Today's Edition
ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)
His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler’s Representative in Al Dhafra Region and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD), has honoured the winners of the second cycle of the Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Environmental Award during a ceremony held at Al Nakheel Palace in Abu Dhabi.
The ceremony was attended by Sheikh Hazza bin Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan; Sheikh Yas bin Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan; Sheikh Rashid bin Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan; His Excellency Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and CEO of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC); Her Excellency Dr Amna bint Abdullah Al Dahak Al Shamsi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment; His Excellency Mohammed Ahmed Al Bowardi, Vice Chairman of Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi; His Excellency Nasser Mohammed Al Mansouri, Under-Secretary of the Ruler’s Representative Court in Al Dhafra Region; His Excellency Issa Hamad Boushehab, Advisor to the Ruler's Representative in Al Dhafra Region; His Excellency Khadim Abdulla Al Darei, Advisor at the Court of the Ruler's Representative in Al Dhafra Region; Her Excellency Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, Managing Director of Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi; Her Excellency Dr Shaikha Salem Al Dhaheri, Secretary General of EAD; and His Excellency Dr Tariq Ahmed Al Ameri, Acting Director General of the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority, as well as a number of officials and award nominees.
The ceremony began with a tour by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan of an interactive presentation showcasing the achievements of the award's first cycle, followed by His Highness signing a pledge to protect and preserve the environment for future generations.
The ceremony then commenced with a video presentation introducing the award and its objectives, highlighting the outcomes of its second cycle. Afterwards, His Highness honoured 33 award winners in recognition of their outstanding contributions and qualitative achievements in various environmental fields.
His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan said: “The award embodies the UAE’s vision, placing environmental sustainability at the core of its development journey and recognising that protecting the environment is a shared national responsibility spanning generations and sectors.
"It further reinforces the belief that environmental action is a unified national mission, where every innovative idea can achieve tangible and lasting impact. Expanding participation to include all emirates underscores a steadfast commitment to cultivating and promoting a culture of environmental excellence across the nation.”
His Highness praised the award for its pivotal role in driving excellence and innovation in environmental protection and sustainability.
His Highness highlighted its impact in inspiring diverse sectors, from education and scientific research to industry, the public and private sectors, and society at large, to adopt more innovative and responsible approaches toward the environment.
His Highness emphasised that the award serves as a platform for pioneering initiatives, nurturing a spirit of creativity and shared responsibility. Furthermore, His Highness stated that its influence goes beyond recognition, actively contributing to the growth of a conscious national movement toward a balanced and sustainable future.
His Highness also extended his congratulations to the winners across the award’s various categories, commending the innovative ideas and practical solutions they presented, and noted that their work reflects a profound understanding of contemporary environmental challenges and a genuine ability to transform them into opportunities for positive change.
His Highness added that these inspiring models showcase the remarkable potential of national talents and their pivotal role in advancing environmental initiatives toward broader and more impactful horizons.
His Excellency Mohammed Ahmed Al Bowardi, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of EAD, said in his opening speech: “Building on the success of its first cycle, the Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Environmental Award, in its second cycle, achieved a national expansion encompassing all emirates. This reinforces its status as a leading national platform, empowering scientists, experts and environmental pioneers to translate concern for the environment into practical and sustainable scientific solutions that preserve natural resources and safeguard the environment for future generations.
“This cycle witnessed an exceptional level of participation and a remarkable diversity of initiatives, research and environmental practices, reflecting the growing environmental awareness within our society and the transformation of sustainability from a theoretical concept into a conscious institutional and societal practice.
"With the launch of the Emirates Environmental Excellence Model, the standards of ambition have risen and the scope of the award has broadened. Participation has increased fivefold compared to the first cycle, reaching near 700 participants, of whom more than 100 qualified for the final stage, demonstrating how sustainability has evolved from a limited-scale idea to a well-established culture embraced across society.
“The award serves as an inspiring invitation to every idea yet to be born and every initiative still in the realm of dreams. The field remains open, and future cycles await fresh visions and innovations, for sustainability is not merely a recognition for winners, but an opportunity for all who aspire to take part.”
The second cycle of the award expanded participation to include all emirates of the UAE, underscoring the nation’s growing commitment to fostering and embedding a culture of environmental excellence. The initiative aims to inspire a broader spectrum of individuals and institutions to actively engage in environmental protection and contribute to sustainable development.
This cycle also marked the launch of the Emirates Environmental Excellence Model (EEEM), a landmark achievement that provides a systematic and innovative framework for recognising outstanding contributions, promoting best sustainable practices and aligning them with global environmental standards.
Organised by EAD, the award received 695 applications, a fivefold increase over the first cycle. Of these, 391 applications progressed to the evaluation stage, 119 participants qualified for the final stage and 33 were ultimately honoured as award winners.
Her Excellency Dr Shaikha Salem Al Dhaheri, Secretary General of EAD and Chairperson of the Higher Committee of the Award, said: “The Sheikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Environmental Award serves as a national platform to recognise excellence, inspire creativity and promote the adoption of best sustainable practices, contributing directly to environmental protection and the advancement of sustainable development.
"The award also reflects an established global perspective, acknowledging that environmental challenges extend beyond local boundaries and carry worldwide implications, and that effective solutions, though rooted in national initiatives, can resonate on a global scale.
"Through this platform, we are aligning national efforts with international best practices, reinforcing the UAE’s role as a global hub for environmental thought and sustainable innovation. The award embodies our ambition to provide practical solutions that advance the global sustainability dialogue, clearly demonstrating that environmental innovation from our region can address the world through science, responsibility and hope.”
During the ceremony, His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan presented His Excellency Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber with the Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Environmental Medal of Honour, in recognition of his exceptional leadership and contributions to harmonising economic development with environmental stewardship, while strengthening the UAE’s role in addressing global climate challenges.
His Excellency is a leading national figure in the sustainability movement, advancing impactful initiatives in his various capacities, including as the UAE’s Special Envoy for Climate Change.
His efforts have supported mangrove restoration, enhanced marine biodiversity and reduced plastic pollution. He has also spearheaded pioneering low-emission projects and chaired the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28), culminating in the historic UAE Consensus on a gradual and just energy transition.
The closing ceremony celebrated 13 recipients of the Sheikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Environmental Medal, recognising their outstanding efforts, initiatives and pioneering ideas that contribute to environmental protection across the UAE.
His Excellency Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi, Director General of the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority, received the first-place award in the Environmental Changemaker category, honouring a distinguished career spanning 44 years in the civil aviation sector.
Throughout his tenure, he led global environmental initiatives that helped reduce more than 41 million tonnes of emissions and launched the world’s first market for sustainable aviation fuel. Butti Abdulla Almheiri and Ibrahim Al Zubi were awarded second place, while John Armand Burt received third place in the same category.
In the Environmental Creativity Pioneer category, Dr Katarzyna Sterriker won first place, followed by Ali Khalifa Bin Thalith in second and Nadine Zidani in third.
In the Environmental Youth Advocate category, Emirati student Aldhabi Rashed Almheiri claimed first place, while Arman Rudar and Reeman Abdulla received second and third place, respectively.
In the Optimal Natural Resource User category, Lamya Ali Alsaiqal took first place, Husain Ali Alhosani came in second and Saleh Mohamed Alhammadi secured third place.
Six participants were recognised in the two subcategories of the Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Award for Environmental Research. In the Research Project category, first place was awarded to the project Light Energy Assisted Production of Graphene, led by Yarjan Abdul Samad. Second place went to HSURF – Heterogenous, a swarm of underwater robotic fish, led by Giulia DeMasi. Third place was awarded to a super-hygroscopic solar regenerated alginate-based composite for atmospheric water harvesting, led by Samar Nasr AbdElwadood.
In the Research Institute category, Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi claimed first place, followed by New York University Abu Dhabi in second and The Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government in third.
In the Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Environmental Performance Award – which recognises best practices and pioneering initiatives in environmental sustainability across governmental, private and industrial entities – a new qualitative classification was introduced. Winning organisations were categorised according to clear levels of maturity and excellence: gold, silver and bronze.
This reflects the depth of institutional transformation in environmental performance, the breadth of impact and the ability to achieve progressive sustainable results that drive environmental leadership.
Ten entities were honoured across the two subcategories of the award. In the Large Entities category, for organisations with 251 employees or more, Etihad Rail and ADNOC Offshore received gold, AD Ports Group, the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Affairs – TDRA received silver and Dubai Civil Defence, and E& Group received bronze.
In the Small and Medium Entities – SMEs category, for entities with 1-250 employees, MHI Power Middle East, a subsidiary of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Al Manara Private School – Al Shamkha Campus received gold, AlNakheel Hygenic Paper Manufacturing – Fine Hygienic Holding received silver and Fortyguard received bronze.
In the Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Environmental Corporate Initiative Award, recognising outstanding corporate programmes that advance sustainability and environmental responsibility, the ADNOC’s drone‑led mangrove restoration initiative won first place, the Aircrafted by Emirates took second place and the Emirates Foundation – Ne’ma, the UAE’s National Food Loss and Waste, was awarded third place.
The award, in its second cycle, reflects that individual and institutional efforts and environmental innovation form a fundamental pillar for building a more balanced and sustainable future and paves the way for more initiatives and ideas that contribute to protecting the environment and achieving sustainable development for future generations.
