Abu Dhabi: The Abu Dhabi Awards celebrate compassionate individuals who have selflessly volunteered their time to build and support the community of Abu Dhabi.
They are a result of the commitment of President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan to preserve the legacy of Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan.
Anyone can nominate, as long as the person they are putting forward has or is contributing towards the betterment of the people and/or the Emirate of Abu Dhabi (including Al Ain and the Western Region).
All nominations are reviewed individually and reported on by a review committee. The work of the review committee is then reviewed by a judging committee made up of senior government officials who change on a yearly basis. They are chosen by General Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.
Recipients of the award are chosen based on the merit of their actions, not on the number of nominations they receive. Just one nomination is enough to receive an award. Winners are usually announced during a ceremony in December that is attended by recipients, their families and friends, and government and business leaders from across the UAE. Shaikh Mohammad presents each recipient with their award.
Since the inception of the Abu Dhabi Awards campaign in 2005, over 140,000 nominations have been received from the public. In 2005, the inaugural year of the awards, more than 8,000 nominations were received.
