On Saturday, March 2, winners of the 5th annual Middle East & North Africa Stevie® Awards were presented with Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie Awards during a majestic ceremony at the Mövenpick Resort Al Marjan Island in Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates. More than 300 guests from 68 winning organizations around the MENA region attended the ceremony.

The Middle East & North Africa Stevie Awards, sponsored by the Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) Chamber of Commerce, is the region's only awards program open to all organizations in 18 nations in the Middle East and North Africa. The focus of the awards is recognizing workplace innovation in all its forms.

This year, over 1000 nominations were considered in the judging process by more than 150 professionals. The average ratings from judges determined the Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie Award winners, who were first announced in January

The ceremony began with a special welcome to honor His Highness Prince Saud bin Abdulaziz bin Farhan Al Saud, Chairman of the Board of the Autism Families Association in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Association won a Gold Stevie Award for Innovation in Non-Profit/NGO Events for its creative project "Spectrum Brush."

His Highness Prince Saud bin Abdulaziz bin Farhan Al Saud noted that this award and recognition are the result of a systematic work strategy aimed at making a difference in the lives of thousands of individuals with autism spectrum disorders in the Kingdom. He emphasized that the "Spectrum Brush" project has the potential to create significant societal awareness about the levels of creativity and talent possessed by individuals with autism. The award represents a new achievement in their journey toward empowerment and advancement in the autism sector in the Kingdom, he said.

Hamid Mohammed bin Salem, Secretary-General of the Emirates Chamber of Commerce, congratulated the Stevie Award winners, praising their hard work and efforts. He noted that, with the wise leadership's support, the RAK Chamber of Commerce's sponsorship of the award program's previous editions played a significant role in motivating the successes achieved by nominees in the program.

Mohamed Musabbeh Al Nuaimi, Chairman of the Board of the RAK Chamber of Commerce, reiterated that the awards program encourages institutions to adopt social responsibility, promote a culture of excellence and innovation, and encourage competitiveness. He emphasized the Chamber's keenness to embrace such awards that focus on global innovations and accomplishments.

Youssef Ismail, First Deputy Chairman of the RAK Chamber of Commerce, welcomed the winners in his address, commending their efforts and creativity that qualified them for the award. He encouraged all government and private institutions to seize the opportunity to enter upcoming editions of the awards program to demonstrate innovations across the country.

Grand Stevie Award Winners in the 2024 Middle East & North Africa Stevie Awards 

In addition to honoring Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie Award winners, three Grand Stevie Award winners were presented with Grand Stevie Award trophies at the March 2 ceremony. Two winners of these Grand (“best in show”) Stevie Award trophies, DHL Group and INFLOW Network, were announced in February. DHL Group received the most award points from the most nations (total number of points conferred by total Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie wins across the world) and INFLOW Network had the highest-scoring nomination.

A third winner, the Premier Grand Stevie Award winner with the highest number of award points in the competition, Saudi Aramco, was revealed at the March 2 awards ceremony. 

The Grand Stevie Awards cannot be applied for directly. Details about each of the three Grand Stevie Award winners can be found below:

ORGANIZATION OF THE YEAR (MULTINATIONAL): DHL Group earned 45 award points on behalf of its operations in Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. They won 10 Gold, three Silver, and six Bronze Stevie Awards in categories including Customer Service Department of the Year, Achievement in Customer Satisfaction, Achievement in Growth, Conferences & Meetings - Healthcare & Wellness Event, and Best Business Technology Pivot, among others. DHL Express is a division of the German logistics company DHL Group, providing international express mail services. DHL Global Forwarding is a division of DHL Group that provides freight forwarding and supply chain solutions to businesses worldwide.

HIGHEST-RATED NOMINATION OF THE YEAR: The entry “UEFA Champions League Final Istanbul 2023 - Football on the Bosphorus,” submitted by the INFLOW Network, USA, received the highest average score from Stevie Awards judges (9.14 out of 10) in this year’s competition. The nomination won the Gold Stevie for Most Innovative Advertising or Marketing Agency of the Year. INFLOW Network is a global company specializing in influencer marketing, digital advertising, social media management, digital strategy, and content, working with different nations worldwide including the Middle East. INFLOW Network focuses on influencer collaborations to help brands reach their target audiences. It also helps brands manage their digital assets and create social media campaigns to reach their target audiences effectively.

THE PREMIER GRAND STEVIE AWARD WINNER, SAUDI ARAMCO was revealed at the March 2 awards gala. Saudi Aramco received the highest number of awards points in the 2024 competition, with a total of 192.86 awards points received from a combined 25 Stevie Award-winning nominations in a variety of categories including Innovative Achievement in Sustainability, Most Innovative Mentor of the Year, Most Innovative Creative Person of the Year, Award for Excellence in Innovation in Business Product & Service Industries - Organizations with 100 or More Employees, Achievement in Product Innovation, and Innovative Achievement in Science or Technology, among others. The Saudi Aramco Office Services Department provides and manages office space with high-quality services for Type "A" office buildings in a safe, efficient, reliable and cost-effective manner. To ensure a positive work environment for all office users, driven by a competent, customer-friendly workforce, utilizing the most appropriate technology.

Maggie Miller, President of the Stevie Awards, commented that this year’s awards gala witnessed an unprecedented turnout. Tickets for the ceremony sold out within days of announcing the event date, gathering together more than 300 guests from all around the MENA region. The award attendees included dignitaries, industry leaders, officials, company owners, chairmen, boards of directors of government and private organizations, and executive directors— all pleased to be honored on stage.

The following organizations participated in the ceremony. Only winning organizations that attended the ceremony were recognized:

Abdul Latif Jameel
Abu Dhabi Customs, Building and Maintenance Section
Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council
Abu Dhabi Sports Council
Acceligize
Ajman Transport Authority
Al Dhafra Region Municipality
Al Ghurair Investment
Almarai Company
AXS - TECOM Group
Azentio Software
Bagcilar Municipality
Big Data Minds MENA
Blacklion IT Marketing Agency
Capital 360 Event Experiences
Commercial Bank International
DAMAC Properties
Deputy of Legal Affairs and Regulations of Ministry of Culture, Saudi Arabia
DHL Express UAE
Dsquares
Dubai Courts - Case Preparation Department
Dubai Land Department
Ekol Logistics
Elaf Al TaqwaHotel - Elaf Hotel Company
EZONE Business Setup
Federal Authority for Government Human Resources, United Arab Emirates
INFLOW Network
Invita Company W.L.L.
KAFALAH Loan Guarantee Program
Masafi Hospital
Megamind IT Solutions
Melodica Music Academy
MEPCO
Ministry of HR and Social Development, Saudi Arabia
Ministry of Justice, United Arab Emirates
Mobile Communications Company of Iran
Now Health International
Numesys İleri Mühendislik
Parkville Pharmaceuticals
Petromin Express
Public Prosecution of Dubai
Public Works Authority, Qatar
Qatar Vision Production Company - Qvision
RAK Ceramics
RAK Digital Assets Oasis
RAK POLICE General Headquarters
RAKEZ - Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone
Riyadh Airports Company
Roads and Transport Authority
Royal Commission for Jubail & Yanbu
Ruwad – Sharjah SME
Sakan Foundation
Saudi Aramco
Saudi Aramco - Northern Area Production Engineering Department
Saudi Aramco - Office Services Department
SOCAR Turkiye
SOCAR Türkiye Enerji AŞ
Society of Autism Families
stc - Saudi Telecom Company
Streit Group FZ LLC
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)
The Academy for Developing Administrative Leaders
The General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs, United Arab Emirates
The Institute of Consulting and Business Solutions
The Ministry of Interior, Bahrain
ZIGMA8 | 360º CREATIVE COMMUNICATIONS 

See the full list of 2024 Middle East & North Africa Stevie Winners by category

View and download photos from the awards ceremony.

Individual Acceptance speeches and red-carpet interviews are available on the Stevie Awards YouTube channel.

About the 2024 Middle East & North Africa Stevie Awards
The 2024 Middle East & North Africa Stevie Awards sponsored by the RAK Chamber of Commerce & Industry have recognized winning organizations in 13 nations: Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates. More than 1,000 nominations in Arabic and English were evaluated in this year’s competition. Winners were determined by the average scores of more than 150 professionals worldwide, acting as judges in more than 150 categories recognizing apps, achievements, companies, public relations, customer service, human resources, individuals, live and virtual events, management, social media, technology, thought leadership, and more.

The 6th edition of the MENA Stevie Awards will open for entries in September 2024. Sign up here to request the 2025 entry kit when it becomes available.

A sellout crowd of more than 270 Stevie Award winners, their guests, sponsors, and judges will attend the 5th annual Middle East & North Africa Stevie® Awards this Saturday evening, March 2 in Ras Al Khaiman, the United Arab Emirates.  Sponsored by the RAK Chamber of Commerce & Industry, the MENA Stevies are the region's only awards recognizing innovation in the workplace throughout 18 nations in the region.

Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie winners in the 2024 program were announced in January.  Earlier this month two Grand ("best of show") Stevie winners were announced, and a third will be revealed at the end of Saturday's proceedings.  The presentations will be broadcast live from 8:00 pm / 20:00 UAE standard time.

Here is the list of organizations that will be represented at Saturday's event.

Abdul Latif Jameel
Abu Dhabi Customs, Building and Maintenance Section
Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council
Abu Dhabi Sports Council
Acceligize
Ajman Transport Authority
Al Dhafra Region Municipality
Al Ghurair Investment
Almarai Company
AXS - TECOM Group
Azentio Software
Bagcilar Municipality
Big Data Minds MENA
Blacklion IT Marketing Agency
Capital 360 Event Experiences
Commercial Bank International
DAMAC Properties
Deputy of Legal Affairs and Regulations of Ministry of Culture, Saudi Arabia
DHL Express UAE
Dsquares
Dubai Courts - Case Preparation Department
Dubai Land Department
Ekol Logistics
Elaf Al TaqwaHotel - Elaf Hotel Company
EZONE Business Setup
Federal Authority for Government Human Resources, United Arab Emirates
INFLOW Network
Invita Company W.L.L.
KAFALAH Loan Guarantee Program
Masafi Hospital
Megamind IT Solutions
Melodica Music Academy
MEPCO
Ministry of HR and Social Development, Saudi Arabia
Ministry of Justice, United Arab Emirates
Mobile Communications Company of Iran
Now Health International
Numesys İleri Mühendislik
Parkville Pharmaceuticals
Petromin Express
Public Prosecution of Dubai
Public Works Authority, Qatar
Qatar Vision Production Company - Qvision
RAK Ceramics
RAK Digital Assets Oasis
RAK POLICE General Headquarters
RAKEZ - Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone
Riyadh Airports Company
Roads and Transport Authority
Royal Commission for Jubail & Yanbu
Ruwad – Sharjah SME
Sakan Foundation
Saudi Aramco
Saudi Aramco - Northern Area Production Engineering Department
Saudi Aramco - Office Services Department
SOCAR Turkiye
SOCAR Türkiye Enerji AŞ
Society of Autism Families
stc - Saudi Telecom Company
Streit Group FZ LLC
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)
The Academy for Developing Administrative Leaders
The General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs, United Arab Emirates
The Institute of Consulting and Business Solutions
The Ministry of Interior, Bahrain
ZIGMA8 | 360º CREATIVE COMMUNICATIONS

Entries for the 2025 edition of the Middle East & North Africa Stevie Awards will be accepted starting this September.  Learn more at https://MENA.StevieAwards.com. 

The Stevie® Awards are delighted to announce the six distinguished professionals who chaired the judging committees of the 2024 (5th annual) Middle East & North Africa Stevie® Awards competition.

The Middle East & North Africa Stevie® Awards, sponsored by the Ras Al Khaimah Chamber of Commerce & Industry, are an international business awards competition that are open to all organizations in 18 nations in the Middle East and North Africa.  The focus of the awards is on recognizing innovation in all its forms.  

This year more than 1,000 nominations were considered in the judging process by more than 150 professionals, whose average ratings determined the Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie Award winners announced earlier in January. For a complete list of the 2024 Stevie Award winners, visit https://MENA.StevieAwards.com.

Stevie winners will be presented their awards at a gala banquet at the Mövenpick Resort Al Marjan Island in Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates on Saturday, 2 March.

The six committee chairs were invited to chair based on their professional experience and expertise. Judging chairs helped to form their committees, each of which is comprised of other professionals from around the globe. Learn more about the Stevie Awards judging process here. 

Meet this year's judging committee chairs:

Company/Organization & Achievement Awards Judging Committee

Chair: Dr. Zaher Ali Al-Sai, CEO, Big Data Minds MENA, Amman, Jordan

Dr. Zaher Ali Al-Sai is serving as the CEO of Big Data Minds MENA, a pioneering initiative aimed at bridging the digital skills gap within the realms of Big Data and emerging technologies.  As an expert and assistant professor specializing in Big Data and Software Engineering, Dr. Zaher is renowned as a visionary leader, celebrated for her dynamic approach to technology and her dedication to nurturing the talents of individuals aspiring to excel in the digital landscape. Her leadership at Big Data Minds MENA has significantly contributed to empowering professionals, youth, and women, fostering digital transformation across diverse sectors.

Dr. Al-Sai has been recognized with several prestigious accolades, including the 2023 Gold Stevie Award for Big Data Minds MENA. Additionally, she has been honored with two distinguished Bronze Stevie Awards in The 2023 International Business. 

Driven by an unwavering commitment to innovation, education, and empowering others, Dr. Zaher continues to spearhead technological advancements, creating opportunities for the aspiring minds of tomorrow.

Corporate Communications/Public Relations & Publications Awards Judging Committee

Chair: Leonie Matta, CEO & Founder of Digital Coach MENA, Niscemi, Sicily, Italy

 

Leonie Matta, CEO and Founder of Digital Coach MENA, is a passionate digital entrepreneur and marketing and business coach with over three decades of experience. She is committed to helping professionals and SMEs succeed in the digital age while prioritizing their well-being.

Leonie is an expert in leveraging digital technologies to drive exponential growth and profitability for her clients. She is also a certified Project Manager and Change Intelligence practitioner, which enables her to help her clients manage complex projects and lead change within their organizations. Leonie is fluent in English, Arabic, Italian, and French, which allows her to communicate effectively with clients and partners from all over the world.

On being invited to be this year’s Chair, Leonie told us, “The Stevie Awards are the world’s most prestigious awards for business development and professionals. They recognize the outstanding achievements of organizations and individuals who are raising the bar for excellence in corporate communications and public relations.”

Human Resources & Individual Awards Judging Committee

Chair: Kifaya Abu-Thallam, HR Executive Advisor – HR Transformation & Organization Design, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

 

 

 

Kifaya Abu-Thallam is a trusted Executive HR Advisor to business leaders and boards of directors in HR Transformation & Organization Design in the United Arab Emirates. With 20+ years of experience in government, semi-government and private sectors, she has served in some of the most significant industries including defense, telecommunications, banking, energy, and infrastructure development.

Kifaya is accredited by many recognized international Human Resources organizations such as the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development in the United Kingdom, a certified member of the Australian Human Resources Institute, CPHR Canada, a Certified Organization Development Professional (USA), and CINS.

Kifaya has focused experience in designing HR models that drive organizational and employee performance through digital transformation, building effective HR strategies, workforce capabilities building programs, human-centric organizational cultures (employees’ happiness, D&I strategies), and Agile performance management systems. Kifaya is also a regular speaker and moderator at HR Summits locally and internationally.

 

 

Management, Customer Service & Thought Leadership Awards Judging Committee

 

Chair: Dr. Kamal Eldin Salih, Managing Director of Suretrack Management Consultancy, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

 

 

Dr. Kamal Salih is the Managing Director of Suretrack Management Consultancy, a Dubai-based management consultancy firm specializing in Business Excellence, Quality, Strategy, and Performance Improvement services. Dr. Salih is an expert and qualified practitioner in Quality Engineering & Management, Business Excellence Models, Performance Improvement, International Standards of Management Systems (ISO), Strategic Planning, Business Process Reengineering, Organizational Development, and Enterprise Risk Management, and has 30+ years of experience.

He has held top and senior-level positions in charge of businesses and operations of Governmental, International, and Corporate organizations in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Sudan. Recent positions included Senior Vice President/Strategy & Support Services, and Vice President/Performance, Quality & Risk for ETISALAT Group in the UAE. He has executed assignments around the world in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.

Between 1972 and 1993, Dr. Salih received a PhD in Quality Systems in the USA, a master’s degree in quality engineering in the UK, and a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering in Egypt.  In addition, he holds international memberships and professional qualifications from leading Business Schools and International Bodies. He is a Certified Team Leader in assessing submissions for the Excellence Awards in UAE, the Middle East, and globally, including the Sheikh Khalifa Excellence Award, Dubai Quality Award, Egypt Government Excellence Award, Sheikh Saqr Government Excellence Program, Ideas Arabia Award, and Emirates Ideas Award.

 

 

Marketing, Media (Apps/Events/Video/Websites) & Social Media Awards Judging Committee

 

Chair: Dr. Mahmoud Mansi, Founder & Chairperson, Influencers Today Magazine, Alexandria, Saba Pasha, Egypt

 

 

 

Dr. Mahmoud Mansi (DBA|CIPD Level 7) is the Founder of four digital magazines: Influencers Today Magazine (the first Influencers’ magazine globally), HR Revolution Middle East Magazine, NGOs Today Magazine, and recently Women of Saudi Arabia, in addition to being an ambitious Business Innovator with a 360° experience in management consulting, auditing, research and education, and a Faculty Instructor at the Human Capital Institute.  Dr. Mahmoud is passionate about communicating new ideas and solutions to the community in various ways including writing, public speaking, and media. That’s why he is the author of 9 books, and a writer at Harvard Business Review, Stanford for Social Innovation, Fortune Arabia, and MIT Technology Review. In 2023 he participated in writing the “Entrepreneur’s Journey,” a book by the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development. As a global public speaker, he has traveled and spoken at many conferences - including FIREX, SHRM TECH, HRSE, ATD ME, and NIES - in Nigeria, Egypt, UAE, India, KSA, Italy, Spain, Sudan, and the UK. Additionally, he has achieved a record by speaking 8 times at TEDx. Due to his expertise as a Judge at global business and sustainability awards, he has been featured on several blogs giving tips regarding judging and competing:  The Stevie Awards Blog, Brilliance Awards Blog & GULF Sustainability Awards Blog.

Throughout his diverse career journey, he has received awards from different entities. Earlier in 2023 he was awarded by the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) in USA, funded and organized by the  US Department of State. In 2022, he was shortlisted as one of the top 5 CHROs in the Middle East at the Future Workplace Awards in Dubai. He has also received awards for his creative writing achievements: in 2010 he was one of the winners of Sea of Words Literary Award organized by the Anna Lindh Foundation with his short story “The Island”, and in 2012 he was selected to participate in the World Event Young Artists (WEYA) Festival in the UK with his short story “Revolution of Pirates”. As a Marketing & Branding innovator, Dr. Mahmoud has recently been working on delivering three new major solutions related to creating “in-house influencers”: (1) converting customers to advocates; (2) developing and promoting employees to become company social media influencers and brand ambassadors; (3) developing both employees and customers to volunteer in the organization’s corporate social responsibility and philanthropy initiatives.

On being invited to be a Chair, Dr. Mahmoud told us, “I have been judging for The Stevie Awards since 2019, and the effort and time I put into judging with each round impacts my experience, knowledge, and ambition. Yes, I get inspired by all the positivity and success stories, that contribute not only to my professional life, but to my passion as a human being. It is delightful to witness the continuous evolution of our limitless human race.”

 

 

New Product & Technology Awards Judging Committee

 

Chair: Balagopal Ramdurai, Vice President – Products & Technology, Vectramind Corporation, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

 

Balagopal Ramdurai is a digital innovator and product creator with over 15 years of management experience in building innovative digital products for FinTech, Health Tech, and Retail industries. Mr. Ramdurai has been instrumental in creating award-winning industry products covering Digital Banking platforms and payments, and to currently spearheading customer experience platforms for the Healthcare industry.

Mr. Ramdurai has been working as Vice President – Products & Technology with Vectramind Corporation, a technology company headquartered in Dubai, UAE, since 2019. He has been on the judging panels of various awards committees, including the Stevie Awards, for the past few years, and has also been a mentor to Tech startups across the globe.

With a keen interest in emerging technologies, Mr. Ramdurai has been a speaker at various technology conferences and has published research articles on the benefits of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Healthcare.

 

DHL Group and INFLOW Network will be celebrated at an awards gala on 2 March. A Third Grand Stevie Winner to be announced at ceremony.

The Stevie® Awards have announced two Grand Stevie Award winners in the fifth annual Middle East & North Africa Stevie Awards. Grand Stevie winners will be presented their awards at a gala banquet at the Mövenpick Resort Al Marjan Island in Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates on Saturday, 2 March.

The Middle East & North Africa Stevie Awards, sponsored by the Ras Al Khaimah Chamber of Commerce & Industry, is an international business awards competition open to all organizations in 18 nations in the Middle East and North Africa. The focus of the awards is recognizing workplace innovation in all its forms.

This year more than 1,000 nominations were considered in the judging process by more than 150 professionals, whose average ratings determined the Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie Award winners announced earlier in January. For a complete list of the 2024 Stevie Award winners, visit https://MENA.StevieAwards.com.

In addition to the Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie Awards, the organization with the most award points from the most nations (total number of points conferred by total Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie wins across the world) and the highest-scoring nomination are awarded the Grand Stevie Awards, which cannot be applied for directly. A third Grand Stevie winner, the Premier Grand winner who has the highest number of award points in the competition, will be announced at the award ceremony.

The Grand Stevie Award winners are:

ORGANIZATION OF THE YEAR (MULTINATIONAL): DHL Group earned 45 award points on behalf of its operations in Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. They won 10 Gold, three Silver, and six Bronze Stevie Awards in categories including Customer Service Department of the Year, Achievement in Customer Satisfaction, Achievement in Growth, Conferences & Meetings - Healthcare & Wellness Event, and Best Business Technology Pivot, among others. DHL Express is a division of the German logistics company DHL Group, providing international express mail services. DHL Global Forwarding is a division of DHL Group that provides freight forwarding and supply chain solutions to businesses worldwide.

HIGHEST-RATED NOMINATION OF THE YEAR: The entry “UEFA Champions League Final Istanbul 2023 - Football on the Bosphorus,” submitted by the INFLOW Network, USA, received the highest average score from Stevie Awards judges (9.14 out of 10) in this year’s competition. The nomination won the Gold Stevie for Most Innovative Advertising or Marketing Agency of the Year. INFLOW Network is a global company specializing in influencer marketing, digital advertising, social media management, digital strategy, and content, working with different nations worldwide including the Middle East. INFLOW Network focuses on influencer collaborations to help brands reach their target audiences. It also helps brands manage their digital assets and create social media campaigns to reach their target audiences effectively.

“We are thrilled to announce the 2024 Grand Stevie Award winners. DHL Group and INFLOW Network embody the breadth and quality of nominations we welcomed to the Middle East & North Africa Stevie Awards in 2024,” said Maggie Miller, President of the Stevie Awards. “As businesses adapt and grow, the judges were impressed by how creative, resourceful, and skilled the Grand Stevie winners have been in moving their organizations forward over the last two years. We look forward to celebrating Grand Stevie Award winners at the gala on 2 March.”

Complete information about the 2 March awards banquet in Ras Al Khaimah is available at https://stevieawards.com/mena/tickets

If you, as a press representative, are interested in covering the Middle East & North Africa Stevie Awards award ceremony on 2 March in Ras al Khaimah, UAE, please contact us at help+MENA@stevieawards.com.

The sixth edition of the Middle East & North Africa Stevie Awards will open for entries in September 2024.

Fifth Annual Awards Sponsored by RAK Chamber of Commerce & Industry Recognize Innovation in 18 MENA Nations

Winners in the fifth annual Middle East & North Africa Stevie® Awards, the only awards program to recognize innovation in the workplace throughout 18 nations in the Middle East and North Africa, have been announced. The awards are sponsored by the RAK Chamber of Commerce & Industry. The list of Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie Award winners is available here.

The 2024 Middle East & North Africa Stevie Awards have recognized winning organizations in 13 nations: Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates. More than 1,000 nominations in Arabic and English were evaluated in this year’s competition. Winners were determined by the average scores of more than 150 professionals worldwide, acting as judges in more than 150 categories recognizing apps, achievements, companies, public relations, customer service, human resources, individuals, live and virtual events, management, social media, technology, thought leadership, and more.

Winners of multiple Gold, Silver, or Bronze Stevie Awards include Abu Dhabi Sports Council, UAE; Acceligize, UAE; AXS - TECOM Group, UAE; Beyaz Kağıt San. ve Tic. A.Ş., Turkey; Big Data Minds MENA, Jordan; DHL Express, multiple locations across the region; Dhafra Region Municipality, UAE; General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs, UAE; Glimpse, UAE; INFLOW Network, USA; KAFALAH, Saudi Arabia; Megamind IT Solutions, Saudi Arabia; Miral Destinations, UAE; Now Health International, UAE; Ooredoo Group, multiple locations across the region; Petromin Express, Saudi Arabia; Qatar Vision Production Company; QNB Finansbank, Turkey; RAK Ceramics, UAE; RAK Police, UAE; Royal Commission for Jubail & Yanbu, Saudi Arabia; Saudi Aramco, Saudi Arabia; SOCAR Türkiye; Saudi Telecom Company, Saudi Arabia; The Captain Agency, Turkey; Ministry of Justice, UAE; The Others Brand Experience Agency, Turkey; VakifBank, Turkey; Visiontech Systems International LLC, UAE, and ZIGMA8 | 360º CREATIVE COMMUNICATIONS, Iran.

“We are delighted to recognize the achievements of such a diverse group of organizations across the MENA region in the 2024 edition of the Middle East & North Africa Stevie Awards,” said Stevie Awards President Maggie Miller. “We look forward to celebrating Stevie winners during our gala event on 2 March in Ras Al Khaimah. The quality of nominations received this year was exceptional. The program has grown every year, showing the vast amount of innovation in the MENA region.”

Stevie winners will be presented their awards at a gala banquet at the Mövenpick Resort Al Marjan Island in Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates on Saturday, 2 March. Tickets for the event are now on sale.

Entries for the 2025 (6th annual) Middle East & North Africa Stevie Awards will open in September. Sign up now to get the entry kit once it becomes available.

About the Stevie® Awards

Stevie Awards are conferred in nine programs: the Middle East & North Africa Stevie Awards, the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the German Stevie Awards, The American Business Awards®, The International Business Awards®, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, the Stevie Awards for Great Employers, the Stevie Awards for Technology Excellence, and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. Stevie Awards competitions receive more than 12,000 entries each year from organizations in more than 70 nations. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide. Learn more about the Stevie Awards at http://www.StevieAwards.com.

About the RAK Chamber of Commerce and Industry

RAK Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RAK Chamber) is the second chamber of commerce commissioned in the United Arab Emirates. Incorporated on 22 October 1967, RAK Chamber embraces a spirit of innovation and creativity, strong leadership, and initiative to support and develop business sectors to achieve excellence. With its focus on clients, investors, and businesses, the RAK Chamber of Commerce offers added value to businesses. Rak Chamber works to create and develop a system of sustainable enterprise relations and a business environment that encourages a culture of teamwork. By providing useful information, data, procedures, and laws for all concerned categories, Rak Chamber helps businesses achieve transparency and credibility. Rak Chamber strives to create a business-motivating environment to promote the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah as an economic hub in the United Arab Emirates. Learn more at www.RAKChamber.ae.

Stevie-winner Vodafone Oman was established through a strategic partnership between the Oman Future Telecommunication Company and Vodafone Group, one of the largest providers of mobile, fixed, broadband, and digital TV services.

Vodafone Group is a British multinational telecommunications company. With its registered office and global headquarters in Newbury, Berkshire, England, it predominantly operates services in Asia, Africa, Europe, and Oceania.

In 2021, the company obtained a Class I License to establish and operate public mobile telecommunications services in the Sultanate of Oman, becoming the third telecom operator in the local market.My Vodafone in Oman
The My Vodafone app has been downloaded by over 2 million people across Oman. Through the app, customers can onboard themselves virtually in less than two minutes, including plan and number selection, identity verification using advanced AI and facial recognition capabilities, payment, and eSIM (and physical SIM delivery or pick-up). They also enable customers to replace their SIMs remotely, providing SIM-to-eSIM replacement within seconds.

Vodafone offers a monthly subscription model wherein customers can enable the auto-payment feature so that the user's account is charged on the plan’s renewal date without any human intervention to ensure uninterrupted service. Customers are given the ability to set an amount to be withdrawn automatically once a minimum threshold is reached.

They have also developed a feature called "Everything Is Okay (EIO)" which allows customers to check their account against any technical, financial, and network issues. Customers are presented with an issue and a way to resolve it, covering payments and renewals, account status, network, and device and SIM management.

Existing customers can digitally add up to 10 numbers under their main account in less than a minute using My Vodafone, including number selection, plan selection, payment, and SIM activation.

App Improvement & Service Expansion
To localize an international brand, Vodafone had to bring on a team of agencies that brought local insights with technological prowess.

The Vodafone Academy was an integrative program between the different agencies and Vodafone Oman that aims to build a circular talent economy that nurtures young Omani talents. The program was centered around three key pillars of marketing: media, content/creative, and social media. The program spanned six months and ultimately awarded two graduates full-time placements at the end of the program.

With fewer resources and less time in the market, it leveraged its agencies’ local and international expertise to develop a team that deepened its relationship with not only its partners but also the wider Omani community.

The app has enabled Vodafone to collect a huge amount of data points, which helps them make constant improvements to both the services and customer service.

Vodafone’s AI-enabled networks automatically detect and even pre-empt problems and threats via data analysis and create tickets for dispatch to the network operation center, saving significant time for affected customers and enhancing their experience.

Telecom operators have previously focused on selling services, i.e., voice and data. The My Vodafone app aims to offer more than that, providing other services in line with the Government of Oman’s digital ambitions: parking booking within Muscat and Nizwa in collaboration with local partners, with notifications when a reservation is about to expire; and high school grades in collaboration the Sultanate’s Ministry of Education, when students enter their seat ID to receive their grade automatically.

Entering Oman as a digital-first service, Vodafone said the speed of transformation that the pandemic brought to the world was an enabler for a winning launch and a solid foundation for the brand.

Vodafone Oman won a Bronze Stevie and three Gold Stevie Awards for Innovation in Cross-Media Marketing, Most Innovative Startup of the Year in Services, Most Innovative Advertising or Marketing Team of the Year, and for Innovation in Brand Development in the 2023 Middle East & North Africa Stevie^® Awards.

Interested in entering the 2024 Middle East & North Africa Stevie Awards?

Stevie-winner Big Data Minds MENA is a community platform that aims to close learning gaps and create networks for knowledge sharing in the domain of big data and other related emerging technology.

The platform can be used with big data, data engineering, data science, data management, digital transformation, industry 4.0, internet of things (IoT), and artificial intelligence (AI) training programs to disseminate more knowledge and training to the MENA region. They have launched several technological initiatives in Jordan and the MENA region to empower women and children.

Big Data Minds MENA was founded in 2020 by Dr. Zaher Al-Sai as a community-based organization of big data and data science in the Middle East. Dr. Zaher Ali Al-Sai has a BS degree in computer science and an MBA (Hons.) in e-government Technology. She completed her PhD in Computer Science in the field of Big Data and Software Engineering. She is currently an assistant professor of Big Data at Al-Zaytoonah University of Jordan.

As a female-founded organization, Big Data Minds MENA has shifted the direction of the IT organizations in Jordan to empower women in data science, AI, and emerging technologies. Big Data Minds’ first initiative was empowering women in data science by founding the Arabian Women in Data Science initiative in the MENA region and organizing many events and workshops in data science and AI, which has impacted over 5,000 women. The company volunteers to teach and empower more than 50,000 of community members, including women, teenagers, children, and students, in technology and data science.

In 2021 and 2022 Big Data Minds MENA organized the largest virtual women in data science (WiDS) Jordan workshops and data-thons in the Middle East with more than 800 attendees. WiDS Jordan is an independent event organized by Big Data Minds and the WiDS Ambassador in Jordan to coincide with the annual Women in Data Science Worldwide Conference held at Stanford University and an estimated 150+ locations worldwide.

Expanding their reach, Big Data Minds MENA is now also teaching children (8-16) years through the launch of "Kids in Data Science and AI" initiative," or "KiDS,” to empower and teach children the skills of data science and AI, including skills related to problem-solving, math, and computer coding. KiDS provides various activities for children in public schools and villages.

Big Data Minds is a visionary community that continuously seeks innovation to maintain its initiatives as a community-based organization in technology and data science. Big Data Minds is inspiring and educating community members worldwide, regardless of gender, and supporting women in the field of data science.

Big Data Minds MENA won three Gold Stevie Awards for Innovation in Technology Development - Non-Profit; for Best Thought Leadership Campaign of the Year; and for Best Innovative Achievement in Science or Technology in the 2023 Middle East & North Africa Stevie® Awards.

Interested in entering the 2024 Middle East & North Africa Stevie Awards?

 

The region’s only awards to recognize innovation in all its forms in the workplace in 18 nations is now accepting nominations through December 6.

By popular demand, the Stevie Awards have announced a final entry deadline extension for the fifth annual Middle East & North Africa Stevie® Awards sponsored by the Ras Al Khaimah Chamber of Commerce. Entries will now be accepted through Wednesday, December 6 (the original final entry deadline was November 7.) Details are available at http://MENA.StevieAwards.com.

The Middle East & North Africa Stevie Awards are the region’s only awards to recognize innovation in all its forms throughout the workplace. The awards are open to all organizations in 18 nations in the MENA region: Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.

All individuals & organizations may submit any number of nominations to any number of the categories.

There are no entry fees in this awards program. Organizations may submit as many nominations as they would like, without cost. Instead, Gold, Silver, & Bronze Stevie Award winners will pay a “winners fee” for each successful nomination.

Winners of Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie Awards in the competition will be announced on January 18, 2024, and celebrated during a gala event in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE on March 2.

The 2024 competition features new categories to better recognize innovation and excellence in the workplace. The new Individual Professional Award Categories recognize individuals who have demonstrated exceptional innovation and forward-thinking qualities within their organization or industry.

Other new categories include Innovative Achievement in Sustainability (added to the Achievement Categories), Most Innovative Contact Center of the Year and Most Innovative Customer Service Department / Team of the Year (added to the Customer Service Categories), and Award for Most Innovative HR Department / Team of the Year has been added to the Human Resources Categories.

Nominations citing innovative achievements will be accepted and judged in both Arabic and English, in more than 100 categories across the following category groups:

• Apps & Websites
• Achievements
• Annual Reports & Other Publications
• Company/Organization
• Corporate Communications & Public Relations
• Customer Service
• Human Resources
• Individual Professionals
• Live & Virtual Events
• Management
• Marketing
• New Products & Services
• Social Media
• Technology
• Videos
• Thought Leadership

Winners of the 2023 edition with multiple Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie Awards include Bagcılar Municipality, Turkey; Department of Health Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; DHL Express, Several Nations; Etihad Rail, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; INFLOW Network, Qatar; Integrated Transport Center, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Karaca Zuccaciye A.S., Istanbul, Turkey; Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP), Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Saudi Aramco, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia; and ZIGMA8 | 360º CREATIVE COMMUNICATIONS, Tehran, Iran, among others.

The 2024 competition will be judged by more than 150 professionals in the MENA region and around the world.

 

Interested in submitting nominations before the

December 6 final deadline?

 

Fourth Annual Awards Sponsored by RAK Chamber of Commerce & Industry Recognize Innovation in 18 MENA Nations

Winners in the fourth annual Middle East & North Africa Stevie® Awards, the only awards program to recognize innovation in the workplace throughout 18 nations in the Middle East and North Africa, have been announced.  The awards are sponsored by RAK Chamber of Commerce & Industry. The list of Gold, Silver and Bronze Stevie Award winners is available at http://MENA.StevieAwards.com.

The 2023 Middle East Stevie & North Africa Awards have recognized organizations in 14 nations including Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Turkey and United Arab Emirates. More than 800 Nominations in Arabic and English were evaluated in this year’s competition and winners were determined by the average scores of more than 150 professionals worldwide, acting as judges in more than 150 categories recognizing achievements, apps, companies, public relations, COVID-19 response, customer service, human resources, live and virtual events, management, social media, technology, Thought Management and more.

Winners of multiple Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie Awards include Bagcılar Municipality, Turkey; Department of Health Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; DHL Express, Several Nations; Etihad Rail, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; INFLOW Network, Qatar; Integrated Transport Center, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Karaca Zuccaciye A.S., Istanbul, Turkey; Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP), Dubai, UAE; Saudi Aramco, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia; and ZIGMA8 | 360º CREATIVE COMMUNICATIONS, Tehran, Iran, among others.

“We are delighted to recognize the achievements of such a diverse group of organizations across the MENA region in the 2023 edition of the Middle East & North Africa Stevie Awards,” said Stevie Awards President Maggie Miller.  “We look forward to celebrating Stevie winners during our gala event on 18 March in Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates. The quality of nominations received this year was exceptional. The program has grown every year, showing the vast amount of innovation in the MENA region.”

Stevie winners will be presented their awards at a gala banquet at the Waldorf Astoria Ras Al Khaimah Hotel in the United Arab Emirates on Saturday, 18 March. Tickets for the event are now on sale.

We invite business professionals, thought leaders, entrepreneurs, innovators, and more from
around the world to apply to judge in the following 2023 Stevie® Awards programs: Middle East & North Africa Stevie® Awards, Asia-Pacific Stevie® Awards, German Stevie® Awards.

Being selected or nominated to become a jury committee member is an honorable and
distinctive position. It not only reflects one’s expertise in a certain profession, but also reflects that this person has high ethical standards and is well-recognized and trusted within their business community. Qualified applicants will be placed on judging committees for Marketing, Entrepreneurship, New Products, Technology, Thought Leadership, and much more.

Each year, more than 1,000 professionals participate in Stevie Awards judging. The average scores from judges determine the winners in each Stevie Awards category. As this is a critical component of the Stevie Awards competitions, we take great care to maintain the integrity of the judging process. The judging team ensures that jury members are experts and professionals in their industry and conducts regular monitoring and auditing of the entire process. The judging team is available to guide new judges, and hosts meetings to explain proper judging protocols.

Benefits for Stevie Awards Judges
As a judge, you will learn how other organizations and individuals are achieving success and confronting challenges. Below are the exclusive benefits of being a judge at the Stevie Awards:

• Recognition - During the judging process, jury members are recognized on the Stevie
  Awards website, Stevie Awards blog, and receive a hardcopy and PDF judge certificate suitable for framing.
  
• Profile - Qualifying as a judge is an honor and a privilege. The mention of serving in this role can be added to your professional profile.
  
• Self-Development & Awareness - Judges learn about strategies, tactics, and best practices of others in the industry as their review entries, giving them a unique opportunity to spot new market trends as they happen.
• Award Ceremony - All jury members are welcome to attend the award ceremony, which takes place at the end of each competition. Enjoy a spectacular night socializing and networking with award winners and other judges.
• Invitations to Judge Future Competitions

Before You Apply to Judge
Judging positions are open for the following Stevie Awards competitions. Those interested in serving as a judge should follow the below links for more information on each respective competition:

• The Middle-East & North Africa Stevie Awards
• The Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards
• The German Stevie Awards

Prospective judges should make sure their LinkedIn profile is up-to-date and that it reflects your most current experience and demonstrates a competitive edge.

Judging  Criteria
Individual criteria differ by category, but the emphasis is on the overall quality of the entry: the merits of the claims to innovation, integrity, effectiveness, creativity, growth, etc. claimed in the entry, relative to the judges' experience and their knowledge of the participant's industry, as well as the quality of the entry's content itself.

Judges tend to value well-written entries that: (1) are heavy in facts, figures, and concrete outcomes; (2) come close to the word-limit for their categories (i.e. that aren't perceived as being too short); and (3) are supported by attachments, such as a links to a corporate website, press clippings, work samples, etc.

We recommend that prospective judges request an entry kit to the competition for which you want to judge, so that you can familiarize yourself with the criteria and submission requirements.

Gold Stevie-winning nominations are linked on the Stevie Awards website. This is a good tool for prospective judges to learn what a top-rated Stevie nomination looks like.

Judging Process
All entries are first reviewed by Stevie Awards staff to ensure that eligibility requirements are met, that entries are formatted properly in order to go forward to be judged, and that entries have been submitted in appropriate categories.

All judges receive written instructions about how to score entries. Judges are asked to score the achievements portrayed in each entry based on: (a) their own experience; and (b) their understanding of how organizations and individuals in the nominee's industry performed in the eligibility timeframe, given the condition of the economy in general and the nominee's industry in particular. 

For entries in creative media categories, judges are asked to read the brief submitted about the entry’s communications objectives, and to review and score the submitted media (web site, video, live event, etc.) based on their originality, creativity, production values, and how well they believe the media meet the stated communications objectives.

All judging is done online, within a two-to-three-month window. Judging for the Middle East & North Africa Stevie Awards, the German Stevie Awards, and the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards is open now.