Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry has announced that a high-level panel of judges has convened to select the winners of the 10th cycle of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum (MRM) Business Award and the 2nd cycle of the MRM Business Innovation Award.

The prestigious awards ceremony, organised by Dubai Chamber, is set to be held on Tuesday, February 26th, 2019 at Dubai Opera under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice-President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai. The event will be attended by government departments, dignitaries, Dubai Chamber officials, business leaders, and members of the local and regional media.

The panel, chaired by UAE Minister of Economy H.E. Sultan Bin Saeed Al Mansoori, comprises of local and international experts. Joining the panel are: H.E. Mohammed Ahmed Bin Abdulaziz Al-Shehhi,
Undersecretary for Economic Affairs, UAE Ministry of Economy; H.E. Hamad Buamim, President & CEO, Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Dr. Ang Hak Seng, Chairman, Singapore Quality Award Management Committee; and Dr. Belaid Rettab Chief Economist and Senior Director of Economic Research and Sustainable Business Development Sector, Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry. The steering committee for the MRM Business Award is chaired by H.E. Buamim and led by Dr. Rettab.

Companies from the UAE and GCC representing a wide range of economic sectors and fields were shortlisted for the two business awards, which cover several categories, namely Construction, Finance, Services, Manufacturing, Trade, Re-export and Transport & Logistics.

H.E. Sultan Bin Saeed Al Mansoori, UAE Minister of Economy and Chairman of the Panel of Judges for the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Business Award and the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Business Innovation Award, described the selection process for award winners as challenging due to the high volume of
outstanding applicants and the remarkable progress that participants have made throughout the award programme.

H.E. Al Mansoori noted that the participating companies benefitted significantly from the award programme which enabled them to evaluate and improve their performance, adding that the programme continues to raise industry standards and encourage business communities across the region to strive for business and innovation excellence.

For his part, H.E. Hamad Buamim, President & CEO, Dubai Chamber, and Chairman of the Steering Committee for the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Business Award, noted that the jury panel’s vast experience and expertise added significant value to the awards, and further enhanced their reputation as the highest level of recognition for business excellence and innovation in the region.

“We received an overwhelming number of high-quality applications from companies in the current cycle of the MRM Business Award and MRM Business Innovation
Award which signals a stronger commitment on the part of private sector in adopting innovation-focused strategies and best practices,” said H.E. Buamim.

The MRM Business Award, a member of Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, was initiated in 2005 to recognise and celebrate the success of organisations that contribute to the sustainable development of economies within the UAE and GCC.

The MRM Business Innovation Award was launched by the Chamber in in collaboration with the UAE Ministry of Economy at a global conference in 2015 during the Year of Innovation.