Dubai: The excellence and innovation culture should prevail in our community and individuals, said His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, at the Dubai Government Excellence Programme (DGEP) Awards ceremony on Monday.
Some 76 awards for excellence in government were distributed by Shaikh Mohammad in the 13th edition of the DGEP.
Rapturous applause, whistles and whoops greeted the winners of the prestigious and highly competitive awards, as they climbed the stage before about 400 people to receive their awards from the Ruler of Dubai, Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai., and Shaikh Maktoum Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Deputy Ruler.
The applause often drowned out the amplified voice of the speaker as he announced the names of the winners. In attendance at the Madinat Jumeirah Arena were civil servants, senior government employees and a number of officials from Dubai Police.
Accomplishments
The programme, which was established by Shaikh Mohammad in 1997, honoured government entities and employees in various categories ranging from administrative excellence, service delivery, customer satisfaction and professional excellence.
Shaikh Mohammad congratulated the winners, saying "what they have attained is an accomplishment to their institutions and community, adding that the UAE has resolved to build cultured creative personalities capable of bringing change and contributing to nation building," WAM reported.
Dubai Police won the Distinguished Government Team award for the Love and Revenge team that worked to uncover the murder of Lebanese singer Suzanne Tamim. The award was received by Dubai Police Chief Lieutenant General Dahi Khalfan Tamim.
In an address directed at Shaikh Mohammad, Shaikh Hamdan announced the introduction of two new categories: financial efficiency and group projects. The award for the former went to Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) and Dubai Courts, and the latter to Dewa and the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA).
In his address, Shaikh Hamdan said the programme had significantly contributed in making excellence a distinctive feature of Dubai's government, its people, identity and culture.
"Excellence encompasses effort, benevolence, innovation and achievement. By adopting and applying this approach at every level of service in the public sector, our government entities have become centres of knowledge, professional leadership and schools of advanced administrative thought and practice."
Many of the winners who spoke to Gulf News said they did not expect to win. Some said they were told by their superiors to attend the ceremony wearing their uniforms.
Dr Khalid Mohammad Al Zahid, Director of Marine Projects Department at the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), was one of two winners of the Best Government Employee award.
"This award is a great honour to anyone who has the privilege of receiving it," Al Zahid told Gulf News. "It's not just another piece of paper, it shows the appreciation and confidence your leaders have in you and your individual efforts. I'm extremely happy and I see this as a very big trust put upon me to continue to do my best work for this country and continue to achieve excellence."
He added that it wouldn't have been possible without the support and direction of RTA Chaiman Mattar Al Tayer and the strategy and vision of Shaikh Mohammad. The Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) won Best Employee Satisfaction as they achieved a 77.1 per cent approval rating from their employees, as well as Best Customer Satisfaction where they scored 88.7 per cent from their customers.
"This honour consolidates the status of Dubai Chamber as a world-class organisation as it has proved itself in offering value-added services to its customers and promoting Dubai as an international business hub," Hamad Bu Amim, DCCI Director-General, said in a statement.
Honoured: List of winners
- Distinguished New Employee: Engineer Sarah Ishaq Al Awadi
- Distinguished Female Employee: Jameela Khalifa Al Za'abi
- Distinguished Field Employee: Dr Qotb Abdul Hamid Qotb; Abdullah Khalifa Al Merri
- Distinguished Employee in Specialised Job: Dr Faraj Ali Al Shaikhi
- Distinguished Technical/Engineering Employee: Eng Alia Al Harmoudi
- Distinguished Financial Employee: Amna Ahmad Al Suwaidi
- Distinguished Administrative Employee: Abdullah Abdul Rahman Yousuf; Eng Ramadan Abdullah Mohammad
- Distinguished Government Employee: Yahya Abdullah Al Zafein; Dr Khalid Al Zahed
- Distinguished Joint Project: Dewa, KHDA
- Distinguished Government team: Dubai Police, RTA, Dubai Media Inc
- Distinguished Technical project: Dubai Municipality, Dewa
- Distinguished Government Initiative: Dubai Health Authority
- Distinguished Government entity in financial performance: Dewa, Dubai Courts
- Distinguished E-Govt entity: RTA
- Excellence appreciation: Dubai Statistics Centre
- Distinguished Government Agency: Dubai Chamber of Commerce
- Distinguished Government Authority: Dubai Police Headquarters
- Best in customer satisfaction: Dubai Chamber of Commerce
- Best in employee satisfaction: Dubai Chamber of Commerce
- Commitment to National Identity: Dubai Municipality, Dubai Courts
- Performance Improvement: RTA
Innovators
Ahmad Khalfan Al Mansouri, Dubai Police; Sarah Abdul Aziz Rafee', Dewa; Mohammad Ali Sultan Al Shamsi, Dubai Airports; Ahmad Saeed Al Mansouri, Dubai Media Inc; Kan'an Ahmad Al Midraaji, Mohammad Bin Rashid Establishment; Mohammad Ebrahim Manoj, Dewa; Khan Muhiq Khan, Dubai Airports; Emad Jum'a Mohammad, Dubai Municipality; Mohammad Sa'ad Khalaf, Dept of Islamic Affairs and Charity; Ebtisam Khalifa Al Za'abi, DNRD; Hassan Yaseen, Dubai Customs; Mohammad Ali Bu Abdullah, Public Prosecution; Hussain Mohammad Al Banna, RTA; Eng Noora Ahmad Al Naqbi, Dewa
Unsung heroes
Shaikha Al Suwaidi, Dubai Police; Aamna Lehmeedi, DNRD; Zakiyya Al Suwaidi, Dubai Courts; Nadia Hamed, Dubai Police; Shamsa Hareb, Dubai Statistics; Siham Al Rashidi, Land Department; Zainab Dhakeri, Awqaf and Minors Affairs Establishment; Nabila Abu Laban, Dubai Health Authority; Mohammad Al Beloushi, Dubai Media Inc; Shah Wazeer, Dubai Municipality; Nasser Ramadan, Dubai Customs; Abbas Barakat, Dewa; Mohammad Mubarak, Department of Islamic and Charitable Affairs; Eid Mubarak, DTCM; Arshad Abdul Hamid, Dubai Municipality; Mohammad Hussain, Dewa; Junda Bujari, Dubai Municipality; Hussain Al Fawa'eer, Dubai Municpality; Mohammad Hassan, Ambulance Services Centre; Mohammad Al Mulla, Mohammad Bin Rashid Housing Est; Qayid Al Halqabi, RTA; Mohammad Nassar, Community Development Authority; Mohammad Haider, Civil Defence; Manaf Al Hajj, Dubai Health Authority; Majed Majed, DNRD; Guloom Al Janahi, Dept of Economic Development; Wali Al Bakr, Public Prosecution; Badr Al Kindi, Dubai Civil Aviation; Esmail Kamal, RTA; Moosa Al Beloushi, Dubai Culture; Nasser Noorani, Dubai Police
