More than 100 finalists from 12 countries have been shortlisted across 18 categories for the Big 5 Global Impact Awards 2026, recognising achievements in construction and urban development.
The finalists represent a broad cross-section of the built environment, including government authorities, developers, architects, consultants, contractors and technology companies. Their entries highlight progress in sustainability, digitalisation, carbon reduction, liveability and workforce development.
The shortlist includes organisations from Bahrain, Egypt, Hong Kong, India, Lebanon, Nigeria, Oman, Portugal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Josine Heijmans, Senior Vice-President at dmg events, said the finalists demonstrated how organisations across the built environment were translating their ambitions into measurable results in sustainability, digitalisation, workforce development and urban development.
Government and Private Sector in the Spotlight
Government authorities, public-sector organisations, developers and private companies feature prominently among the finalists.
They include King Salman Energy Park (SPARK) Projects, Diriyah Company, Saudi Aramco, King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD), the UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, Dubai Municipality, Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), Expo City Dubai, Bahrain’s Ministry of Works and Canterbury Christ Church University.
Private-sector finalists include The Arab Contractors (Osman Ahmed Osman & Co.), Climatize, AECOM, Orascom Construction, Trojan Construction Holding, DAMAC Properties and KEO Group.
Sustainability and Technology in Focus
The Sustainable Construction Organisation of the Year category attracted the highest number of entries, reflecting the industry’s growing focus on integrating sustainability into business operations and construction projects.
Finalists include AECOM, Diriyah Company, Expo City Dubai, SPARK Projects, Orascom Construction, PETROJET, Climatize and Trojan Construction Holding.
In the Sustainable Construction Project of the Year category, The Arab Contractors was shortlisted for Cairo Light Rail Transit (LRT) Phases 1 and 2, owned by the Egyptian National Authority for Tunnels. Other finalists include AECOM and Mubadala for the Masdar Net Zero Energy Mosque; DAMAC Properties for DAMAC Lagoons; Masdar City for Horizons 1; and Saudi Aramco’s Community and Public Projects Department for SPARK Projects.
Technology is another major focus, with artificial intelligence (AI) being applied to project delivery, asset monitoring and construction management.
Finalists for the Best Use of AI Award include DAR Engineering for its DAR Mate Intelligent Ecosystem; Dubai Municipality for Building Violation and Asset Monitoring; KEO Group for Embedding AI Across Project Delivery; and China State Construction Engineering Corporation Middle East for its CSCEC ME Insight Hub, which uses AI for predictive project intelligence.
Other finalists include AlBawani, grfn, Sobha Construction and ZFP (Zuhair Fayez).
Dr Yousef Mohammed Al Horr, Founding Chairman and CEO of the Global Carbon Council and a judge for the awards, said the shortlisted entries demonstrated how sustainability was being translated into measurable outcomes through improved design, resource efficiency, decarbonisation and responsible project delivery.
The awards are judged by an independent international panel of industry experts, with winners selected based on the quality, impact and outcomes demonstrated in their submissions.
The winners will be announced at the Big 5 Global Impact Awards ceremony on 25 November 2026 at Al Multaqua Ballroom, Dubai World Trade Centre.
The ceremony will take place alongside Big 5 Global, scheduled for 23–26 November 2026 at Dubai World Trade Centre.
The awards’ partners and sponsors include the UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure as main supporting partner, Dubai Municipality as supporting partner, Trojan Construction Holding as gold sponsor and Midea as category sponsor.
For more information, visit www.big5global.com.
