This category targets government agencies, international organizations, and public institutions that have launched communication campaigns aimed at youth.

The category underscores youngsters’ role in the government and institutional communication system, as active partners societal development. It highlights experiences where communication has motivated them, enhance their awareness, encouraging involvement, and provide the tools and opportunities that help transforming ideas and aspirations into tangible and sustainable effects.

Experiences and initiatives

Alya Al Suwaidi, Director of the Sharjah Government Media Bureau, highlighted the qualitative communication initiatives and programs adopted by many government entities in the UAE and other nations around the globe, embodying the goals of this group, contributing to building youth awareness, enhancing engagement, and supporting their ambitions in the fields of innovation, entrepreneurship, and community work.

She noted that the award lets organizations share their inspiring stories worldwide, fostering knowledge exchange and helping institutions learn from successful models. Highlighting experiences is essential for community growth and creating sustainable solutions for future generations.

Al Suwaidi also stressed that effective communication with the youth should bring real changes in awareness and behavior. This encourages them to become active partners in making their own impact.

Youth and rising generations

The “Best Communication Targeting Youth” category includes two sub-awards.

The first, “Best Campaigns Positively Impacting Youth Awareness and Practices,” recognises campaigns that have achieved measurable improvements in young people’s awareness and encouraged greater community participation. These initiatives leverage innovative communication strategies and modern technologies to address social and developmental issues across areas such as health, culture, the environment, community values, volunteerism, innovation, and social responsibility.

The second, “Best Communication Programme Supporting Emerging Projects and Youth Category,” honours programmes that have used communication effectively to foster an entrepreneurial mindset. These initiatives help young people access knowledge, training and funding opportunities, build professional networks, and gain awareness of available resources, ultimately contributing to the growth of startups and transforming promising ideas into impactful, value-creating ventures.

Evaluation criteria

Entries will be assessed against a set of criteria, including the quality of strategy and planning, execution excellence, innovation, and engagement with young audiences, along with the results achieved, the ability to measure impact, and the sustainability of outcomes, ensuring that initiatives that have succeeded in moving beyond traditional communication towards building a real, long-term impact are recognised.

The award organisers have encouraged entities to document their experiences and results and submit their applications before the deadline, 31 August 2026, in order to benefit from the award platform in highlighting their communication practices, expanding their impact, and contributing to enriching global knowledge in the field of youth-oriented communication.

Those interested can find full details on the award’s website: https://gca.sgmb.ae.

In its current edition, the Sharjah Government Communication Award features 23 categories across five main sectors: awards for government entities, international organisations, and the private sector; individual awards; creative competition awards in smart communication; jury awards; and partner awards.