Following the approval of the late Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum, then Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the Director General of Dubai Municipality was chosen as the Good Will Ambassador of the UNCHS in recognition of the distinguished role he has been playing over the past 15 years in establishing a pioneer model of urban development in Dubai. This model got international acclaim and many international organizations have recognized it.

The Director General had been awarded a medal of the United Nations Center for Human Settlements. He was instrumental in organizing the second Habitat Conference in 1995. The conference paved the way for the Dubai Declaration, according to which the Dubai International Award for Best Practices to Improve the Living Environment was instituted. The award since has got international acclaim thanks to its noble objectives and outstanding value.