UAE’s Top Employers Honoured at Employee Happiness Awards 2025 — Culture Over Perks, Say Winners

The message was clear at the 2025 Employee Happiness Awards: the best employers in the UAE aren’t winning hearts with ping-pong tables and free lunches. They’re building something far more valuable—authentic workplace cultures that empower employees and foster genuine belonging.

In a striking revelation, 75% of this year’s award winners attributed their success to prioritizing meaningful culture over superficial perks. Companies like Deloitte, Etihad Airways, DHL, Bacardi, and Emirates Islamic demonstrated that when it comes to employee satisfaction, substance trumps style every time.

Beyond the Gimmicks

The 2025 awards highlighted a fundamental shift in how UAE’s leading employers approach workplace happiness. Rather than focusing on flashy benefits that grab headlines, these organizations have invested in the foundations that matter: intentional leadership, inclusive environments, and cultures that value long-term employee development.

“It’s not about the free snacks or the fancy office amenities,” explained one award-winning executive. “It’s about creating an environment where people feel genuinely valued, heard, and empowered to grow. When you get that right, everything else follows naturally.”

This philosophy resonates throughout the winning organizations, where employee empowerment takes precedence over entertainment, and meaningful leadership development outweighs superficial benefits that lose their novelty after a few months.

The Real Drivers of Employee Happiness

The awards recognized companies excelling across multiple dimensions of workplace excellence: employee well-being, leadership effectiveness, diversity and inclusion, and sustainable culture building. What emerged was a clear pattern among winners—they understand that true employee happiness stems from feeling part of something bigger than themselves.

These organizations have mastered the art of building loyalty through purpose rather than perks. Their employees don’t just show up for work; they engage because they believe in the mission, trust their leaders, and see genuine opportunities for personal and professional growth.

The emphasis on diversity and inclusion among winners particularly stood out, demonstrating that the most successful companies in the UAE recognize that varied perspectives and inclusive environments aren’t just moral imperatives—they’re business advantages that drive innovation and success.

A Model for Regional Expansion

The success of the UAE’s Employee Happiness Awards reflects the country’s evolution into a global hub for progressive workplace practices. The strong participation and quality of entries signal a mature market that values employee-centric approaches to business success.

As the awards prepare for expansion into new regional markets, the UAE edition serves as a compelling case study. The winning companies have proven that prioritizing authentic culture and meaningful leadership creates sustainable competitive advantages that extend far beyond employee satisfaction scores.

The 2025 winners represent more than just excellent employers—they’re blueprints for how organizations can build thriving workplaces in an increasingly competitive talent market. Their success stories demonstrate that when companies invest in genuine culture over quick fixes, they create environments where both employees and businesses flourish.

For organizations looking to follow in their footsteps, the message is clear: skip the gimmicks and focus on the fundamentals. Build cultures that empower, leaders who inspire, and environments where people can do their best work. The rest will follow naturally.

The Employee Happiness Awards 2025 didn’t just recognize great employers—it showcased a new standard for what workplace excellence looks like in the modern era. And in the UAE, that standard is being set by companies that understand culture isn’t just part of the strategy—it is the strategy.