Whether it’s the surgeon who performed a life-saving operation on a loved one, or the taxi driver who went out of his way to return the sunglasses you thought you’d lost forever, chances are you know someone who deserves a little recognition for their good deeds. Well listen up and listen good, because now’s the time to give some love to the city’s big-hearted heroes.
Back for the sixth time, the Abu Dhabi Awards is the city’s biannual opportunity to show appreciation to its biggest do-gooders, with up to 15 people set to be honoured in a lavish ceremony at Emirates Palace later this year. The five-week nomination process has just begun, and with 16,000 individuals put forward when the awards were last held in 2009, the pool of nominees to set to become even bigger in 2011.
So, how can you make sure your knight (or knightess) in shining armour gets the consideration they deserve? Luckily, making a nomination this time round is easier than ever. As of this week, 10 manned booths have been set up in the city’s shopping malls and other high-profile spots, where attendants are on hand to talk you through the nomination process. It’s relatively simple, so don’t worry – all you have to do is jot down the good deeds your chosen one has performed, explain how these deeds benefited the community and what personal sacrifices they’ve made in the line of duty.
Elsewhere, a branded-up bus will also be touring Al Ain and Al Gharbia, and it can be flagged down by pedestrians looking to cast their all-important vote.
For the people-shy, there’s also the option to slip your nomination card into one of 90 drop boxes dotted throughout the city in public areas, or you can have your say online via the campaign’s flashy new website, www.abudhabiawards.ae.
So, what does the award – a hefty, golden trophy and a unique medal bearing the Abu Dhabi emblem – mean to those who have won it?
For former winner Margit Muller – director of Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital and 10-year-strong UAE resident – the significance goes beyond the physical spoils and the ceremonial back-patting. ‘For me, receiving the award was not the end of a journey, but the beginning of one,’ she told us. ‘Although being selected to win was the best moment of my life, it made me realise how much more I can give.’
Dr Muller picked up her Abu Dhabi Award in 2008, after recognising and curing a rare parasitic disease blighting her feathery patients. ‘Good deeds have to come from the heart, and that’s what this award recognises.’
The deadline for nomination for the 2011 Abu Dhabi Awards is September 24, with the winners’ ceremony to follow in December. For more information, visit www.abudhabiawards.ae
The rules
• Age is no object – previous winners have been as young as 12 and as old as 80
• It’s not the quantity of personal nominations that counts, but the quality. People can win an Abu Dhabi Award with only a single nomination
• For the first time, the judging panel will be accepting nominations for non-UAE residents, providing they’ve made a considerable contribution to the emirate
• Needless to say, under no circumstances may you nominate yourself
