Dubai declares new honor for resilient firms battling COVID-19

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By Rahul Vaimal, Associate Editor
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Dubai Government has declared a new award to honor organizations that have shown exceptional innovation in project management during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The new award which will be called ‘Innovative Practices in Handling the COVID-19 Pandemic’ will be included in the fourth edition of the Hamdan bin Mohammed Award for Innovation in Project Management (HBMAIPM). Results are expected to be declared in November.

The new award category has two divisions. The first is for SMEs and the second for large enterprises such as government, semi-government and private organizations. The total amount allocated for this category is $80,000.

“Dubai is combating the pandemic in its own unique way, with innovative processes and solutions. Under the guidance of Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, innovation has always been a cornerstone of Dubai’s social and economic growth,” said Sheikh Hamdan in a statement.

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Crown Prince of Dubai

“Across its development journey, the emirate has set a global example in generating and executing new ideas to positively transform itself, create new opportunities and overcome crises. Our measured and effective response to the Covid-19 crisis has been marked by the efficient use of innovation in various aspects of the fight against the crisis. Innovation has greatly supported our efforts to educate, equip and empower organisations and individuals to mitigate the impact of the pandemic.”

Meanwhile, Mattar Mohammed Al Tayer, chairman of the Board of Trustees of the award and also director-general and chairman of the board of executive directors of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) added: “The launch of the category named Innovative Practices in Handling the Covid-19 Pandemic is a step forward in preparing for the post-Covid-19 world. The aim is to encourage both SMEs and large entities to share knowledge and expertise in the field of crisis management.”

Al Tayer continued that the new division would also inspire organizations to develop efficient crisis exit policies.

The HBMAIPM award with total prize money of $710,000 was started in 2015 with the intention to recognize and remunerate project management innovators and to support the emirate transform itself into a global hub for these specialists.

The first category, The Innovative Organisation in Project Management Award for Organisations, acknowledges three winners. The second category granted to individuals includes the Innovative Project Manager Award and the Innovative PMO Manager Award. While the third category bestowed to teams is the Innovative Team Award.

The fourth category, the Academic Category, includes the Scientific Research for the Innovative Project Management Award and the Innovative Project Management Award–Academic category.

Registration for the HBMAIPM begins on June 1, with entries accepted on the awards’ website, and will conclude on August 31, 2020.

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