Abdullah bin Zayed honours Emirates Foundation exemplary Emirati youth, mentors and strategic partners

ABU DHABI, 19th November, 2015 (WAM)--Under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chairman of Emirates Foundation, outstanding Emirati youth have been recognised for their contributions to the advancement of youth development in the UAE at the Emirates Foundation Annual Recognition Event. At a special ceremony held at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), the Foundation also paid tribute to its strategic partners and programme mentors for their instrumental role, guidance and support of the Foundation’s mission to deliver impactful philanthropy. During the Award Ceremony, Emirates Foundation also announced the winners of this year’s Emirates Award for the Arabian Gulf Youth (EAAGY), an initiative launched in 2014 under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Foreign Minister and Chairman of the Foundation. The award is part of the Foundation’s mission to encourage and mobilise youth across the GCC to become active participants in social development. The ceremony was attended by Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed. Also present were representatives of donor organisations and strategic partners and social philanthropy experts and activists. In his speech, Sheikh Abdullah paid a tribute to the Emirati youth who are making their mark in the service of their country. He addressed the audience saying "I would like you to look around and assess the number of youth present with us here today as well as the number of youth within your own organisations and companies and note that they are without a doubt, the majority as they are in our society." He added, "The Youth are the driving force within our nation - whether in voluntary work and social engagement, innovation and social entrepreneurship, or in scientific and technological inventions. They are the ones leading the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation and Masdar City, they are the ones leading our airports and they are the ones who gave their lives to protect our nation." He also lauded the unequivocal commitment of Emirates Foundation’s partners and mentors for their continuous support, and congratulated the EAAGY winners and wished them success with their projects. "The unfailing commitment of our partners and the bottomless creative power of our youth will remain major drivers of socio-economic development and advancement of our country," he said. Emirates Foundation’s elite partners recognised during the ceremony, included Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), Occidental Petroleum Corporation (OXY), Total, Shell, and Borealis. In this regard, Mohanna Al Muhairi, Chief Operations Officer at the Emirates Foundation expressed his pride and gratitude in honouring the strategic partners of Emirates Foundation and emphasised that the success of such partnerships is not limited to financial support but rather is based on common long term strategies that aim to enhance social responsibility and sustainable development. "In order to achieve greater efficiency and impact, we need to expand our field research and measure the impact and quality of performance of the programmes which in return will guarantee the return on investment – which is transforming our youth into a productive and active force for economic development." He further added During the ceremony, Sheikh Abdullah honoured esteemed EAAGY panel judges for their tireless efforts and contributions to the this year’s Awards and they included: Abdul Baset Al Janahi Chief Executive Officer, Mohammed Bin Rashid Establishment for SME’s Development (Dubai SME), Muna Al Gurg Director Retail, Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group, Dr. Iman Bibars Chief Executive Officer, Ashoka Middle East, and Amal Ishaq Kooheji Chief Executive Officer, Tamkeen. He stated that Emirates Foundation had managed, in a very short period of time, to unleash initiatives that had positive, sustainable impact on thousands of youth and their families. The Emirates Award for Arabian Gulf Youth, he noted, is one such initiative that embodies the Foundation’s vision to empower the youth, not only in the UAE but also across the GCC. "We have made great strides, but we aspire to do much more," Sheikh Abdullah said. "We will spare no effort in helping our young generation unlock their creative power and empower them to achieve their potential and lead their country towards a more prosperous future for many generations to come." During the event, Maytha Al Habsi, Chief Programmes Officer (CPO) presented the awards to the top three winners of the Emirates Awards for Arabian Gulf Youth, The first award, an incubation grant of Dh100, 000, went to "Glowork" for their project on women employment service which was set up to address the growing problem of female unemployment in Saudi Arabia. The second award, with an incubation grant of Dh70,000, went to "Slices – Your Wellness Companion" for their project on healthy eating and active living education programme, while both "Shefaa Healthcare Network" an online initiative that facilitates easier and more effective access to healthcare services, for both patients and physicians across the UAE and "Special Needs Inclusion Application" from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia that aims to develop a carefully constructed system to help autistic children communicate more readily, won the third place with an incubation grant of Dh 50,000 each. As for the people’s choice award, the prize went to Eighty percent from Kuwait, a project that is dedicated to motivating and encouraging people to connect and make a difference through sports-focused projects, CSR schemes and public events. The winning teams will have access to mentorship and technical support from Emirates Foundation and its partners in the GCC States over the next 12 months. The Award encourages youth within the GCC region to take a leading role in serving their communities. It also seeks to unleash young people’s social entrepreneurship potential and to establish leading social enterprises, which are capable of addressing and tackling collective challenges and achieving sustainable outcomes. IMaytha Al Habsi, Chief Programmes Officer gave an overview of Emirates Foundation’s achievements since inception in 2005, noting that the journey had been punctuated by remarkable success stories. "This year, which marks our 10th anniversary, celebrates a decade of achievements where the Foundation has built a strong track record of performance in developing and launching major social programmes, which are making their mark on youth development in the UAE and the region," Al Habsi said. A video film displayed during the event gave glimpses of EF achievements in 2015, particularly the engagement of the UAE in the Foundation’s six major programmes: the social volunteering initiative ‘Takatof’, the National Emergency Response Volunteer Programme ‘Sanid’, the Financial Literacy programme ‘Esref Sah’ the career development programme ‘Kafa’at’, and ‘Think Science which encourages science innovations, and ‘Kayani’ an innovative programme to empower underprivileged youth in the UAE. "Those accomplishments could not have been possible without the continuous support of our government and the guidance of His Highness Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Foreign Minister and EF Chairman," Al Habsi said. "These achievements are the joint achievements with our partners and ultimately with our youth. On behalf of all the youth who have benefited from the Foundation’s programmes, I would like to thank our partners for their generous financial and technical support and their dedication to our shared mission towards social development." – Emirates News Agency, WAM - http://www.wam.ae/en/news/emirates/1395288200316.html http://www.wam.ae/en/news/emirates/1395288200925.html