What’s your Dubai-it dream? Two residents share how Sheikh Mohammed’s vision became their reality

Dubai: Did you ever Dubai-it with a dream, and turn it into reality? Ahmed Al Shamsi, an Emirati human resources (HR) leader, did. He is the founder of Tabbio, an AI career platform that helps professionals build verified, ‘living’ curriculum vitae (CVs) and digital profiles. For the entrepreneur, Dubai-it named something he had already been practising for most of his life. Al Shamsi said: “I’m in HR by day and I built Tabbio at night. Nobody handed me permission, I just started. Dubai-it put a word on that.” When you grow up seeing a city that transforms its ambitious plans into reality, the idea that anything is possible – that you can Dubai-it too – becomes your own reality. The launch of the Dubai-it initiative by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, resonated deeply with Al Shamsi, and many other citizens and residents, who were finally able to put a name to the feeling of ambition and excellence they see around them every day. Defining it as a verb, Sheikh Mohammed posted the definition of ‘Dubai-it’ on social media: “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.” Al Shamsi said he was especially moved by Sheikh Mohammed’s words, when he noted: “Ambition has no value without execution.” Al Shamsi explained: “Most people have the idea. Almost nobody ships it.” In Dubai, however, doing things with excellence, right now, is part of the city’s DNA. Al Shamsi said: “It’s the mindset I grew up watching. This country went from desert to a global city in one generation, and that didn’t happen by talking about it. What I love is that [Dubai-it] isn’t a slogan, it’s a standard: we say what we do, and we do what we say. If more of us built to that standard, we’d have more homegrown products competing on the world stage.” In his own experience, when he had the idea for Tabbio, he didn’t wait, or second-guess himself, or think of it as an impossible dream. He launched his business in September 2025, in true Dubai-it spirit. He said: “The first version of Tabbio was ugly and I put it out anyway, because the idea worked and people used it.” Today, he runs a more polished version of Tabbio, which has become a successful business, “tens of thousands of users later, with zero Dirhams on ads, all from posting and shipping”. Al Shamsi recognises his own philosophy in the Dubai-it mindset: “Whether I’m leading a team or building my own product, the bar’s the same: turn the idea into something real, and fast. Don’t wait for perfect, ship it and Dubai-it in public.” A place for families to thrive The dream is a little different for Syrian national Mayan Abed, 40, who works as an account development manager at OpenText, a secure information management company based in Dubai. Beyond excelling in the spheres of business and governance, the city is known for creating a safe, nurturing environment for families to thrive. That kind of safety and stability gives parents a solid foundation to Dubai-it, knowing their children are well taken care of. Abed explained: “Being able to raise my children in a safe, welcoming, and ambitious environment is something I value deeply. For me, Dubai-it means thinking beyond limitations, turning ideas into action, and continuing raising the bar for myself and my kids.” She is a mum to two boys, aged 18 and 6, and a girl, aged 15, and said there’s no better place to raise them than Dubai. Having grown up in the city herself, Abed said she is grateful for the stability and safety it offers, no matter what challenges it faces, time and again. She explained: “I have always considered Dubai my home. After 28 years of living here, it is difficult to fully express my love and gratitude for this incredible country. The opportunities this nation has given me and my family have shaped our lives in countless ways.” When Abed saw Sheikh Mohammed’s post on Dubai-it, she said it filled her with pride. She said: “The first time I read it, I felt every word reflected the reality of Dubai: Ambition, excellence, innovation and achieving the extraordinary in record time are not just words, they are values that define Dubai and inspire us every day.”