Abu Dhabi Excellence Award Sets New Inclusion Benchmarks

The Abu Dhabi Excellence Award will reshape the scene for People of Determination through recognition of over 80 organizations in public, private, and third-sector entities. This pioneering program makes easier approximately 500 inclusive services in healthcare, education, tourism, recreation, transportation, and mobility sectors. The award builds on three main pillars: Inclusive Services, Accessibility, and Inclusive Employment that cover ten distinct categories. His Highness Sheik Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, leads this initiative that enables more than 600 entities to become fully available, both physically and digitally. The award shows evidence of UAE’s steadfast dedication to creating a society where People of Determination receive equal opportunities in rights and services.

Strategic Vision and Framework

The Abu Dhabi Government Excellence Model (GEM 2.0) acts as the foundation to evaluate and enhance government entity performance. This complete model has three main pillars: Vision Realization (40%), Distinctive Value (35%), and Enablers (25%).

Vision Realization pillar aims to boost wellbeing, future readiness, strategic direction, and core functions. The Distinctive Value pillar creates proactive, individual-specific services. The Enablers pillar builds an environment where employees excel.

The model’s purpose-driven approach works through these key components:

• Resources and assets optimization
• Data and knowledge management
• Partnership and integration
• Government communication

The framework measures performance through smart outcomes that set the world’s most rigorous standards as goals. Leading government entities reshape the scene with fresh thinking. They keep a clear understanding of their purpose and contribution to the country’s long-term vision.

The model strengthens the government’s vision to enhance the nation’s wellbeing. The strategy builds distinctive capabilities that power ambitious plans, especially when you have to think ahead in relevant areas. This method helps line up capabilities, operations, and resources. It ensures reliable strategy delivery with optimal resource use and constant breakthroughs.

Sector-Specific Implementation

Abu Dhabi’s Department of Health has created complete frameworks to help People of Determination through many initiatives. The department created a unified assessment framework and developed two vital diagnostic pathways for autism spectrum and intellectual disabilities. The department worked with Abu Dhabi Public Health Center to start a developmental surveillance program that evaluated 220 children at important growth stages.

Abu Dhabi’s Department of Education and Knowledge reached major milestones in education. Student numbers in private and charter schools grew from 6,000 in 2023 to more than 13,000 in 2024. These specialized therapeutic services now help 1,359 students across 108 schools.

The Department of Culture and Tourism made cultural and tourism facilities more accessible. Their main achievements include:

• Evaluating 48 hotels and tourist facilities
• Training 101 frontline employees through the Shumul program
• Getting over 16,000 People of Determination to participate in events throughout 2024

The transportation sector saw big improvements too. Zayed International Airport added 29 accommodations and services for passengers with disabilities. The airport served 523,259 People of Determination, which is 1.86% of all passengers, and got satisfaction scores of 4.9 out of 5 for arrival services.

Economic Impact and Opportunities

The Abu Dhabi Excellence Award brings economic benefits beyond social inclusion. This program helps People of Determination join the workforce in more than 80 public and private organizations. The strategy will add AED 24 billion to Abu Dhabi’s GDP by 2027 and create more than 5,000 jobs that support Emiratisation efforts.

A detailed Inclusive Employment Policy with 15 initiatives now boosts workforce participation, thanks to the Department of Government Enablement. The ‘Colleagues of Determination’ program has successfully trained 1,540 employees from 56 government entities. This policy has several key components:

• An electronic job matching system
• An employment registry
• Detailed employment guidelines
• Integration with the Mawaheb Center operational model

Companies that win the award receive valuable benefits. These include top-tier classification in Ministry rankings, service discounts, and financial savings up to AED 1.5 million. The award’s success shows in its 14 sponsoring companies that showcase the private sector’s dedication to social responsibility.

The program creates lasting job opportunities through mutually beneficial alliances. Organizations like the Cultural Foundation, Burjeel Holdings, PureHealth, and Al Fahim Holding have created custom positions for 23 Emirati Students of Determination. These students work in box office management, customer service, and financial data handling, which helps them develop valuable skills and gain work experience.

The Abu Dhabi Excellence Award marks a turning point for People of Determination in the emirate. Its three pillars – Inclusive Services, Accessibility, and Inclusive Employment – drive positive change throughout the region. The initiative will add AED 24 billion to the GDP by 2027. The program reaches across healthcare, education, tourism, and transportation sectors, showing Abu Dhabi’s dedication to making everything accessible to everyone.

Real results prove the program’s value. Zayed International Airport has helped over 500,000 passengers, while educational institutions support 13,000 students. The initiative goes beyond just social inclusion. It has created 5,000 new jobs through mutually beneficial alliances with major corporations, paving the way for lasting employment opportunities.

This award shows Abu Dhabi’s progress toward building an inclusive society. The program sets new benchmarks for accessibility and inclusion with strong government support and private sector involvement. People of Determination’s lives improve steadily while Abu Dhabi strengthens its role as a global leader in inclusive development.