The prestigious awards ceremony will be held during the Abu Dhabi International Boat Show in November
Get ready to set sail for recognition, because the third edition of the Abu Dhabi Maritime Awards is cruising into town; and this year, it’s making waves across the entire MENAT region!
The prestigious awards ceremony will be held on 20 November 2025 during the Abu Dhabi International Boat Show.
It’s the ultimate celebration of excellence in the marina world—and yes, everyone in the marina biz is invited to the party.
Charting new waters
What started as a niche recognition platform has evolved into a regional powerhouse, with participation expected from licensed marina owners and operators across the Middle East, North Africa, and Türkiye.
This year, the awards are bigger, bolder, and better than ever, with a whopping 13 award categories plus one special recognition. That’s right—13 chances to shine, from innovation and sustainability to customer experience and more.
Returning favourites
Fan-favourite categories are back to recognize stellar marina performance in:
- Customer Experience
- Employer Excellence
- Health and Safety
- Innovation
- Sustainability
And of course, the highly coveted Outstanding Marina award will go to the marina that aces all five of these pillars.
You might also like: Emirati Women’s Day 2025 celebrates 50 years of sisterhood
New categories on deck
Hold on to your sailor hats; there are seven brand-new categories this year, and they’re opening up the field for even more talent and creativity to shine through.
For the Marina Mavericks:
- Outstanding Emerging Marina – This one’s for the small and mighty: marinas with 200 or fewer berths that are making a big impact.
For the Idea Powerhouses:
- Sustainability Project
- Innovation Project
- Wellbeing Project
These spotlight standout initiatives, so marinas can show off their best one-off projects that made real waves.
For the Industry Trailblasers:
- Outstanding Leader Award
- Outstanding Service Hero Award
- Rising Star Award
Because the people behind the ports deserve their moment in the spotlight, too.
And yes, the crowd-pleasing Most Popular Marina award is back! Later this year, the public will get to vote online for their top pick; no bots, no tricks, just pure marina love.
Ready to dock some glory?
Submissions are now open, so if you’re a licensed marina operator in the MENAT region, it’s time to polish up your pitch and submit your best work.
Whether you’re running a boutique marina tucked away on a dreamy coastline or a massive marina metropolis with hundreds of berths, this is your moment to shine.
Stay tuned for more updates, and get ready to celebrate maritime excellence under the spotlight in Abu Dhabi this November.
For further information, visit maritime-awards.com
Follow Yalla for all the latest news