SHARJAH // A journalist from Al Ittihad newspaper, the Arabic-language sister paper of The National, has won an award for best Investigative Reporting in the UAE.
Ahmed Morsy received his prize at the inaugural Sharjah Government Communication Award (GCA) ceremony held this week.
Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, handed out the honours at the Jawaher Reception and Convention Centre.
The GCA’s six-member judging panel, which included Rawan Al Damen, senior producer and director at Al Jazeera News, received more than 160 entries for the award’s nine nominated categories.
Other winners were Saudi journalist Dawood Al Shirian, who won the Media Personality in the GCC Award, and Sky News Arabia, which landed the Leadership in Media Award in GCC.
Sharjah Municipality came first in Best Practices in Government Communication, with Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority winning the Best News Website in Sharjah.
Emirates Identity Authority scooped the Best Social Media Site for Government Communication in the UAE, while Col Sultan Al Khayyal, director of Sharjah Police’s media and public relations department, was named Best Spokesperson in Sharjah.
Sheikh Sultan said that through the vision of Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah, government initiatives had been adopted that promoted development in all social, economic and political fields. “Today we find the translation of that vision evident and clearly tangible in the first of its kind initiative that Sharjah Media Centre – the media and communications arm of the Government of Sharjah – started through the launch of the Sharjah Government Communication Award, which values the efforts of government institutions and aims at developing the media competencies within them.”
Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, chairman of SMC, said the awards were one of a series of initiatives launched to help build an integrated system of government communication.
“Through our programmes and initiatives in the field of government communication, we in Sharjah aim to give more attention to this field, develop it and honour its innovators,” he said.
“What we aspire to achieve through the Sharjah Government Communication Award is hard work, not slogans.
“What we seek is stimulating creativity and accomplishing achievements, one after another.”
ykakande@thenational.ae
