AD Ports Group’s Abu Dhabi Maritime has announced the return of the Abu Dhabi Maritime Awards, set to take place on 20 November 2025 at the Abu Dhabi International Boat Show. The awards were developed in partnership with the Integrated Transport Centre, aiming to spotlight excellence in marina operations and services across the Middle East, North Africa and Türkiye (MENAT).
Now in its third year, the awards programme will feature a broader range of categories to better reflect the efforts of marinas and their personnel in areas such as sustainability, innovation, safety and customer service. Submissions are currently open to all licensed marina operators and owners across the MENAT region.
Capt. Saif Al Mheiri, CEO of Abu Dhabi Maritime and Chief Sustainability Officer at AD Ports Group, stated: “We had a tremendous response to the Abu Dhabi Maritime Awards last year, with triple the number of submissions we received in the programme’s first edition. With this expansion to 13 total award categories and one special recognition, we hope to bring even more global attention to the exciting work and ideas across the regional marina industry.”
Marina excellence in focus
The central accolade “Outstanding Marina Award” is given to a facility that demonstrates excellence across five key areas: customer experience, employer excellence, health and safety, innovation and sustainability. Restricted to small and medium-sized facilities, the 2025 edition also introduces a second headline category, “Outstanding Emerging Marina”, tailored to marinas with 200 or fewer berths.
Award applicants in these categories are also automatically considered for the five organisational sub-categories. To ensure fair recognition, however, recipients of the top two awards will not be eligible for wins in the additional sub-categories.
Three newly introduced project-based awards will assess the measurable impact of specific initiatives:
- The “Innovation Project Award” will honour inventive programmes that enhance one aspect of marina business or operations.
- The “Sustainability Project Award” will focus on environmental or community benefits.
- The “Wellbeing Project Award” will recognise efforts that support employee health, happiness and development.
These awards are designed to highlight targeted initiatives with demonstrated success, rather than broad organisational practices.
Individual contributions recognised
In addition to organisational and project-based awards, the 2025 programme will feature three individual categories:
- The “Outstanding Leader Award” will commend a marina manager known for clear guidance and team support.
- The “Outstanding Service Hero Award” will go to a frontline employee who exemplifies dedication and professionalism.
- The “Rising Star Award” will be awarded to an emerging talent showing promise in shaping the marina industry’s future.
Community engagement
A returning element to the 2025 programme is the “Most Popular Marina” recognition, which is a publicly-voted title decided through a secure online system scheduled to open later in the year. Each voter will undergo verification procedures to ensure vote legitimacy.
The assessment process for all categories includes the awarding of gold and silver honours, while bronze has been retired from the 2025 edition. Marinas scoring “Sailing” or above will receive certification indicating their achievement level.
Dr Abdulla Hamad Al Ghfeli, Acting Director General of the Integrated Transport Centre, said: “The launch of the third edition of the Abu Dhabi Maritime Awards represents a significant milestone in our efforts to establish an integrated framework that enhances marina operations and encourages the adoption of best practices across this vital sector. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with partners to further elevate the maritime sector.”
