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The 8th edition of the International Business Awards, sponsored by Dana Gas and Netezza by IBM, came to a close yesterday (Tuesday, October 11, 2011) at the prestigious Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi. The event was held to recognising the achievements of the world’s top-performing businesses. The gala was attended by H.E. Sheikha Lubna bint Khalid Al Qasimi, UAE Minister of Foreign Trade; Ambassador of the Philippines to the UAE; Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the UAE; local, regional and international delegates; and members of the press. This is the first time for the International Business Awards to be hosted in the Middle East, attracting as many as 3,000 nominations from more than 40 nations. The competition was open to individuals and organizations worldwide, including public and private, for-profit and non-profit, and large and small enterprises. The entries were assessed by a selected panel of judges who witnessed an increased level of participation in this year’s competition.
H.E. Sheikha Lubna, the patron of the awards, welcomed the delegates to the UAE and emphasized the significance of the internationally-recognised business accolades. She also underscored the importance of encouraging UAE companies to actively participate in the international markets.
The UAE walked away with over 24 awards in various categories in this year’s competition which also honoured first-time winners Bahrain, Peru, Saudi Arabia, and Slovakia. Organizations and individuals from the United States led awardees with 42 Stevie Awards, followed by South Korea which came in at second with 29.
Nicknamed the Stevies from the Greek word “crowned,” the International Business Awards were created to honour and generate public recognition on the achievements and positive contributions of organizations and business people worldwide. Beginning with The American Business Awards in 2002, its mission was to raise the profile of exemplary organizations and individuals among the press, the business community, and the general public. In just a short period of time the Stevies has become one of the world’s most coveted business awards.
"We are pleased with the outcome of the 8th edition of the IBA. It is such a privilege to witness an increase in the number of entries and we hope that we will see companies from the UAE returning again to next year’s event,” said Michael Gallagher, President of The Stevie Awards.
Business professionals from around the world participated in the preliminary judging held from May to July. Their average scores determined their eligibility for final judging, which was done earlier this month by members of 10 specialized committees. In total, 200 executives from around the world participated in the judging process.
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