Sheikh Hamdan Honors SWS Board Technology With Dubai-it Award

Dubai crown prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum announced the Dubai-it Award for SWS Board Technology in October 2026, honoring a manufacturer that now produces half of the world’s kiteboards and wakeboards, and a third of all snowboards globally, from a desert base.

An economic and geographic paradox in the United Arab Emirates has scaled to the top of winter and water sports worldwide.

The recognition arrived in October 2026 under the Dubai-it Award program in the economic projects category. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, and Chairman of the Executive Council of Dubai, highlighted the manufacturer’s unusual trajectory from a desert environment to the Winter Olympics and international water sports championships, Emaratalyoum reported.

From what was once a desert city, one of the world’s largest snowboard manufacturing projects has emerged… SWS Board Technology receives the Dubai-it award in the economic projects category.

Executive Office Chairman Mohammad Abdullah Al Gergawi noted that the project proves ambition can bypass traditional geography. He stated that the enterprise entered a sector where the region historically lacked presence, earning the trust of international brands through rigorous quality standards, reported 24.ae.

Engineering Composite Materials and Solar-Powered Production in Jafza

Rene Nohra combined a personal passion for board sports with expertise in engineering and composite materials, building an integrated chain that spans research, design, production, and quality control, 24.ae reported.

Operations in Jebel Ali also draw on renewable energy. The manufacturer installed a solar power system utilizing photovoltaic panels with a peak capacity of 0.55 megawatts, an initiative initially detailed by TotalEnergies in March 2021 to cut conventional electricity consumption and lower carbon emissions.

Dubai Production Scale Drives Board Recycling Programs

The scale of production places Dubai at the center of international board sports supply chains.

Programs developed by the firm allow for recycling up to 95% of board materials to manufacture new units, reducing industrial waste and material loss.

In a separate category under the same government initiative, the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority secured the Dubai-it Award for institutional government operations. Sheikh Hamdan praised the agency for driving service acceleration, streamlining administrative measures, and elevating user satisfaction across public transit networks, noting that the transport authority achieved continuous network expansions, autonomous transport pilots, and rapid bicycle path developments.