Amman: Marking the launch of its awareness and promotional programme for the fourth cycle, the first awareness seminar of the Sharjah Award for Public Finance commenced Tuesday in Amman, Jordan. Organised by the Arab Administrative Development Organisation (ARADO), affiliated with the League of Arab States, the two-day seminar includes a specialised training course on its second day.
According to Emirates News Agency, the Amman seminar marks the first stop in a series of awareness and promotional seminars that the Award Secretariat plans to organise across several Arab capitals during the fourth cycle. This builds on the third cycle, which featured 11 seminars across 11 Arab countries. The opening ceremony was attended by delegations from the Sharjah Award for Public Finance and ARADO along with representatives of Jordanian government entities involved in public finance management, as well as experts and specialists.
Sheikh Rashid bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Director of the Sharjah Finance Department and Secretary-General of the Award, highlighted that over the past decade, the Award has expanded from six categories in its first cycle to 22 categories in its third cycle, attracting 494 participants, of whom 81 were named winners across the institutional and individual categories. He explained that selecting Amman as the starting point for the fourth cycle's awareness and promotional tour was a deliberate choice, acknowledging Jordan's notable role in government financial management and the strong participation of its institutions and professionals in previous cycles.
The fourth cycle of the Award features 24 categories, equally divided between 12 institutional and 12 individual categories, representing an increase of two categories compared with the 22 categories offered in the third cycle. This expansion is part of the Board of Trustees' continuous efforts to broaden participation and incorporate new areas within the government public finance ecosystem, providing more Arab institutions and professionals with the opportunity to compete.
Dr. Nasser Al-Hatlan Al-Qahtani, Director-General of ARADO, explained that the Organisation continues to serve as a strategic partner of the Award at both the technical and logistical levels since its inception. He noted the growth in the number of awareness seminars from four seminars in the first cycle to 11 seminars across 11 Arab countries in the third cycle.
The Award Secretariat announced the launch of the 'Ambassadors of Excellence' initiative in the fourth cycle, an honorary designation for individuals who have won one of the approved individual categories or participated as part of a team that prepared a winning submission in the institutional categories. The initiative aims to promote the Award across the Arab world, foster a culture of excellence, increase participation, and enhance the quality and competitiveness of submissions.
The first day's agenda included an opening session and two awareness sessions, where the Award's objectives, its 24 institutional and individual categories, and the evaluation criteria for each category were presented. Participation requirements and the registration process were also discussed, concluding with an open Q and A for prospective participants.
The second day features an accompanying training course titled 'Public Finance Management and Integrated Oversight: Roles and Tools in Jordanian Institutions,' delivered by Dr. Ghassan Jamal Al-Nsour. The sessions focus on understanding public finance and the public finance cycle in the state, as well as the public finance oversight system in Jordan, transitioning from a broader conceptual framework to practical application within the Jordanian institutional context.
The Award's figures reflect a decade of sustained progress, attracting 494 participants across its three previous cycles with 81 winners recognised at the institutional and individual levels. The number of categories grew from six in the first cycle to 22 in the third cycle, before reaching 24 in the fourth cycle. Regionally, the number of awareness seminars increased, and major Arab financial forums were organised, drawing more than 750 public finance specialists and officials.