The 'Dubai-it' initiative launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, embodied a leadership philosophy built on speed of achievement, quality of execution, and the transformation of visions into tangible results.
Following the launch of the initiative, His Highness affirmed that "Dubai-it means swift accomplishment, precise and distinguished execution, and results that the world sees in record time."
This philosophy is reflected across Dubai's development journey, which has been built not merely on executing projects, but on adopting proactive visions that have reshaped entire economic sectors — among them the retail sector, which has become one of the emirate's most prominent economic drivers.
In this context, His Excellency Mohammed Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs, affirmed that the status Dubai has reached today — as one of the world's foremost shopping destinations — is the product of the vision and thinking of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who believed that competition creates and expands markets rather than destroying businesses.
His Excellency Al Gergawi cited the opening of Deira City Centre in the mid-1990s, when it was the largest shopping mall in the Middle East. At the time, a number of businesspeople expressed concern during a visit to Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum that the project would adversely affect other commercial centres in the emirate. His Highness directed them instead to focus on expansion and provided additional land for the construction of new shopping centres, guided by his conviction that market growth creates opportunities for all.
His Excellency Al Gergawi added that the first Dubai Shopping Festival was linked to Deira City Centre and attracted around 1.6 million visitors and shoppers, with sales reaching 2 billion dirhams — a feat considered a major achievement at the time.
He noted that the results of that vision are manifest today in the fact that the six largest shopping malls in Dubai alone attract more than 213 million visitors annually, a clear reflection of the thinking of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who laid the foundations for one of the world's largest retail industries.