The celebration comprised a number of announcements and presentations, the most important of which was a tribute paid to ECSSR Director General H.E. Dr. Jamal Sanad Al-Suwaidi by the employees of the Center in honor of his remarkable achievements. During the celebration, distinguished employees of the Center were honored, and it was announced that a new monthly magazine, Afaq Al Mustaqbal, will be launched. The festivities began with a speech by Dr. Jamal Sanad Al-Suwaidi, which was read on his behalf by Mr. Abdullah Hussein Al-Sahlawi, ECSSR Executive Director. In the speech, Dr. Al-Suwaidi affirmed that the ECSSR was born of the efforts of H.H. General Sheikh Mohammad bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces. He highlighted the fact that the ECSSR owed its success to the directives and continuing support of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed, as well as the unlimited support of H.H. Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the State. H.E. Dr. Al-Suwaidi went on to praise noteworthy ECSSR staff members who have exerted significant efforts in realizing the objectives of the Center. He added that while some of these colleagues were still in the Center and others have left to join other institutions, what bound all was a sincere belief in the importance of the Center’s foundation, irrespective of the obstacles and sacrifices faced during the course of its realization. H.E. Dr. Al-Suwaidi then highlighted some of the ECSSR’s achievements over the last fifteen years. He said the Center had so far issued more than 3,000 research papers for decision-makers, in addition to 65 opinion polls and field surveys. Furthermore, the Center has held fourteen Annual Conferences, fourteen Annual Energy Conferences, as well as eleven Specialized Conferences, 25 symposia, 39 workshops and 301 lectures. The Center has also participated in 36 book fairs, sixteen external conferences, and has been visited by more than 650 local, Arab and international dignitaries and delegations. Moreover, the Center has signed 48 cooperation agreements with local and international institutions. The Center has also published around 650 books, translated texts and monographs, as well as over 4,000 issues of Akhbar Al Sa’ah - a news analysis bulletin - and more than 3,600 issues of Al ’Alam Al Youm-a special bulletin. Both bulletins are specially issued for decision-makers. The Center has also produced 32 issues of the report entitled ’Emirates Press: Trends and Interests.’ Finally, the Center also continues to send round-the-clock SMS alerts to more than 1,000 subscribers. The ECSSR has received a number of prizes and has been paid tribute to on more than eighteen occasions. The Center’s Department of Publications and Distribution won the Sheikh Zayed Book Award for Publication and Distribution in 2008 and the ECSSR has been named as one of the best five research centers in the Middle East region. The Center has also received the Al-Owais Cultural Award for Studies and Scientific Invention, the award for Best Publisher, the award for Best Translated Book in Humanities and Social Sciences, and the award for Best Author at Sharjah Book Fair. The Center’s website portal has received two awards at the H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al-Maktoum Awards in 2006, specified for the best UAE strategic website and the Golden Award for the best website state-wide.

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