Sharjah Govt Media Bureau Honours Winners of Sharjah Government Communication Award

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Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah and Chairman of the Sharjah Executive Council, and in the presence of Sheikh Mohammed bin Saud Al Qasimi, Chairman of Sharjah Central Department of Finance and Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Sharjah Media Council, the Sharjah Government Media Bureau yesterday (Wednesday, March 28) hosted a special awarding ceremony to honour government institutions and individuals that won in the fifth edition of the Sharjah Government Communication Award (GCA) at Al Majaz Amphitheatre in Sharjah.

Senior officials who attended the ceremony included HE Ahmed bin Rakkad Al Ameri, Chairman of Sharjah Book Authority; HE Dr Abdullah Mohammed Al Raissi, Director General of the National Archives at the Ministry of Presidential Affairs; HE Mohammed Hassan Khalaf, Director General of Sharjah Media Corporation; HE Hassan Jumaa Al Mansouri, Under-Secretary at the Ministry of Infrastructure Development; HE Tariq Saeed Allay, Director of the Sharjah Government Media Bureau; Reem BinKaram, Director of NAMA Women Advancement Establishment; Asma Al Juwaied, Manager of the Sharjah Press Club; and senior officials and undersecretaries from the UAE and the GCC, along with leading dignitaries, media personalities, and guests of the International Government Communication Forum (IGCF 2018).

 

Speaking on the occasion, Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Chairman of Sharjah Media Council, said: “During the past five years, the Sharjah Government Communication Award, the first of its kind in the Arab world that was launched in 2012 under the guidance of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohamed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah - has successfully documented many outstanding practices and experiences in the field of government communications, inspiring and driving competitiveness among our professionals. This reflects the development in work ethics and systems as well as further enhances our skills and approaches.”

 

He underscored the continuing commitment of the Sharjah Government Media Bureau to further improve the culture of government communication in the region by supporting programmes and initiatives that advance the profession’s knowledge and skills and make a significant contribution to the UAE’s Government Communication Strategy.

 

Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi congratulated all the winners, highlighting that everyone won through the pursuit of excellence and development, and the belief in the importance of effective communication mechanisms.

 

The Chairman of Sharjah Media Council emphasised that the Award is constantly working to develop various categories and mechanisms, and has been conducting studies to ensure continuous improvement. The current edition has witnessed major changes in terms of innovation and the quality of contributions, making an important addition to the award, he added.

 

HE Madhi Al-Khamis, Secretary General of the Arab Media Forum and member of the Award’s judging panel, stressed that the Sharjah Government Communication Award has, year after year, demonstrated the UAE leadership’s commitment to highlighting the best methods in communication with members of society and showcasing best practices in the government communications in the UAE and the Gulf as well as new developments in the sector.

 

Al-Khamis noted that the Award has been inspiring the staff of government communications departments in various institutions and agencies to push for advancement and constantly develop their skills.

 

He pointed out that this year, the Sharjah Award has registered an increase of 40 per cent, having received 239 submissions from within the UAE and from across the Gulf Cooperation Council countries. It has also had a significant increase in the number of categories, which has now reached 17, comprising 13 selected categories and four candidate categories.

 

Al-Khamis explained that the “Best Media Crisis Management” category has been removed from the roster as entries failed to comply with the specified terms and conditions.

 

Sheikh Mohammed Bin Saud Al Qasimi, Chairman of Sharjah Central Department of Finance; Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Sharjah Media Council; HE Tariq Saeed Allay, Director of the Sharjah Government Media Bureau and Asma Al Juwaied, Manager of the Sharjah Press Club honoured the following winners of the 5^th edition of the Sharjah Government Communication Award:

 

The Sharjah Book Authority won the Best Practices in Government Communication; the Directorate of Town Planning and Survey bagged the Best Government Website; and the Friends of Cancer Patients won the Best Practices in Social Responsibility - UAE. HE Marwan Jassim Al Sarkal, CEO of Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) received the Best Official Spokesperson while the Federal Transport Authority – Land and Maritime won the Best Government Communication Campaign outside UAE. The Department of Economic Development Ajman won the award of the Best Government Application - GCC. Faisal Al Naqbi and Ahmed Al Wali won the Best Youth Initiative for their joint graduation research, while Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) received the Best Media Initiative in Government Communication GCC.

 

The Sheikh Zayed Housing Programme was honoured for Best Government Intercommunication Practice, UAE. The Abu Dhabi Police GHQ took the award of the Best Government Communication Strategy, UAE, while the Ministry of Health and Prevention won the award of the Best Government Communication Campaign, UAE and GCC. The Directorate of Public Works in Sharjah received the award for Best Government Social Media Engagement, UAE and GCC.

 

For the selected categories, the National Archives at the Ministry of Presidential Affairs won the Best Communication Plan Award for Year of Zayed – UAE in recognition of the national initiative themed “Hundred”, which promotes the values celebrated by the Year of Zayed, highlighting the achievements of the late Sheikh Zayed, and identifying the most important events in his life and time.

 

Ali Al-Olayani earned the Best Media Personality – Arab World for his outstanding contributions in spreading national, cultural and social messages.

 

The Sharjah Media Corporation was awarded the Leadership in Media covering the Arab region for its contribution to enriching the media landscape in the UAE and the region by providing outstanding media coverage.

 

Finally, Munther Al-Muzaki was named the Influential Social Media Personality in Service of Public Interest, for his distinctive contributions and many social and humanitarian initiatives that he shares with his followers through social media platforms.

 

The Sharjah Government Communication Award promotes best practices in the government communications sector at the national and regional level and supports landmark achievements and innovations in this vital sector.