The Sharjah Excellence Award Board of Trustees, in an event organized by Sharjah Chamber, reviewed the Award's work plan’s development in its 2020-2021 cycle and discussed amendments that have been made recently to keep pace with ramifications of the spread of the Corona virus.

This came during the second periodic meeting of the Award’s Board of Trustees, held virtually and chaired by HE Abdullah Al Owais, Chairman, Sharjah Chamber, and Chairman of the Sharjah Excellence Award Board of Trustees, in the presence of the members of the Award’s Board HE Khalid Al Midfa, Chairman, Sharjah Commerce & Tourism Development Authority, HE Walid  Bukhatir, Second Vice Chairman, Sharjah Chamber, HE Mohammed Al Shehhi, Board member, HE Mohammed Ahmed Amin Al Awadi, Director General, Sharjah Chamber, Dr. Saleh Al Haj, Vice Chancellor for Community Affairs at the University of Sharjah , Mr. Lalo Samuel, Representative Committee Group Chairman for the industrial sector, Sharjah Chamber, and Ms. Nada Al-Hajri, General Coordinator, Sharjah Excellence Award.

The meeting discussed a number of topics as it was agreed to withhold the Sharjah Gulf Excellence Award for this year due to travel restrictions. The Board also reviewed the promotional process of the Award for including holding a number of introductory seminars, and making field visits and in-person meetings to promote the Award’s different categories, in addition to reviewing the training courses that will be offered by the Award this year that are approved by the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM).

HE Al Owais praised all efforts made by the Award's team and stressed the Chamber's keenness to develop the Award's position and reputation as one of the most prominent economic initiatives concerned with the adoption of quality standards and work ethics, through arbitration methodologies on a par with International practices and the latest institutional assessment models, in addition to assisting private companies to improve their performance and services and develop their societal responsibilities, encouraging environmentally friendly practices and enhancing economic enterprises’ role in advancing sustainable development.

HE Al Owais called on the Award's team to continue to promote the Award’s  various categories and realize its role of activating the private sector’s role locally and regionally, developing its members, performance and efficiency.

For her part, Nada Al-Hajri, General Coordinator, reviewed the preparations related to Sharjah UAE  Startups Award for those most conforming to security standards introduced this year in cooperation with the Sharjah Police General Command, selecting a work committee for the Award and setting main and secondary criteria for it, as well as identifying the concerned parties to cooperate with the work committee, adopting assessment criteria and the privileges granted to the winners. The ongoing preparations for the category of the Sharjah Award for Entrepreneurs with Disabilities were discussed.

The Award’s Board of Trustees stressed its keenness to support and assist entrepreneurs by adopting and sponsoring innovative programs and working to mitigate the challenges they face with the expertise and skills necessary to sustain their projects in these exceptional circumstances with the pandemic COVID -19.

2021It is noteworthy that the Sharjah Excellence Award Board of Trustees had recently made a set of new changes, amending the criteria for the Sharjah Entrepreneur Award with the addition of criteria related to the applicant’s personal characteristics, the company's strategic direction, professionalism, innovation and business results, in addition to merging the 2020 session with the 2021 session and strengthening support provided for small enterprises and entrepreneurs with disabilities.