The General Secretariat of the Arab Government Excellence Award, in cooperation with the Arab Administrative Development Organization (ARADO), organized a series of seminars in the Kingdom of Morocco, the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, and the Republic of the Comoros to introduce the award’s 15 institutional and individual categories and standards, as well as its assessment and participation procedures.

Launched under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the Arab Government Excellence Award is the first and largest of its kind in the region, aiming to create a new movement to develop the concepts of management in the Arab world.

The award seeks to promote administrative development and spread the culture of institutional excellence, thus achieving national goals and strategies and boosting performance excellence by celebrating leading Arab achievements and encouraging government entities and members to participate in the award categories through its website (www.ageaward. com).

Her Excellency Maryam Al Hammadi, Assistant Director General for Government Performance and Excellence at the Prime Minister’s Office, and Secretary-General of the Award, said that the award reflects the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid to spread the culture of excellence, promote continuous development and improve performance in the Arab governments. She added that the tours organized in 8 Arab countries till date aim to motivate Arab governments to participate in the various categories of the Award and to highlight and disseminate the best government practices in the Arab world.

During the seminar held in Morocco, Marwan Al Zaabi, Director of the Sheikh Khalifa Government Excellence Program, Assistant Secretary General of the Award, introduced the Award's vision and objectives, its individual and institutional categories, and its key pillars. The seminar was attended by Sara Al Amrani, Director of Studies at the Ministry of Economy, Finance and Administration Reform in Morocco, Dr. Azzam Irmeili, Consultant at the Arab Administrative Development Organization, and 80 ministers, officials and experts. It highlighted the award participation procedures via its website, the role of coordinators in conveying knowledge to their countries, and the steps of developing competitive strategic plans and following up on their implementation.

In the same context, the General Secretariat held a seminar to introduce the award in the Islamic Republic of Mauritania and it was attended by Yaslam Hamdan, the Prime Minister’s Advisor, Dr. Azzam Irmeili, and 55 government officials and experts. The Secretariat also held a third seminar in the Republic of the Comoros attended by Abdel Seddik Moussa Abdallah, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Dr. Azzam Irmeili, and 70 government officials and experts.

The Arab Government Excellence Award includes 15 individual and institutional categories. The individual awards include the best Arab minister, the best Arab governor, the best general manager of an Arab entity, the best Arab municipal director, the best Arab government employee and the best Arab female government employee. The institutional awards include, among others, the best Arab ministry, the best Arab government entity, the best government development initiative, and the best Arab government project for empowering youth.