Dubai’s Government Excellence Programme Sets Out to Recognise Talent Across 279 Nominations

The General Secretariat of The Executive Council of Dubai has opened its 2026 assessment cycle, inviting government employees at all levels to demonstrate their contributions to institutional excellence and public service.

The Dubai Government Excellence Programme has commenced its 2026 assessment cycle, bringing forward 279 nominations across a spectrum of recognition categories that reflect the emirate’s commitment to cultivating talent and fostering innovation within government ranks. The initiative, administered through the General Secretariat of The Executive Council of Dubai, represents a structured approach to identifying and honouring the individuals and entities whose work advances the quality and effectiveness of public service.

The assessment process encompasses eight Dubai Excellence Medal categories alongside two variable categories: Best Joint Government Initiative and Best People of Determination-Friendly Entity, together with a Special Tribute for Unknown Soldiers. The framework, approved by H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, in February 2023, reflects an evolved understanding of excellence that extends beyond individual achievement to encompass collaborative endeavour and institutional responsibility.

A cohort of 35 assessors, organised into ten teams, will evaluate nominations against criteria designed to measure both tangible results and the qualities that sustain institutional progress. Dr. Hazza Khalfan Al Nuaimi, Assistant Secretary-General for Excellence and Government Services Sector at the General Secretariat, emphasised that the programme operates as an instrument of Dubai’s broader governance philosophy, translating recognition into measurable improvements in public service delivery. The assessment measures performance and achievement, innovation, continuous learning, initiative and entrepreneurial awareness, alongside positive influence and leadership capabilities.

The Dubai Excellence Medals remain open to government employees across all levels and professional disciplines, acknowledging that excellence manifests in diverse forms throughout the public sector. As reported in October, Dubai Government launched a comprehensive employee wellbeing initiative uniting 47 entities, demonstrating the emirate’s investment in creating conditions where talent can flourish. The rigorous assessment process itself comprises multiple stages from nomination review and field visits through to evaluation, consensus and arbitration, ensuring that recognition rests upon evidence rather than assumption.

The Best Joint Government Initiative category acknowledges that meaningful progress often emerges from collaboration across governmental and public–private boundaries. Entities are assessed on their capacity to plan and deliver joint initiatives that demonstrate impact at entity, government and societal levels, reflecting the whole-of-government approach that has characterised recent Dubai initiatives. Similarly, the Best People of Determination-Friendly Entity category recognises institutional commitment to creating environments where colleagues with disabilities can fulfil their professional potential, evaluating systems, facilities and workplace arrangements that enable meaningful participation.

Eman Mohammed Al Suwaidi, Executive Director of Assessment and Studies at the General Secretariat, noted that the assessment cycle also functions as a mechanism for identifying successful practices that merit broader adoption and scaling across sectors. This knowledge-sharing dimension transforms individual and institutional achievements into resources that strengthen the entire governmental ecosystem. The programme thus operates at multiple levels, simultaneously recognising excellence, reinforcing it as a cultural value, and disseminating the approaches that generate it.

Source: WAM

What it means for Abu Dhabi

While the Dubai Government Excellence Programme operates within Dubai’s governmental structures, the broader UAE vision it reflects extends across the emirates. The emphasis on recognising talent, encouraging innovation and strengthening collaboration across government entities represents a set of principles applicable to the wider public sector. Abu Dhabi’s own commitment to excellence in governance and service delivery aligns with the framework that Dubai has formalised, particularly in initiatives that emphasise continuous learning, institutional development and the integration of colleagues with disabilities into professional roles.

The programme demonstrates how the emirates systematically translate leadership vision into operational reality through structured assessment and recognition. The inclusion of categories addressing joint government initiatives and accessibility reflects priorities that resonate across the UAE’s public service culture, where collaborative achievement and inclusive governance remain central to advancing national development objectives.