ABU DHABI MARITIME AWARDS 2025

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Submissions are now open for the 2025 Abu Dhabi Maritime Awards!

HEADS UP!

Submission

Closing 31 August

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Voting

Vote for Most Popular Marina opens in September

Vote now

Ceremony

to take place during the Abu Dhabi International Boat Show in November

THE Abu Dhabi MARITIME AWARDS

As custodians of Abu Dhabi’s waterways, Abu Dhabi Maritime champions a thriving maritime domain that upholds the highest safety, health, and efficiency standards. Part of AD Ports Group and working in close cooperation with the Integrated Transport Centre (Abu Dhabi Mobility) – Department for Municipalities and Transport (DMT), we propel the emirate towards its ambition to become a global maritime capital.

Following the resounding success of the 2023 and 2024 Abu Dhabi Maritime Awards, whichcelebrated the very best in marina leadership and operations across the Middle East, North Africa, and Türkiye (MENAT), preparations are underway for an even bigger 2025 edition.

New this year are six project and individual-based award categories to supplement the awards programme’s six existing accolades for marina organisations. A seventh new category, “Outstanding Emerging Marina,” is designed specifically for small and medium enterprises.

Prepare yourselves for a glittering celebration at the Abu Dhabi International Boat Show in November 2025!

Outstanding Emerging Marina Award

New to the 2025 edition, the Outstanding Emerging Marina award has the same criteria as the Outstanding Marina award but is limited to marinas with 200 or fewer berths. This accolade will become the awards programme’s second top honour.
Apply

Organisation Categories

The Six award categories are as follows:

Outstanding Marina Award

Participating in the Outstanding Marina award automatically qualifies entrants for consideration in the five organisation-based sub-categories. The Outstanding Marina shows distinction in all five areas: building exceptional customer journeys; cultivating exceptional workplaces through a positive ethos and staff development; promoting a strong safety culture; demonstrating continuous improvement through new ideas and technology; and integrating environmental responsibility into their business strategy.
Apply

Health & Safety Award

Prioritising the well-being of employees, contractors, and visitors means building a strong health and safety culture, proactive risk management systems, and a demonstrably good safety record – all hallmarks of a successful organisation.
Apply

Employer Excellence Award

Providing exceptional workplaces that motivate and empower employees to reach their full potential involves fostering a positive culture, investing in talent development, and achieving solid employee-related outcomes.
Apply

Sustainability Award

Commitment to sustainability involves integrating environmental responsibility into the marina’s core strategy. This includes implementing innovative programmes to reduce its ecological footprint and achieve tangible results for a healthier environment and community.
Apply

Innovation Award

Fostering a culture of continuous improvement entails embracing innovation-driven approaches, leveraging cutting-edge technologies, and achieving results that enhance operations, customer experiences, or environmental impact.
Apply

Customer Experience Award

Delivering an exceptional customer experience with a deep understanding of customer needs, seamless interactions across channels, and the intelligent use of technology. This entails considering customer feedback, driving continuous improvement, and fostering loyalty and advocacy.
Apply

AWARD CATEGORIES

The Six award categories are as follows:

Participating in the Outstanding Marina Award automatically qualifies entrants for consideration in all other award categories. This involves promoting continuous improvement through new ideas and technology to enhance operations and customer experiences, ensuring exceptional customer interactions by understanding needs, and encouraging loyalty through feedback.  Applicants must also demonstrate sustainability by integrating environmental responsibility into their strategies, ensure well-being by promoting a strong safety culture, and cultivate exceptional workplaces through a positive ethos and staff development.
Apply

Fostering a culture of continuous improvement entails embracing innovation-driven approaches, leveraging cutting-edge technologies, and achieving results that enhance operations, customer experiences, or environmental impact.

Apply

Providing exceptional workplaces that motivate and empower employees to reach their full potential involves fostering a positive culture, investing in talent development, and achieving solid employee-related outcomes.

Apply

Delivering an exceptional customer experience with a deep understanding of customer needs, seamless interactions across channels, and the intelligent use of technology. This entails considering customer feedback, driving continuous improvement, and fostering loyalty and advocacy.

Apply
New to the 2025 edition, the Outstanding Emerging Marina award has the same criteria as the Outstanding Marina award but is limited to marinas with 200 or fewer berths. This accolade will become the awards programme’s second top honour.
Apply

Commitment to sustainability involves integrating environmental responsibility into the marina’s core strategy. This includes implementing innovative programs to reduce its ecological footprint and achieve tangible results for a healthier planet.

Apply

Commitment to sustainability involves integrating environmental responsibility into the marina’s core strategy. This includes implementing innovative programs to reduce its ecological footprint and achieve tangible results for a healthier planet.

Apply

The Most Popular Marina Award, determined solely by public vote, invites passionate marina supporters to engage. Rally your community and prepare to claim this esteemed title!

PROJECT CATEGORIES

Three new project-based categories will reward the most impactful marina “Sustainability Project,” “Innovation Project,” and “Wellbeing Project.” These awards give marinas a chance to showcase a single standout programme or initiative. These categories are designed to recognise targeted efforts with demonstrated success, rather than organisation-wide approaches.

Innovation Project Award

This award goes to the inventive project or programme that improves one aspect of marina business or operations.

Apply

Sustainability Project Award

Awarding a project or programme with a measurable positive impact on environmental or community conditions.
Apply

Wellbeing Project Award

In recognition of the project or programme that meaningfully invests in employee happiness, health, or development.
Apply

INDIVIDUAL CATEGORIES

The three new individual categories will celebrate the people making a difference in the regional marina industry. With the “Leader Award,” “Frontline Service Hero Award,” and “Rising Star Award,” the Abu Dhabi Maritime Awards wish to acknowledge the managers and workers who inspire their colleagues, customers, and communities.

Outstanding Service Hero Award

This award will go to the customer-facing employee whose unwavering dedication to their work and peers has contributed to overall operational and service excellence.

Apply

Outstanding Leader Award

The Leader Award recognises a manager whose care for their team, clear direction, and thoughtful insight contribute to a positive, productive work environment and drive business.
Apply

Rising Star Award

The Rising Star Award goes to the up-and-coming marina employee whose talent, ideas, and enthusiasm are positioning them for a successful and impactful career in the regional marina industry.
Apply

Most Popular Marina RECOGNITION

Distinct from the awards categories, the Most Popular Marina Recognition is determined entirely by public vote through a tamper-resistant online platform opening later his year. Voters must complete security measures to prevent interference by bots and artificial intelligence programmes. Only verified votes will be counted. Rally your community to claim this exciting title!

Testimonials

Hear what past participants say about the Abu Dhabi Maritime Awards.

Wayne Shepherd
Director – Marinas,

Dubai Harbour

Abrar Salim
Marina & Operations Manager,
Aldar Marinas
Can Akaltan
Country Manager,
D-Marin,Türkiye

FAQs

Does the submitter require permission to submit an entry on behalf of the marina?The submission of an entry by the marina or on behalf of the marina by individual(s) requires permission from the person(s) in charge.
Is it possible for a marina to apply to more than one Abu Dhabi Maritime Award?Yes. Marinas may apply to multiple Abu Dhabi Maritime Awards. “Outstanding Marina” and “Outstanding Emerging Marina” applicants are automatically entered into the five organisation-based sub-categories (Customer Service, Employer Excellence, Health & Safety, Innovation, and Sustainability).
How many awards can one marina win?How many awards can one marina win? Marinas can win any of the organisation, project, or individual-based awards. However, to ensure equitable opportunity for all participants, winners of the top two awards (Outstanding Marina and Outstanding Emerging Marina) will be excluded from wins in any of the five organisation-based sub-categories. Their projects and employees will still be eligible for the project and individual-based award categories.
How is the Most Popular Marina Award determined? The Most Popular Marina Award is determined through a vote-based system and does not require any submission documents.
Would a newly established marina with only one year of operation be eligible to submit for the Abu Dhabi Maritime Awards? A new marina is eligible to enter if it has been operating, or conducting live projects, for at least 12 months.
What are the entry assessment and judging processes? The Abu Dhabi Maritime Awards submissions assessment process is twofold. First, a qualified team of assessors will thoroughly review the submissions and assign a score based on the criteria specific to each award category. Next, assessors will present the results of their analysis to the members of the Awards jury panel, who will determine winners. Assessors’ scores will assist members of the jury in their deliberations but will not be the only factor they consider as they choose award winners. The jury will conduct a careful, qualitative evaluation of the submissions in each category before finalising the winners list.
How do entry assessors determine entry scores? Assessors assign a numerical score for every criterion in each award category. The sum of these scores determines an entry’s performance in its category. These final category scores fall on a tiered scale between 0 and 100:
  • 80 – 100: Beacon (Outstanding/Exemplar)
  • 60 – 80: Navigator (Excellent)
  • 40 – 60: Sailing (Competent)
  • 20 – 40: Ascendant (Emerging)
  • 0 – 20: Harbour (Foundational)
How many winners will there be in each category? There is a gold award and a silver award in each award category. While previous years included a third-place bronze award, there will be no bronze awards at the 2025 Abu Dhabi Maritime Awards. Instead, Marinas who achieve a score of “Sailing” or above in the assessment processes will receive a certificate indicating their tier.
How does the Most Popular Marina Recognition work? Marinas participating in the Abu Dhabi Maritime Awards are eligible for an additional recognition, “Most Popular Marina,”
determined entirely by public vote.Members of the public will be invited to cast their vote through a tamper-resistant online system. Voters must complete security measures to prevent interference by bots and artificial intelligence programmes. Only verified votes will be counted.The Abu Dhabi Maritime Awards encourage marinas to rally their fans to participate in the vote. Winners will be announced during the awards ceremony at the Abu Dhabi International Boat Show in November.

If you have more questions, Click here

VENUE DETAILS

Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre
ADNEC Group

Khaleej Al Arabi Street
P.O. Box 5546

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Contact us

Email: Contact@maritime-awards.com
Phone: +971 56 990 1429