Nominations now open as Gulf Business launches new real estate awards
The Gulf Business Real Estate Summit & Awards will debut in May 2026, bringing together developers, investors, policymakers and industry leaders
11 February, 2026
TT
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Gulf Business is launching a new flagship platform for one of the GCC’s most powerful engines of growth: real estate.
The Gulf Business Real Estate Summit & Awards will debut in May 2026, bringing together developers, investors, policymakers and industry leaders at a time when the region’s property market has crossed a historic threshold.
Find out more here: https://bit.ly/3M95ZUq
With more than $1tn in live and planned real estate projects across the GCC, the sector is entering a new phase — defined by scale, sophistication and long-term vision.
The initiative combines a high-level summit with the inaugural Gulf Business Real Estate Awards, creating a single platform that both interrogates the future of the sector and recognises the companies and leaders shaping it today.
Nominations for the Gulf Business Real Estate Awards 2026 are now open across almost 40 categories.
Click here to nominate: https://bit.ly/4qVEzQU
Gulf Business Group Editor, Gareth van Zyl, says the awards programme aims to recognise the full breadth of the real estate value chain.
“Categories span master developers, residential, commercial and luxury players, iconic and off-plan projects, smart and sustainable developments, proptech innovation, construction excellence, and leadership at every level of the industry,” says van Zyl.
“From established market leaders to emerging players, the awards are designed to capture the diversity and depth of a sector that continues to redefine skylines, cities and investment flows across the Gulf,” he added.
Winners will be selected through a rigorous, independent judging process, aligned with the same standards that have made the Gulf Business Awards one of the region’s most credible benchmarks of excellence.

Ahead of the awards ceremony, the Gulf Business Real Estate Summit will feature a focused, high-level panel discussion examining the trends shaping the next phase of growth across the GCC. Topics will include capital flows, sustainability, technology adoption, design, construction innovation and the evolving demands of investors and end-users.
Together, the summit and awards will provide a definitive snapshot of who is shaping the Gulf’s built environment, and who is setting the benchmark for what comes next.
Below are the categories for the awards:
Click here to nominate: https://bit.ly/4qVEzQU
Developer categories
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Master Developer of the Year
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Residential Developer of the Year
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Commercial Developer of the Year
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Luxury Developer of the Year
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Affordable Luxury Developer of the Year
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Emerging Developer of the Year
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International Real Estate Player of the Year
Project categories
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Branded Project of the Year
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Project of the Year
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Off-Plan Project of the Year
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Iconic Building of the Year
Sustainability & innovation
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Smart and Sustainable Development of the Year
Design & architecture
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Architectural Design Company of the Year
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Interior Design Company of the Year
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Architect of the Year
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Interior Designer of the Year
Investment & finance
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Real Estate Investment Company of the Year
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Real Estate Deal of the Year
Services & consultancy
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Real Estate Agency of the Year
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Property Management Company of the Year
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Facilities Management Company of the Year
Technology & proptech
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PropTech Company of the Year
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PropTech Leader of the Year
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Off-Plan Project of the Year
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Iconic Building of the Year
People & leadership
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Real Estate CEO of the Year
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Real Estate Entrepreneur of the Year
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Young Real Estate Professional of the Year
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Woman Real Estate Leader of the Year
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Real Estate Agent of the Year
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Real Estate Team of the Year
Regional categories
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Best GCC Developer of the Year
Construction & contracting
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Contracting Company of the Year
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Contracting Leader of the Year
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MEP Company of the Year
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MEP Leader of the Year



















