2026 Maritime Awards receive record 132 submissions from MENAT region

Organised by the Integrated Transport Centre (Abu Dhabi Mobility), an affiliate of the Department of Municipalities and Transport, and Abu Dhabi Maritime, part of AD Ports Group, the 2026 Abu Dhabi Maritime Awards has received 132 submissions from marinas across the Middle East, North Africa, and Türkiye (MENAT region), a record for the awards programme and an increase of more than 200 per cent over three years.

Since their launch in 2023, the annual awards have continued to evolve and to establish their regional influence by recognising marina excellence in leadership, innovation, sustainability, health and safety, and operational performance. Building on the progress of past editions and a programme expansion introduced in 2025, this year’s Awards welcomed entries across 12 categories, spotlighting the MENAT region’s most outstanding marinas, visionary projects, and inspiring individuals shaping the industry’s future.

This year’s surge in award submissions – with representation from marinas in eight countries: the UAE, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Türkiye, Kuwait, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia – reinforces the awards’ stature as a leading platform for benchmarking marina achievement. It also reflects the growing appetite for industry recognition across the region and underscores the strength of marinas within the GCC markets, which remain attractive, competitive, and dynamic amid ongoing global geopolitical uncertainty.

The awards have averaged 51 per cent year-over-year growth since their 2023 baseline, with participation more than tripling as industry engagement continues to accelerate.

For the first time, the Abu Dhabi Maritime Awards has partnered with leading brands in support of the awards’ mission to showcase the regional leisure marine industry, including Etihad Airways as the official airline partner, Forbes Middle East as the official media partner, ADNEC Group as the official strategic partner, and the Abu Dhabi International Boat Show and Caliber Watches as partners to the awards.

His Excellency Abdulla Hamad AlGhfeli, Director-General of the Integrated Transport Centre, said: “The Abu Dhabi Maritime Awards align strongly with the Integrated Transport Centre’s vision of advancing maritime mobility, sustainable infrastructure development, and world-class public water transport and leisure facilities, including marinas. The growing interest and number of submissions received for the fourth edition of the annual Awards mark a significant achievement, signalling the economic stability, competitiveness, and potential of the regional marina industry.”

Captain Saif Al Mheiri, CEO of Abu Dhabi Maritime and Group Chief Sustainability and Risk Officer at AD Ports Group, said: “The increased participation in this year’s Abu Dhabi Maritime Awards builds even more momentum for the leisure maritime industry in Abu Dhabi and across the MENAT region. Each submission reflects the resilience, innovation, and sustainability of MENAT marinas, as well as confidence in Abu Dhabi’s growing role as a leading global maritime hub and centre of maritime expertise.”

The submissions, which were open to any licensed marina operator or owner within MENAT, will be assessed through a two-stage process: first, a qualified team of assessors will review and score submissions against the criteria specific to each category before presenting their findings to the awards jury, who will then conduct a final qualitative evaluation to determine the winners.

Winners will be announced and celebrated at a prestigious awards ceremony during the Abu Dhabi International Boat Show, scheduled to take place from 19 to 22 November 2026.