Dubai: FIX Dessert, the home-grown brand behind the viral Dubai Chocolate phenomenon, has won the Dubai-it Award in the business projects category, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, announced on Saturday.
The Crown Prince of Dubai praised founders Sarah Hamouda and Yezen Alani for turning a home-based business into an international success, helping create a chocolate trend that has spread across global markets.
Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app now - simply click here.
In a post on X on October 24, Sheikh Hamdan highlighted the extraordinary growth of Dubai-style chocolate, with sales surging 1,234 per cent in a single year.
We announce that the Dubai-it Award for Projects in the Business Category goes to FIX Dessert, which introduced ‘Dubai Chocolate’ to the world. Sarah Hamouda and Yezen Alani transformed a home-based business in Dubai into a global success. Sales of Dubai-style chocolate surged by… pic.twitter.com/yKWxEVAAN2
— Hamdan bin Mohammed (@HamdanMohammed) October 24, 2026
Products inspired by the trend are now sold in markets around the world and at more than 100 airports, illustrating how a confectionery brand born in Dubai has helped reshape an international product category.
“We announce that the Dubai-it Award for Projects in the Business Category goes to FIX Dessert, which introduced ‘Dubai Chocolate’ to the world,” Sheikh Hamdan wrote.
He credited Hamouda and Alani with transforming a small venture into a business with worldwide recognition.
“This is the spirit of Dubai-it: transforming a simple home-based business into a global success. Congratulations to the FIX Dessert team,” he added.
From a home kitchen to a global chocolate phenomenon
FIX Dessert became internationally recognised for its chocolate bars filled with pistachio cream and crispy knafeh, combining familiar Middle Eastern flavours in a product that gained enormous attention on social media.
The business, founded by Hamouda and Alani, began in a Dubai home kitchen before growing into a widely recognised brand.
Its signature chocolate bar, Can't Get Knafeh of It, helped inspire an international wave of similar products, with retailers and confectionery manufacturers introducing their own versions of Dubai-style chocolate.
FIX has since expanded its presence beyond Dubai, including at Singapore's Changi Airport and Harrods in London.
The Dubai-it Award was launched in June 2026 under Sheikh Hamdan's directives to recognise individuals, businesses, institutions and projects that turn ambitious ideas into measurable achievements through speed, excellence and innovation.
The award is part of the wider Dubai-it initiative introduced by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to promote the emirate's approach to delivering exceptional results.
The initiative aims to encourage businesses and institutions to move beyond conventional practices, translating bold ideas into tangible achievements with wider economic and social impact.