The special jury panel constituted for the third edition of the Sharjah Government Communication Award (GCA) convened its first meeting to assess the evaluation process that was endorsed in 2014. 

The meeting approved a few amendments to the award categories, their criteria, methods of nomination and time-frame for submissions. Additionally, the judging panel also examined ways in which the award programme could be enhanced based on the results of an opinion survey that Sharjah Media Centre, the award organisers, conducted among the winners of the Second Edition of the GCA, as well as a number of senior figures from the media and government sectors. 

HE Ibrahim Al Abed, Advisor to the Chairman of the National Media Council, Director General of Emirates News Agency (WAM) and Head of the Jury, chaired the meeting. In addition to the jury members, HE Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Chairman of Sharjah Media Centre, HE Osama Samra, Director of Sharjah Media Centre and Asma Al Juwaied, Manager of Sharjah Government Communication Award attended the first jury meeting.

Sami Al Reyami, Editor-in-Chief of Emarat Al Youm Arabic daily, one of the members of the jury, shared his insights on the criteria for the newly added ‘Best International Government Communication’ category. This inclusion takes the total number of GCA categories to 10.  

The new category is designed for government entities that have organised campaigns, provided services or initiated activities outside the UAE to reach out to segments of the public to introduce a new service, explain a point of view or promote a particular sector with a view to shaping neutral or positive public perceptions.

Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi stressed the keenness of Sharjah Media Centre to enhance the GCA by incorporating lessons from the experiences of the past two editions towards strengthening government communications in the UAE in general and in the emirate of Sharjah in particular. He also reaffirmed the independence and authority of the jury members in naming the winners of the award. 

Praising the Award criteria, Ibrahim Al Abed said: “Sharjah Media Centre has organised two successful editions of the GCA and we expect the Third edition to be equally meaningful in its impact. In the past two years, GCA has successfully attracted outstanding participation, which only reflects the continuous development of the government communication process in the UAE. Competition has been marked by high standards and it was quite often a challenging task to choose one winner from among the nominees as they all demonstrated high levels of professionalism.” 

The GCA jury this year, headed by His Excellency Ibrahim Al Abed, also includes Dr Abdul Rahman Azzi, Deputy Head of the Judging Panel, Dean of the Communications College, University of Sharjah, Mohammed Khalaf, Manager of Sharjah TV & Radio, Sami Al Reyami, Editor-in-Chief of Al Emaarat Al Youm, Ali Jaber, Dean of the Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Communication at the American University in Dubai and Group TV Director of MBC Television Group, Dr Sulaiman Al Hattlan, CEO of Hattlan Media, Dr Nadine Al Asaad, Academic and Media Researcher at Al Jadeed TV,  Rajeh Al Khouri, Writer and Political Analyst in Al Nahar and Al Sharq Al Awsat newspapers, Rawan Al Damen, media personality and producer of television documentaries, and Mamoon Sbeih, Managing Director – Arab Region, APCO Worldwide. 

The Sharjah Government Communication Award was launched in September 2012 by Sharjah Media Centre under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohamed Al Qasimi, UAE Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah. It highlights individual and organisational accomplishments in the government communication sector within the UAE and the wider region. 

The only one of its kind in the Arab world, GCA seeks to highlight local and regional organisations and individuals excelling in the dynamic field of government communications. It supports their accomplishments that strengthen relations with the general public and helps build partnerships between government entities and decision makers on the one hand and between government entities and the public on the other.

In its current format, the Award covers various government communication operations, ranging from strategic planning to internal communication methods, including crisis management, internal and external campaigns in public interest and the best use of social media channels.