Nominations begin for Abu Dhabi Awards

Nominations open on Sunday for the highest civilian honour in the UAE, for anyone who has done a good deed in the community.

Abu Dhabi// Do you know a resident or citizen who has achieved something that has made Abu Dhabi a better place?

If so, the organisers of the Abu Dhabi Awards want to hear from you. Nominations open today for the highest civilian honour bestowed in the emirate.

“The Abu Dhabi Awards honours people who have done good deeds for the emirate,” said Sara Al Mansoori, of the awards organising committee.

“Our mission is to recognise those people, because you want to set an example for others to follow.

“It doesn’t necessarily have to be something big that you do, it could be small, but the benefits are big for the community and change the lives of people.”

The awards were established in 2005 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.

They were held annually until 2009, after which they took place every two years.

So far, 63 recipients have been recognised. Nominations can be made by mail, or at a kiosk at one of 100 nomination centres until June 27. Teams in branded vehicles will also be deployed across the emirate to seek nominations.

Anyone can name an individual, anyone can be considered and every nomination matters, said Ms Al Mansoori. As winners are not decided through a voting system, all it takes is one nomination to be in with a chance, she said.

“It’s about the deeds of the person,” said Ms Al Mansoori. “What did this person do, what was the impact on the community, what have they done to the emirate, how have they benefited lives?”

Upon conclusion of the nomination period, entries are evaluated by the awards committee, which is made up of dignitaries, officials and industry leaders.

A shortlist is then drawn up, before it is presented to Sheikh Mohammed for final approval of the winners.

In 2013, more than 117 nationalities were represented in 29,500 nominations for 14,700 different individuals – 56 per cent of whom were from the Middle East – and spread across the emirate, including Al Ain and the Western Region.

“The Abu Dhabi Awards initiative is extremely valuable in engaging the public and recognising those people in Abu Dhabi who contribute selflessly to improving the lives of others,” said Mohamed ­Ebraheem Al Mahmood, Chairman and Managing Director of Abu Dhabi Media.

The awards ceremony will take place in December. Past winners include Dr Falih Handhal, an Iraqi historian and author, Dr Margit Muller, the German director of the Falcon Hospital, Abu Dhabi, and Dominik Vugrinec, a Croatian teenager, who led a campaign to screen students for scoliosis. They were present at a press conference at Mushrif Central Park announcing details of this year’s event.

Dr Handhal won the award in 2013 for publishing a dictionary of Emirati dialect of Arabic.

“I appreciated the award, because most of the old language is gone,” he said. “It’s the last part of the desert language.”

“Most of the new generation, they do not know these terms, the idioms, the sentences. It makes me proud of myself, and at the same time, I am proud of the country I emigrated to. This is to appreciate the culture and development of knowledge in the country.”