Sharjah Chamber of Commerce & Industry launches 2008 Sharjah Economic Excellence Award

SCCI Director General Hussein Mohammad Al Mahmoudi outlined the contest qualifications and details during a press conference at the Al Jawhara 1 Hall of the Millennium Hotel, Corniche Road, Sharjah. He explained that the Award will focus on three fundamentals of business success: full commitment through cooperation, longevity, oneness of goal and interest in learning and sharing knowledge; business effectiveness through flexibility, responsibility, cost estimation, time effectiveness, quality and dexterity, and discipline; and stakeholder respect, as demonstrated by modesty, freedom and independence, integrity, sympathy and assistance, respect, trust, openness and participation.. The Award is intended to promote good corporate governance, high standards of business ethics, corporate social responsibility and eco-friendly operations.

SCCI Chairman and Chairman of boards of trustees of the award, Ahmad Mohammad Al Midfa said: "This award provides a means for SCCI to develop the business performance of our members by adopting quality values and international best practices and principles, and to motivate them to sustained success by recognizing their efforts and achievements. We have streamlined our criteria this year to enhance the focus of the competition and simplify the judging process. The higher number of participants this year reflects the vibrancy of Sharjah's private sector, which SCCI fully commits to further nurturing. This Award is very timely given today's volatile global economic environments: more than ever, excellence through best practices in business is needed to overcome all socio-economic challenges."

The Award's categories include the Industrial Sector sub-categorized into Large Firms and Medium and Small Firms; the Trade Sector sub-categorized into Large Firms and Medium and Small Firms; the Professional Sector; Financial Sector (Banks and Financial Brokerage Firms); and the Tourism Sector (Hotels, Hotel Apartments, and Travel and Tourism Agencies). There will also be two special Youth Projects and Businesswomen Projects categories. The criteria will be measured and evaluated by one or more of the following areas: supporting documents; work documents; minutes of meetings; internal reports; and employees' reports.

The Award offers free and independent assessment of the firms' performance by specialized experts; a benchmark feedback report that highlights success areas as well as those where improvements can be achieved; free advertisement in Al TIJARAH Magazine and the Award's website; and one year of free participation by the winning firms in SCCI's foreign exhibitions. Other benefits include inclusion on the VIP firms list in all government departments of Sharjah; a year of special rates for the winning firms in Sharjah World Business Club, Sharjah Broadcasting and T.V. Service and Expo Centre Sharjah fairs; marketing and exposure in media; use of Finalist logo for a full year; use of the Award logo by general category winners for three years; and two-year use of the Award logo by winners of the youth and businesswomen projects categories

"Given today's highly competitive domestic, regional and international markets, businesses need to continuously perform and innovate in line with international benchmarks. Our Award slogan of "Local Award, Global Quality" reflects our belief that our local businesses can only be successful if they adopt world-class standards and practices. This Award serves as a reliable and timely gauge of how much our local businesses have achieved and how much more they can attain in the future. We would like to congratulate in advance the winners who will exemplify Sharjah's emergence as a leader in business excellence," concluded at the press conference SCCI Director General Al Mahmoudi.