His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Awards Inaugural Mohammed bin Rashid Leadership Medal to Director General Marwan bin Ghalita
The prestigious accolade recognises exceptional leadership in nurturing and empowering second-tier talent within Dubai's government institutions, awarded during the annual Mohammed bin Rashid Leadership Forum.
In a momentous ceremony attended by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, presented the inaugural Mohammed bin Rashid Leadership Medal to His Excellency Engineer Marwan bin Ghalita, Director General of Dubai Municipality.
The medal, launched by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, stands as the highest accolade within the Government of Dubai. The award ceremony took place during the Mohammed bin Rashid Leadership Forum, an esteemed annual congregation dedicated to the advancement of management and leadership excellence, which drew together 1,000 distinguished leaders from both the government and private sectors to contemplate future transformation in leadership and governance.
Engineer Bin Ghalita received the award in recognition of his exceptional efforts in fostering a culture of institutional empowerment, developing and nurturing second-tier leaders, and advancing excellence within government institutions. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum underscored the significance of this initiative, stating that empowering second and third-tier leaders ensures the continuity and resilience of institutions whilst safeguarding the achievements attained. He emphasised that true leadership lies not in centralising an institution around one individual, but in cultivating a culture of collaborative teamwork that sustains institutional performance and growth beyond any single leader’s tenure.
The selection of Engineer Bin Ghalita emerged from a comprehensive and rigorous evaluation process encompassing 32 Directors General and second-tier leaders. The Supervisory Committee employed a sophisticated multi-stage evaluation methodology grounded in objective indicators and specialised interviews, scrutinising over 4,000 documents and evidence submissions whilst conducting more than 100 interviews to verify leadership practices and assess their sustainable impact. Ten independent global leadership experts served as evaluators, ensuring the utmost standards of objectivity and precision.
The evaluation concentrated on several pivotal pillars, measuring the tangible impact of leadership in preparing and empowering emerging talent. These encompassed the development of competencies, fostering trust within work teams, expanding authority and responsibilities, and engaging promising leaders in strategic decision making. Engineer Bin Ghalita’s leadership demonstrated a distinguished commitment to empowering second-tier leaders by granting them expanded roles and involving them in strategic matters, thereby enhancing their readiness to assume advanced positions whilst ensuring continuous knowledge transfer and the accumulation of expertise.
The Mohammed bin Rashid Leadership Medal endeavours to establish a comprehensive leadership empowerment ecosystem within every entity through clearly defined plans and standards. This prestigious initiative advances Dubai’s standing as a global benchmark in leadership development, positions the Emirate’s experience against international best practices, and illuminates success stories that other organisations may emulate. The medal shall be awarded annually to the Director General within the Government of Dubai who contributes most significantly to developing, empowering and championing second-tier leaders through fostering institutional trust and promoting a culture of decentralisation and expanded responsibility.
Source: WAM