SHARJAH, 19th January, 2026 (WAM) — The Sharjah Award for Public Finance held its preparatory meeting to launch the fourth cycle of the Award at the headquarters of the Arab Administrative Development Organization (ARADO) in Cairo. The meeting was attended by Waleed Al Sayegh, Director General of the Sharjah Finance Department and Member of the Award’s Board of Trustees; Dr. Nasser Al Kahtani, Director General of ARADO (an affiliate of the League of Arab States) and Vice Chairman of the Award’s Board of Trustees; Hassan Basha, Advisor to the Award; Dr. Hassan Diab, Director of the Awards Portfolio at ARADO; members of the awards team; and a number of leaders, experts, and specialists in public finance.
Participants discussed several key themes, foremost among them evaluating previous cycles of the Award and measuring the extent to which its objectives have been achieved. The meeting also reviewed successful experiences that have strengthened the Award’s standing across the Arab world, and explored ways to further develop the fourth cycle to enhance competitiveness and align with international best practices, paving the way for a more comprehensive and impactful launch.
Waleed Al Sayegh stated, “The preparatory meeting for the fourth cycle of the Sharjah Award for Public Finance represents a pivotal milestone in the Award’s journey. Through this meeting, we are keen to build on the successes achieved in previous cycles and to further develop the Award’s framework in a way that reflects its position as a leading Arab platform supporting institutional and individual excellence in public finance, while promoting a culture of financial sustainability and sound governance.”
He added, “In the fourth cycle, we aspire to broaden the Award’s horizons and elevate its regional and international impact by developing categories, updating evaluation criteria, and strengthening strategic partnerships, aligned with the Emirate of Sharjah’s vision for financial leadership and contributing to knowledge exchange, the transfer of best practices, and the well-being of future generations.”
The meeting also examined the Award’s accompanying activities and events and mechanisms for their development, in addition to discussing the distribution of roles and responsibilities between the Award, the Sharjah Finance Department, and the Arab Administrative Development Organisation, ensuring institutional integration, stronger governance, and enhanced implementation efficiency.
Participants further reviewed the proposed timeline for launching the fourth cycle, including awareness events, introductory seminars, and specialized meetings across several countries, culminating in the final awards ceremony.
Achievements of the Sharjah Award for Public Finance
The Sharjah Award for Public Finance is a prestigious Arab award established by an Emiri Decree in 2016. Since its inception, three cycles have been held between 2018 and 2025, firmly establishing the Award as a leading platform for recognizing institutional and individual excellence in public finance across the Arab world.
The Award’s categories have evolved progressively, with institutional categories increasing from four in the first cycle to eleven in the third, and individual categories expanding from two to eleven, reflecting the Award’s growing scope and responsiveness to developments in the financial sector.
Participation has also grown significantly: the third cycle recorded 54 institutional participants and 290 individual entries, compared to 19 institutions and 32 individual entries in the first cycle. The third cycle recognized 13 institutional winners and 34 individual winners, underscoring the rising competitiveness and the expanding base of excellence embraced by the Award across Arab institutions and individuals.
As part of its efforts to promote the Award and foster a culture of financial excellence, the Award’s Secretariat, in cooperation with ARADO, organised a series of introductory seminars and field visits across several Arab countries. Four seminars were held in four countries during the first cycle, seven seminars in seven countries during the second cycle, and eleven introductory seminars in eleven Arab countries during the third cycle, alongside specialized workshops and training programs aimed at knowledge transfer and capacity building.
The Award has also contributed to organizing and hosting a number of Arab financial forums that served as effective platforms for experience exchange and the presentation of leading practices in public finance. These included the First Arab Financial Forum in Cairo, the Second Arab Forum in Tunisia, the Financial Forum in Dubai, and the Third Arab Financial Forum in Tangier, Morocco, culminating in the Public Finance Forum in Istanbul 2025, which attracted more than 135 participants. These forums received notable media coverage across participating and non-participating Arab countries alike.
