UAE: 46 ministries, influencers shortlisted for government communication award

Sharjah - The award received 403 submissions for its eighth edition.

Forty-six UAE ministries, media houses and influencers are vying for the Sharjah Government Communication Award’s (SGCA) 14 categories.

Winners will be announced at the closing ceremony of the 10th International Government Communication Forum (IGCF), which will be held on September 26 and 27 at Expo Centre Sharjah.

The International Government Communication Centre (IGCC), a subsidiary of the Sharjah Government Media Bureau (SGMB), has unveiled the finalists.

In the ‘Best Government Communication through New Media’ category dedicated to the Arab world, the shortlist includes the UAE’s Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Health and Prevention and the Dubai Police.

The Sharjah Police, the Ajman Police and The Big Heart Foundation were shortlisted for the ‘Best Crisis Response’ category.

For the ‘Best Practices in Government Communication’ category, the finalists are the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Finance, and the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship.

Dherar Belhoul Al Falasi, Shoroq Al Bloshi, Mohammed Al Kaabi, Raghda Al Saeed and Bader Al Issa made the shortlist for the ‘Best Social Media Influencer–Arab World’ category.

The ‘Best Photo/Video in Government Communication – Global’ category included Omran Abdulrahman Al Ansari, Abdulrahman Mohsen Majrashi and Mohammed Ali Al Mannai.

The Arab Youth Centre, Future Foresight Foundation, and the Zayed Higher Organisation for People of Determination are vying for the ‘Best Idea for Engaging Future Generations in the Arab World’.

The nominees for the ‘Best Youth Initiative in Government Communication’ category, included the Inclusive Community Engagement App / Fareejona; ‘Richter Talk’, an inspirational, entrepreneurial show that sheds light on successful businesses around the Arab Region; ‘Kammel Maaroufak’ public awareness campaign; and the Kair Jalees book initiative.

The Sharjah Municipality, Department of Town Planning and Survey, and the Sharjah Police were shortlisted for the ‘Best Public Communication Initiative’ category.

While the Dubai Police, the Sharjah Police, the Abu Dhabi Police, the Abu Dhabi Civil Defence Authority, and the Ministry of Health and Prevention were shortlisted for the ‘Best Practices for Dealing with the Coronavirus Crisis’, the UAE Public Prosecution and Abu Dhabi Police were in the ‘Best Practices for Dealing with Fake News’ category.

The shortlisted entries for the ‘Best System Supporting Government Communication – UAE’ category include the Abu Dhabi Municipality, Sharjah Documentation and Archives Authority, and the Human Resources Department of Ras Al Khaimah Government.

Alia Shehab Al Sumaiti, corporate communications professional, Public Prosecution, Dubai Government; Rashid Al Falahi, chief storytelling officer, Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR); and Major Rashed Matar Saif Al Jabri, director of the Government Communication Department, Dubai Police General Headquarters, were selected for the ‘Ideal Employee for Government Communication’ category.

The selected entries in the ‘Best Community Impact Initiative – United Arab Emirates’ category included the ‘World’s Coolest Winter’ campaign by the UAE Government Media Office; the UAE Covid-19 Vaccination Campaign by the National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority (NCEMA); the Child Digital Safety Initiative by the Ministry of Interior; the Arab Reading Challenge by the UAE Government Media Office; and the ’Don’t Worry’ campaign launched by the UAE’s National Programme for Happiness and Wellbeing (NPHW).

“This edition of SGCA speaks volumes of its progress—not just in the quality of submissions received but also in the growing importance of the role that the government communication teams play in serving communities by effectively responding to unprecedented crisis situations like Covid-19.”

The award received 403 submissions for the eighth edition. Jurors shortlisted 212 nominees in the 14 categories of the award, including 38 entries from Sharjah, 145 from other emirates, and a total of 29 entries from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, Lebanon, Sudan, Pakistan, Kuwait, Syria, Jordan, Morocco and other countries across the Gulf region.

• UAE