting impact for generations to come.”

Meanwhile, the Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation (PCFC) shared black and white images of early port infrastructure alongside today’s sprawling Jebel Ali Port, one of the world’s busiest. “Dubai It is not just an idea… it is a story told through achievements,” the entity wrote, adding that its ports continue to drive global commerce and logistics.

Dubai Future Foundation showcased the Museum of the Future in its skeletal construction phase, contrasted with the completed architectural landmark that now defines the Dubai skyline. “For us, that philosophy is part of the work: taking future ideas from paper to pilots, from prototypes to places people can experience,” the Foundation said.

Dubai Police joined the wave with a video tracing its journey from the earliest training formations at the Police Training School to its current standing as a world-leading law enforcement institution equipped with the most advanced technologies and smart solutions. “A journey that shows when ambition is backed by action, the impossible becomes possible,” the force wrote, encapsulating in a single line the spirit that the ‘Dubai-it’ campaign seeks to embed across the emirate.

More than a campaign

The initiative is more than a retrospective celebration. It is a strategic move to ensure that the rapid, high-quality execution that defined Dubai’s rise from a modest trading creek settlement of around 60,000 people in the 1960s to a global metropolis of over 3.4 million remains the standard for the future.

The momentum behind the campaign took a further step forward on Wednesday, when Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, directed the launch of the ‘Dubai-it Award’.

The annual accolade will recognise individuals, projects, companies and institutions that have delivered outstanding accomplishments aligned with the ‘Dubai-it’ philosophy  transforming bold ideas into tangible results with excellence and in record time.

“Inspired by the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and Dubai’s remarkable development journey, Dubai-it has become a philosophy of action that drives innovation and progress,” Sheikh Hamdan said.