SGCA honours sixth edition’s winners

SHARJAH: Sheikh Abdullah Bin Salem Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, honoured winners of sixth edition of the Sharjah Government Communication Award (SGCA 2019), during a ceremony held on Wednesday at Al Majaz Amphitheatre.

The award ceremony was organised by the International Government Communication Centre (IGCC), a subsidiary of Sharjah Government Media Bureau (SGMB), in conjunction with the International Government Communication Forum (IGCF), which is held under the theme ‘Behavioural Change Towards Human Development.’

Sheikh Sultan Bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Sharjah Media Council (SMC), stressed that the Sharjah Government Communication Award (SGCA), which was launched six years ago in line with the vision of His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, has been keen to align its effort with that of Sharjah towards inclusive development.  He commended the high quality of entries that SGCA’s sixth edition attracted, and said it reflects the high level of creativity and expertise possessed by government communication teams in the UAE and the Gulf region.

Sheikh Sultan Bin Ahmed said: “SGCA’s sixth edition has seen the active participation of leading government entities from the UAE and the Gulf region. We need to enhance creativity in our communities to keep with the rapid changes in communication and technology, given that communication is no longer just a two-way exchange; it is a multilateral dialogue that engages numerous parties, bringing issues of common interest together on one platform.”

“The youth are the driving force for creative communication, given that engaging with social media platforms is an integral part of their lives, particularly millennials, who are driven by the desire to become agents of positive change. We have to actively reach out to them through online networks of communication they use to express themselves and share ideas, values and opinions,” he added.

For her part, Muna Abu Sulayman, SGCA jury member, pointed out that since its launch, the award has been successful in establishing professional standards for government communication practices, asserting that in doing so, SGCA has offered role models to the UAE and the region.

Among the winners of sixth edition were Directorate of Town Planning and Survey (DTPS) in Sharjah for best practices in government communication.

Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) won in best government website category.

UAE’s Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) was honoured for best practices in social responsibility .

Award for best media crisis management – UAE went to Abu Dhabi Police (ADP), which won against UAE’s Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHP), who were in the running for this category.

The Sharjah FDI Office (Invest in Sharjah) won the ‘Best Government Communication Campaign outside UAE award.

Sharjah Municipality (SM) got the award for best behaviour change campaign or initiative – UAE. Dubai Municipality (DM) and Friends of Cancer Patients (FOCP) were also in the contention.

Award for best government application – Gulf went to the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation in the UAE.

Best Youth Initiative in Government Communication – Gulf award was bagged by Abdulaziz Khaled Al Kassim from the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Abdulaziz Khaled won this category for the ‘Initiative to Instil Value of Happiness at Work.’

The b4bhcom – Kingdom of Bahrain won award for best media initiative in government communication – Gulf.

Award for best government intercommunication practice – Gulf  went to Sharjah.

Best government communication strategy – Gulf award was given to Zayed Housing Programme (SZHP) which won this category.

Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, UAE’s Cabinet Member and Minister of Tolerance, won award for best influential personality on enhancing the value of tolerance. He was honoured in recognition of his relentless efforts aimed at turning the UAE into a global capital of tolerance and human fraternity.