Dubai civility initiative demands new design thinking from developers

Keturah founder says citywide focus on behaviour, design and daily experience raises the bar across real estate sector

Dubai, UAE, 25^th June 2026: Luxury developer Keturah says Dubai’s new civility initiatives will reinforce the emirate’s position as a global leader in how a city can improve everyday life for residents.

The Dubai Civility Committee has confirmed plans to introduce a Civility Guidebook and new guidelines for celebrating different occasions, as part of a wider drive to improve public behaviour, the city’s appearance and its overall standard of civility.

The programme also includes work on an integrated city lighting plan and a wider review of the city experience to set standards and systems required to design the world’s most civilised urban experience.

Talal M. Al Gaddah, CEO and Founder of the Keturah luxury brand, says the initiative reflects a more practical way of thinking about cities, where roads, public spaces and homes all work together.

“Dubai is now defining not only how a city should function, but how it should feel,” said Al Gaddah. “That means developers have to think differently about the spaces they create, and ensure their communities reflect the same principles being applied across the city.

“The way communities and homes are designed plays a big part in civility. How spaces are lit, the way communities flow, how people move through shared environments, and the balance of comfort and privacy all shape behaviour and interaction.”

Keturah has two luxury residential communities under development in Dubai designed around principles that support how people actually live and interact.

The Ritz-Carlton Residences at Keturah Resort, on the shores of Dubai Creek adjacent to the Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary, combines branded residences, hospitality and a dedicated wellness centre, creating spaces where residents naturally encounter and engage with each other.

Keturah Reserve, the AED5.7 billion bio-living community in Mohammed Bin Rashid City’s District 7, is designed at scale to support quality of life through thoughtful planning, from air quality to how spaces flow and connect, all of which shape daily behaviour and interaction.

The Dubai Civility announcement earlier this week follows the new Public Safety laws which came into effect on June 1, to improve safety standards across public spaces, buildings, events, and facilities.

Al Gaddah says such frameworks strengthen the link between how cities are governed and how they are designed, and reinforce the importance of aligning private development with Dubai’s long-term direction on safety, quality and liveability.