The Emirates Red Crescent, ERC, highlighted its compliance in the process of attaining excellence and innovation within national and government institutions while adding that its development is in line with the "National Innovation Strategy" launched by the Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, as part of UAE Innovation Week.

During the ceremony, which was held at its headquarters in Abu Dhabi to honour the winners of the 'Performance Excellence Awards', Dr. Mohammed Ateeq Al Falahi, Secretary-General of the ERC, stated that the ERC, as per the directives of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler's Representative in Al Dhafra Region and Chairman of the ERC, is keen to participate with the country’s institutions and government authorities, as well as private sector institutions, in implementing many national initiatives, to help maintain the UAE’s overall position among the world’s advanced countries.

Dr. Al Falahi added that, in 2016, the ERC launched its award for excellence and innovation and opened it to all its employees to submit their innovative ideas, according to the national science and innovation policy and strategy adopted by President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

The award’s permanent committee received many innovative submissions from ERC employees and held several meetings to assess them. They then contacted the applicants to learn about their ideas and perform feasibility studies, he added.

A total of 54 employees were honoured in the categories of administrative employees, heads of administrations, ERC representatives, workers and drivers while two employees were honoured in the innovation category.

The ceremony was attended by the deputies of Dr. Al Falahi in the supporting services sector, the marketing sector, donations collection, the foreign aid sector and the local affairs sector, as well as the directors of the ERC’s branches in all emirates, several victorious employees, and heads of the administrations and other employees of its General Secretariat in Abu Dhabi.