Sharjah Police, TBHF among winners of Govt Communication Awards

Sharjah - Winners in 16 categories honoured at a special ceremony held on the concluding day of the International Government Communication Forum

Sharjah Police’s Remote e-Visit Service was chosen as the Best Public Communication Initiative at the 8th edition of the Sharjah Government Communication Award (SGCA) on Monday.

The award was in recognition of its role in enhancing family cohesion between prison inmates and their families and thus contributing to their emotional stability.

The Big Heart Foundation (TBHF) was honoured as the winner in the Best Crisis Response category for their ‘Salam Beirut’ initiative, an emergency aid and relief campaign that was announced shortly after the tragic explosion that shook the Lebanese capital of Beirut. Working with a network of regional and international partners, TBHF demonstrated its capability to identify the challenges and lifesaving needs in a crisis and deploy effective emergency relief measures to offer support for those impacted by the tragedy.

Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah and Chairman of the Sharjah Media Council (SMC), honoured winners of the SGCA during a special ceremony held on the concluding day of the 10th International Government Communication Forum (IGCF) at Expo Centre Sharjah.

The jury of the award, organised by the International Government Communication Centre (IGCC), a subsidiary of the Sharjah Government Media Bureau (SGMB), previously shortlisted 46 finalists to be recognised across SGCA’s 16 categories.

Speaking at the awards ceremony, Tariq Saeed Allay, Director-General of SGMB, said: "Over the course of the two-day forum, whenever we took note of a unique idea, we asked ourselves how this would impact the performance of institutions and government bodies in their discourse with the public. Through this, we can see the complementary relationship between IGCF and SGCA."

He stressed that the award is much more than a celebration of winners and is "a celebration of Sharjah's unique and comprehensive journey built on a distinguished relationship between the government and the community, and between institutions and the public”.

"The award is also a celebration of partnerships between government communication departments and concerned entities, which help foster effective and successful communication,” he added.

Mohammed Jalal Al Rayssi, Director-General of Emirates News Agency (WAM) and Head of the SGCA jury committee, thanked His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, for his continued support and vision to expand the knowledge and talents of individuals.

He said: "The Award received 403 submissions for the eighth edition. The jurors shortlisted 212 nominees, including 183 from the UAE and 29 from various countries. A total of 46 finalists eventually competed in the award’s 16 categories, 12 of which are nominated, three selected by SGCA jurors, and one through online public voting."

At the awards ceremony, the jury committee honoured the UAE Government media briefing team and Dr Farida Al Hosani, Official Spokesperson of the UAE health sector, for their tremendous efforts in responding to public needs during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Other winners are: The Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship for its Population Register and Identity Card programme (Best Practices in Government Communication).

The Human Resources Department of Ras Al Khaimah Government for its role in developing an inclusive government communication ecosystem based upon human resources and modern technology (Best System Supporting Government Communication – UAE).

Lieutenant-Colonel Rashid Al Jabri, Director of Government Communications Department at Dubai Police (Ideal Employee for Government Communication)

UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention for its agility and ability to communicate with the public through a range of communication channels and platforms (Best Government Communication through New Media – Arab World)

Emirati influencer Mohammed Al Kaabi (Best Social Media Influencer – Arab World). Raghda Al Saeed from Egypt and Bader Al Issa from Kuwait won the second and third places respectively.

The Zayed Higher Organisation for People of Determination for its campaign themed, ‘Be the Change’ (Best Idea for Engaging Future Generations in the Arab World)

As the first-of-its-kind award in the Arab region, the SGCA sheds light on the achievements of individuals and entities in the government communication sector. It fosters best professional government communication practices in the UAE, the region and around the world.