Shifting the focus from the fourth quarter’s frenzy, the spotlight was on the remarkable achievements of innovative companies at the highly anticipated Most Innovative Companies 2024 event in the heart of Dubai.

Fast Company Middle East gathered visionaries, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders to celebrate those who are not just responding to change but actively driving it across various sectors in the region.

Visionaries, venture capitalists, and leaders flocked to the event. The atmosphere was poised for Fast Company Middle East’s Most Innovative Companies 2024 – a celebratory night honoring those pushing boundaries with limitless creativity.

Hosted at Hilton Dubai Palm Jumeirah, Fast Company Middle East’s Most Innovative Companies 2024 revealed 49 winning entries across 27 categories, influencing various regional industries.

The categories spanned ad tech and martech, energy, real estate, retail, sustainability, travel and tourism, and workplace, showcasing the transformative power of innovation across every sector.

“There are three core values that a company should have for it to be innovative. The first is a deep desire to improve things, the second is to have a diverse and inclusive workforce, and the third value is an understanding that innovation is perpetual, not a short-term tactic but a long-term strategy. What I’ve seen from the entries this year is a common thread or a strong belief for innovation for good. Innovation alone doesn’t mean anything if it doesn’t have a positive impact,” said Ravi Raman, Publisher of Fast Company Middle East, during his opening remarks. He emphasized MIC’s role in championing these innovative values across industries.

The first category of the night was the Adtech and Martech category. The first honoree was Bureau Béatrice, who was honored for creating sustainable, high-impact brand experiences.

The next honoree in the same category was Hearts & Science, recognized for unlocking data insights to add more value to businesses.

“We are slowly but surely transforming the media and performance industry in the region. It’s our first year winning, and we look forward to more to come,” said Rasha Rteil, Managing Director at Hearts & Science MENA, while accepting the award.

The next category was the Advertising, Branding & PR category. CARMA, Leo Burnett Middle East, MCN MENA, Memac Ogilvy, Publicis Media, Saatchi & Saatchi Middle East, and TBWA\RAAD were honored in this category.

“We’re extremely honored to have participated in MIC, and we’re looking forward to doing even more amazing work and creating impact across the industry and the community,” said Muhammad Ali, Executive Creative Director at Leo Burnett Dubai, in his acceptance speech.

“We believe that innovative people who want to change things and make a difference are why organizations are innovative. Being in the business of creativity, it’s our job to innovate every day. So getting an award like this from a brand like Fast Company is truly an honor for us,” said Tarek Miknas, CEO of FP7 McCann while accepting the award.

“Innovative is a tough thing, and it’s good to be in such good company,” said Mario Morby, CSO MENA at Memac Ogilvy.

Another honoree, Reda Raad, Group CEO of TBWA/RAAD, credited the company’s third win in a row to the power of disruption and people.

The next category was AI & Data Science. ZainTech was the sole winner in this category. “It’s our third year winning, which is a testament to the hard work of Zain Group. I would like to thank our customers and our team. See you next year,” said Andrew Hanna, CEO of ZainTech, while receiving the award.

Under the Architecture category, Dewan Architects + Engineers made it to the list.

Meanwhile, the Augmented and Virtual Reality category recognized L’Oréal Middle East for personalized beauty experiences and Tactical, for transforming brand engagement with immersive technology.

“A huge shoutout to an epic team for all the hard work they put into always pushing boundaries,” said Linda Murphy, CGO at Tactical, while accepting the award.

For the Consumer Goods category, Pure Harvest Smart Farms was honored for transforming agriculture with sustainable farming. It was followed by Switch Foods, which was recognized for tailoring plant-based products to local tastes.

“It’s great to receive this award on behalf of PepsiCo Middle East. I dedicate it to our communities, and it serves as a reminder of our responsibility to the communities we work in,” said Rona Halabi, Head of Communications for the Middle East & Head of Corporate Affairs for the Levant at PepsiCo Middle East, honored under the category Corporate Social Responsibility.

The other honoree in this category included Mashreq.

“This award is representative of our belief in sustainability and innovation,” said Pablo Arribere, Operational Excellence & Innovation – Senior Director at Bee’ah, while accepting the award for the category Design.

Other honorees in this category are Doha’s Msheireb Properties and Sanad Members Club.

Under the Education category was Ibtechar for fostering student growth and creativity.

“It’s an honor to be recognized by Fast Company Middle East. We started ten years ago, and since then we’ve shaped 70% of innovation in this sector. We credit our success to our team, our ecosystem, and our customers, who boosted our impact,” Nayef Al-Ibrahim, Founding Partner & CEO at Ibtechar, said, while accepting the award.

In the Emerging Tech category, AstraTech was honored for empowering growth and financial access. “From everyone at AstraTech, we’d like to thank everyone at Fast Company Middle East for this award. At BOTIM, innovation is our purpose, and we hope to continue in the same,” said Hassan Alnoon, CTO at Astra Tech, while accepting the honor.

The next category was Energy. ADNOC Distribution was recognized for developing wide-ranging AI-powered solutions.

“It’s an honor to be recognized as the leading energy and mobility convenience retailer. It’s reassuring to be on a platform like this for the significant work that is happening in terms of innovation,” said Maaz Qureshi, Vice President—Digital, CX, AI at Adnoc Distribution, while accepting the award.

The night commenced with honoring Enterprise category winners, including Property Finder and ZainTech.

Under the Finance and Fintech category, Beehive, Binance, Foodics and Valu were recognized.

Maristo Hospitality was recognized as the sole honoree in the Food and Dining category.

Recognized under the Healthcare category, M42 created an impact by delivering sustainable healthcare solutions. “I am grateful to our leadership and our team for making this a reality,” Dr. Maaz Shaikh, Vice President—Product Management at M42 Healthcare, said while accepting the award.

The other honoree in this category included myAster.

Chalhoub Group was honored under the Retail category. “Thank you, Fast Company Middle East, for organizing this event. It cannot be underscored enough how important innovation is. It’s fantastic to see that Fast Company Middle East can put together this beautiful evening each year. If you do not go forward, you go backward, so I’d like to say to everyone tonight, keep pushing forward,” said Nick Vinckier, Director of Corporate Innovation at Chalhoub Group, while accepting the award.

Another honoree in this category was GMG. “Thank you so much for recognizing us for the third time in a row,” said Reka Sepsy, Director of Corporate Communications at GMG, in her acceptance speech.

Also in this category, was Infobip honored for transforming retail with a personal touch.

“It’s our pleasure to be among so many innovative companies. As a first-Croatian unicorn, we are proud to help companies in the region to be more innovative,” said Emir Kalem, Head of Customer Success at Infobip.

“As we continue to endeavor to delight our guests and community, we aim to keep the world a happy place in a sustainable way,” said Aloki Batra, CEO of Dubai’s FIVE Hospitality, recognized under the Travel and Tourism Category.

The event concluded on a high note, leaving attendees inspired and motivated to push the boundaries of innovation. As the final applause echoed through the venue, it was clear that the ideas shared and connections forged during MIC 2024 would continue to fuel progress, reminding everyone that the future is shaped by those who dare to think differently.

To see the complete list of winners from the night, click here.

Fast Company Middle East announced the “Brands That Matter” list, which aims to recognize organizations that go beyond traditional branding to resonate deeply with consumers by aligning with their values, aspirations, and needs.