'Dubai-it': The mindset that turns ambition into action

Dubai: For some, it is visible in the city's skyline, where buildings seemingly get built overnight. For others, it is reflected in the people around them – students, professionals and entrepreneurs who refuse to quit. 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 last week , to pass on Dubai’s work philosophy to the next generation. On his social media accounts, Sheikh Mohammed referred to ‘Dubai-it’ as a verb, that describes Dubai’s work philosophy. “Dubai’s philosophy of work is built on achieving exceptional results in record time, with precision and excellence. Speed does not mean rushing, quality does not mean slowing down, and ambition has no value without execution,” he said. Why 'good enough' is never enough Soon after the initiative was announced, residents began sharing the concept as it finally gave them a word for that ‘Dubai feeling’ – one where ambition has no limits and execution does not compromise on speed or accuracy. For 34-year-old Syrian Majed Alsaadi, the initiative gave him a sense of pride as well as a connection with the idea of pushing further. “Sheikh Mohammed is right – when you’re in Dubai, things happen overnight. Everyone is competitive. Even if you look at the F&B industry – go to any restaurant, and they’re competing with others in the industry. That doesn’t really happen in other places. Everything in Dubai is just ahead of the game,” he said. This reality of always staying one step ahead is something he notices every day in the city – whether it is buildings taking shape at a dizzying pace or people around him, constantly pushing to get better. “Whether it’s at work, if you’re taking interviews, if you are studying or even if you are at the gym – you have people around you who are always pushing themselves to the next level. Because in Dubai, you don’t want to just ‘do what’s enough’. ‘Ok’ is not enough. You don’t want to settle for that. For me, the people in Dubai aren’t the ones who just want to succeed. They are literally the ones who refuse to quit,” he said. Alsaadi, who works as a Managing Director of a boutique recruitment agency and has lived in the UAE since 2005, said that turning the idea of Dubai into a verb further reinforces that culture of ambition, which is deeply ingrained in the story of the city and its people. “Working in recruitment has given me a front-row seat to ambition. Every day, I meet people chasing bigger goals and companies building bold visions. Dubai taught me that growth begins the moment you stop limiting your potential and start turning possibilities into action. That’s what the ‘Dubai-it’ mindset means to me,” he said. When speed meets accountability For 45-year-old Jordanian expatriate Mohammed Ali, the concept reflects a philosophy he has witnessed shaping the city over the past 26 years. The Director of Logistics Innovation and AI recalled how one of the most ‘Dubai-it’ moments for him was when Sheikh Mohammed announced in 2013 that government entities were being given a two-year period to implement the UAE’s Smart Government project. Just a month before the two-month period was about to end, Sheikh Mohammed tweeted, following-up on the deadline to review what progress had been made. “I remember re-tweeting his post saying it was the follow up of the decade. This was a leader who said that I want my government to be the best and he didn’t forget about it. That’s what stands out the most – you have an outstanding speed of decision-making, which is also very calculated. If you understand business and are aware of the policy-making industry, you will understand just how thoroughly and for how long these programmes are studied. That’s the secret sauce behind the success – they don’t talk about what they are going to do until they are ready to do it. But at the same, the speed with which they take care of things dazzles me as a resident, because it means they don’t take a break,” he said. Living in such an environment, he said, inevitably changes the way people approach their own lives and careers. “It's definitely affected me. I know that I have to work on myself constantly and keep track of what's going on, because if I blink, I will be outdated,” he said. “The city doesn't wait, so I have to be at my best always. At the same time, if you cover that aspect, you guarantee the kind of life you wish for, for your family and yourself.” Today, Ali believes Dubai has evolved beyond being a city and has become a benchmark for excellence. “Looking for efficiency? Dubai-it. Looking for speed with accuracy? Dubai-it,” he said. “Dubai has literally become the point of reference on how to look at planning and execution.” A blueprint for getting things done The speed and accuracy of the planning and implementation that has gone into turning Dubai into a global city has turned it into a reference point for the rest of the world, as well as for