Field Visits To Sharjah Economic Excellence Award Nominees Commence

Annual award continues to inspire local business sector to adopt benchmark trade practices and international quality standards

The General Secretariat of the Sharjah Economic Excellence Award (SEEA) has announced the start of scheduled field visits to the different business establishments that have been nominated for SEEA 2009. The inspections, which will run from April 12 to April 26, 2010, marks the second phase of the award’s strict evaluation process and will be conducted by members of the SEEA Evaluation Committee. The SEEA’s evaluation process reflects the award’s strong commitment towards the adoption of international quality standards and benchmark trade practices to help create more economic activity and bring Sharjah closer to its goal of achieving total sustainable development.

During the visits, members of the committee will be checking on the nominated establishment’s facilities; meeting the General Managers and reviewing adopted benchmark trade practices and seeing if it has played an important factor in the success of the company’s present operations. Prior to this, the committee completed the first phase of the award’s evaluation process, which involved a complete review of all documents submitted by the participants for this year’s award.

Nada Al Hajiri, SEEA General Coordinator, shared that the field visits mark an important stage in the award’s evaluation process and is crucial in determining the award’s final list of winners. She noted that each visit includes a complete inspection of the company’s facilities, a meeting with the officials or the general manager present and a review of key documents submitted to see if they conform to SEEA’s set standards of excellence.

Al Hajiri also added that members of the SEEA Evaluation Committee have recently completed a series of intensive workshops that were aimed at strengthening and developing the SEEA’s evaluation and nomination mechanism.

The standards adopted for the Sharjah Economic Excellence Award was developed and based on a fully integrated program aimed at recognizing the efforts of the private business sector towards Sharjah’s continued economic growth. This year’s edition of the awards has seen the addition of new award categories like the Gold category, Business Leadership category, Large Enterprise category and the Medium and Small firm’s category. The 2009 edition will also feature a new award called the Business Pioneers award, which is aimed at recognizing excellence in the field of corporate management, business ethics, corporate social responsibility and the adoption of environmentally friendly practices.

The SEEA aims to encourage the local business sector to adopt and implement benchmark trade practices to help in the collective effort to develop Sharjah and package it as an ideal investment venue. The award was originally launched in 1990 under the name “Best Exporters Award”, which aimed at motivating porters to develop unique mechanisms to increase their activities. SCCI, which organizes the annual awards, improved the criterion of the awards and expanded the scope of participation. The award was renamed to “Elites Awards” in 1995 and renamed again to “Sharjah Economic Excellence Award” in 2001 under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Bin Sultan Al Qassimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah.

Recipients of this year’s award will receive a free and independent performance assessment from specialized experts, to be accompanied with a feedback report highlighting success areas and key points where improvements can be achieved. Other benefits include free advertisement in a trade magazine and the Award’s website; one-year free participation in SCCI’s foreign exhibitions; inclusion in the VIP firms list of all government departments of Sharjah; the use of special facilities in World Trade Club, Sharjah TV and Expo Center Sharjah. The SCCI will also provide media and marketing based activities for the winning firm and will allow the use of the final stage logo for three years. Newer incentives being introduced for winners of this year’s award is the exemption from Chamber’s annual renewal fees and the free use of the SCCI headquarters hall to organise conferences and meetings.
 

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