Abu Dhabi, 24 May 2011 (WAM) -- Winners of the 10th cycle of theSheikh Khalifa Excellence Award were honoured yesterday by H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler's Representative in the Western Region, in a grand ceremony staged at the Emirate Palaceunder the patronage of His Highness General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.

Attending the award-giving ceremony were also H.H. Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chief of Abu Dhabi Crown Prince's Court, Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, and a number of Sheikhs, ministers, senior officials, Arab and foreign diplomats and representatives of the public and private sectors.

Sheikh Hamdan honoured 11 winners and gave certificates of appreciation for quality to other seven companies.

Winners of Sheikh Khalifa Excellence Award (Diamond, Gold and Silver) categories can benefit from the branding privileges and the display of special logos designed to distinguish the winners in each category.

At the outset of the ceremony, Chairman of the higher Organizing Committee of the Award Saeed Abdul Jalil Al Fahim, said the Sheikh Khalifa Excellence Award is designed to provide organisations a road map to help them improve their performance, to support a healthy economy and to unify their management practice in a balanced holistic model.

The award, he added, has many benefits, one of which is that it offers organisations the opportunity benchmark themselves against internationally recognised criteria, carried out by fully trained assessors.

He noted that applicants to the 10th Sheikh Khalifa Excellence Award had covered all the sectors of the Award : Manufacturing, Service, Trade, Construction, Finance, Tourism, Professional, and Health.

He announced that new categories based on innovation and inspired by the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030 would be added to the Award. They include the categories for innovation, leadership development, human development and customers' service.

The Diamond Category went to Mafraq Hospital (health sector) and Abu Dhabi Gas Industries Ltd. (oil and gas), and the Gold Category was bagged by Abu Dhabi Distribution Company (services), Abu Dhabi Marine Operating Company (oil and gas), Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (health) and Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (finance) while the Ready Mix, Union (construction), Excellent Pipes Company (industry), Abu Dhabi University (education), AlMansoori Specialized Engineering (services) and Lifeline Hospital(health) won the Silver Category.

A certificate of appreciation were given to Al Hilal Bank, Gulf Speciality Hospital, Al Ansari Exchange, Fast Rent A Car, Aloft Hotel, Joseph Group and Ghadeer Mineral Water Company

Copyright Emirates News Agency (WAM) 2011.