His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, and Chairman & Chief Executive of Emirates Airline & Group, honoured 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 today at a prestigious ceremony hosted at Dubai Opera.

The high-profile awards ceremony, held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, was organised by Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The prestigious ceremony was attended by 1,730 delegates, including dignitaries, government officials and business leaders from the UAE and GCC.

The MRM Business Award, a member of Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, was presented to Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB); Abu Dhabi National Insurance Company (ADNIC); Al Khaleej Sugar Co.; All Food For Food Stuff; Apparel Group; Arabian Automobiles Co.; ASGC Construction; British Orchard Nursery; China State Construction Engineering Corporation (Middle East); Doka Gulf; Gulf Extrusions; Gulf Petrochemical Industries Co. (GPIC); Jindal Shadeed Iron & Steel ; Network International; RAK Hospital; Tablix Technology; TASC Outsourcing; and Transguard Group.

The MRM Business Innovation Award was presented to Al Ansari Exchange; ALEC Engineering and Contracting; Almajdouie Logistics Company; ASGC Construction; Aster Pharmacy Group; DuBox; ENOC Retail; Gulf Petrochemical Industries Co. (GPIC); Jebel Ali Free Zone; Network International; Samsotech; Sharjah Islamic Bank; and Transguard Group.

Gulf Petrochemicals Industries Co. (GPIC) was presented with the Outstanding Award for Business Excellence, while the Outstanding Award for Business Innovation went to ENOC Retail.

Commenting on the conclusion of the awards cycles, H.E. Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansoori, UAE Minister of Economy and Chairman of Panel of Judges for the MRM Business Award and MRM Business Innovation Award, said the MRM Business Awards have fostered a culture of excellence within business communities in the UAE and GCC, facilitated the adoption of best practices and raised industry standards. He noted that the MRM Business Innovation Award, which was launched in 2015 by Dubai Chamber and the UAE Ministry of Economy during the Year of Innovation, reflects the vision of the UAE’s wise leadership to encourage companies to make innovation a major part of their organisational cultures.

H.E. Al Mansoori said the 2^nd cycle of the MRM Business Innovation Award registered a 21% increase in the number of participants, a figure which he said reflects the growing importance that companies in the region attach to innovation excellence.

In his welcome remarks, H.E. Majid Saif Al Ghurair, Chairman of Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said: “Since the establishment of the MRM Business Awards, we have worked to develop and improve the award programme in line with the changing needs of maturing business communities in the UAE and GCC. I am very proud at the progress that has been achieved by the outstanding companies that have participated in the programme to date.”

Dubai Chamber’s Chairman explained that the prestigious awards have served as a catalyst for enhancing business performance and boosting innovation activity on a regional level.  He revealed that more than 1,800 companies have benefitted from the award programme since its establishment while more than 181 winning companies have been recognised for their outstanding achievements.

During the ceremony, H.E. Al Ghurair announced the launch of a new award under the MRM Business Awards platform, entitled the “Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Customer Excellence Award”. The award aims to recognise the efforts of outstanding companies and organisations in the UAE and GCC that are adopting innovative strategies to improve customer experiences.

“The MRM Customer Excellence Award will provide companies with another incentive to apply and participate in the MRM Business Award programme, enhance their customer approach and adopt best practices in line with international standards. The launch of this award stems from our strong belief that customer experience is among the most crucial factors impacting business performance,” said H.E. Al Ghurair.

For his part, H.E. Hamad Buamim, President & CEO of Dubai Chamber and Chairman of the Steering Committee for the MRM Business Award said: “Over the years, the MRM Business Awards have become benchmarks for business and innovation excellence and they remain the highest level of recognition in these areas within the GCC. With UAE Innovation Month upon us, it is an opportune time to put the spotlight on the outstanding companies we are recognising today that are driving innovation in a wide range of economic sectors.”

H.E. Buamim noted Dubai Chamber received an overwhelming number of strong applications for both awards, revealing a 46% increase in the number of applications was recorded. He added that the awards support Dubai Chamber’s efforts to fulfill the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and lead the business community to a brighter future.

Addressing delegates during the ceremony, inspirational speaker and best-selling author Tommy Spaulding, shared his insights and lessons on heart-led leadership that he has acquired over the last 25 years. He stressed the importance of developing authentic and lasting relationships that build businesses and brand loyalty.

Spaulding’s first book “It’s Not Just Who You Know”, hit #2 on the New York Times, #2 on the Wall Street Journal, and #1 USA Today national bestsellers lists. His latest book, “The Heart-Led Leader”, is a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller and was named as a Top 100 Business Books by INC.com.

Winners of the MRM Business Awards were selected by a high-level panel of judges chaired by UAE Minister of Economy H.E. Sultan Bin Saeed Al Mansoori. Among the panel judges were 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.