Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Salem Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, attended the awards ceremony for the Sharjah Economic Excellence Network Award 2018, which was organized on Wednesday night at Expo Centre Sharjah.

His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Salem Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, who was accompanied by HE Abdallah Sultan Al Owais, Chairman of the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, honoured the economic institutions and entrepreneurs who won awards that belonged to the seven Award categories, in addition to the partners, sponsors, assessors and the award’s team.

The category of “Sharjah Gulf Top 10 Businesses Award” was awarded to SABIC petrochemical manufacturing company and Tania Water from Saudi Arabia, Oman Air and Muscat Bank from Oman, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company for Distribution ADNOC and Emaar Properties from the UAE, and the National Bank of Kuwait and the Viva Mobile Communication Company from Kuwait.

The category of “Sharjah UAE Startups Award” was awarded to Queue Café and FujTown.

The category of “Sharjah Entrepreneurs Award” was awarded to Dr. Faisal Ali Mousa and Dr. Obaid Al Marashdeh. Meanwhile, the “Sharjah Green Award” was awarded to the Sharjah International Airport Authority, while the category of “Sharjah CSR Award” was awarded to the University of Sharjah and the Sharjah City Municipality.

The Award’s sponsors and partners included strategic partners such as the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority, the Sharjah International Commercial Arbitration Centre, the Sharjah for Capability Development, the Sharjah Exports Development Center, the Hamriyah Free Zone Authority, and the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM), in addition to Dar Al Khaleej as the Exclusive Media Partner, and the Sharjah Govt Media Bureau as a Media Partner. Other sponsors and partners include Entrepreneur Middle East as the Ecosystem Partner, Grant Thornton as a Supporting Sponsor, and Nespresso as the Exclusive Coffee Partner.

The event began with the National Anthem of the UAE and a recitation from the Holy Quran. The ceremony was attended by Sheikh Faisal bin Saud Al Qassimi, Director of Sharjah Airport Authority; HE Abdullah bin Ahmed Al Saleh, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Economy for Foreign Trade Affairs; HE Sultan Abdullah Bin Hadda Al Suwaidi, Chairman of the Sharjah Economic Development Department; HE Waleed Abdul Rahman Bukhatir, Second Vice Chairman of the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI); and members of the Board of Directors of the SCCI, as well as HE Abdullah Deaifis, Chairman of the TAHKEEM Executive Committee; HE Humaid Mohammed bin Salem, Secretary-General of the Federation of UAE Chambers of Commerce and Industry; HE Mohamed Ahmed Amin, Acting Director-General of the SCCI; HE Saif Al Midfa, CEO of Expo Centre Sharjah; and members of the Board of Trustees of the Award. The ceremony was also attended by Nada Al Hajri, General Coordinator of the Award; as well as various heads and directors of government bodies and institutions, along with a number of economic figures and businessmen. The ceremony also included the presence of partners of the award and sponsors of the ceremony, in addition to representatives of private companies and the media.

HE Abdallah Sultan Al Owais, Chairman of the SCCI, extended his deepest gratitude to His Excellency Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, for his wise vision and directives that guides the chamber to establish a culture of excellence and innovation in the business community of the emirate of Sharjah, and to expand and promote this culture both locally and in the neighboring GCC countries, under the supervision of Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah.

Al Owais remarked that during the past 3 years, the chamber has aimed to enhance the Sharjah Economic Excellence Network Award by developing its standards in order to conform to the best practices that are accredited by the European Foundation of Quality Management (EFQM). He stated that the chamber has also sought to evolve many of the Award’s categories in accordance to the economic reality of the country and the region, with the aim of continuously improving and developing it.

HE Al Owais pointed out that the chamber is keen to enhance the status and reputation of the award, in order to conform to the vision of the wise leadership and increase the award’s contribution in fostering a culture of organizational excellence. He emphasized the chamber’s keenness to continue increasing the number of Emirati evaluators. He stated that in 2018, the chamber organized 4 training courses that were attended by more than 40 trainees from various government institutions in the Emirate of Sharjah. He added that the courses were organized by the chamber as part of its role as an accredited regional centre for the training programs of the European Foundation of Quality Management (EFQM), in order to promote the awareness and training of enterprises and individuals on the standards of organizational excellence, which in turn enhances organizational productivity in the private sectors of the UAE and the GCC region.