EEA draws huge interest and announce plans to expand throughout the Middle East next year

According to Dr Abdalla Al Amiri, Chairman of the Emirates Energy Award, 97 applications were received from 5 different GCC countries, resulting in approximately one third more entries than last year.

"The applications confirm the increased awareness and interest in the Award and its programs, proving without a doubt that sustainability in development and growth is becoming increasingly important in the regional and international business climate," he said.

A total of 31 finalists, representing 14 different organizations, were chosen by the technical committee, with the support of representatives from the Bureau of Energy & Efficiency in the Republic of India.

Based on the technical committee's evaluation, the Award committee then selected the winner and the runner-up in each of the six categories. The winners will be announced during an award ceremony to be held in November 2008.

"In the end, the committee was extremely pleased not only with the increased interest in the award, but also by the caliber of these entries. In fact, the response has been so tremendous that we have decided to open up the Emirates Energy Award to include all of the Middle East next year."

The Emirates Energy Award, which is launched in February every year is a sustainable energy-focused awards program designed by the Dubai Quality Group, the UAE-based non-profit organization established by the Department of Economic Development to help improve and develop standards of business in the region.

Covering six wide-ranging categories, from public to private to individual, the objective of this award is to highlight the current global energy situation and encourage companies to invest in the future through energy conservation and sustainable development.

In an effort to proactively promote the positive messages of the award, EEA held a number of workshops and seminars addressing environmental and energy consumption issues throughout the year.

In addition, EEA raised awareness on the importance of rationalizing the consumption of energy among the youth through an art competition run in conjunction with the UAE Ministry of Education.

Grade 4 to 9 pupils from 458 schools participated in the competition and the winners were announced on 10 May 2008. These winners will also be honored at the awards ceremony next month.

Al Amiri said: "One of the greatest challenges in the drive towards sustainable development will be preserving energy resources, and it is through initiatives such as the Emirates Energy Award that the region's business community is able to step up to meet the challenge and to play its part in securing a bright and sustainable outlook for future generations."