Sharjah Award For Public Finance Expands Horizons With Preparations For Fourth Cycle Launch

The Sharjah Award for Public Finance has moved into an advanced preparation phase for its fourth cycle, following a planning meeting at the headquarters of the Arab Administrative Development Organization in Cairo. Senior representatives from Sharjah Finance Department, ARADO, the Award’s advisory team, and public finance experts discussed how the next edition can deliver stronger impact across Arab countries and align more closely with international evaluation standards.

Participants focused on assessing earlier cycles of the Award and checking how far the original goals were reached. They studied successful case studies that increased the Award’s reputation in Arab public finance circles, while also exploring ways to refine criteria, categories, and processes. The objective is to design a more competitive fourth cycle that supports better financial management and more effective governance in government entities and among professionals.

Waleed Al Sayegh underlined the importance of the Cairo discussions in shaping the upcoming edition of the Award. "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."

Building on that, the meeting reviewed detailed proposals for expanding activities that accompany the judging process, such as awareness sessions and technical events. Attendees also debated how to divide roles between the Award’s Secretariat, the Sharjah Finance Department, and ARADO. They targeted better institutional coordination, stronger oversight structures, and smoother implementation once the fourth cycle is launched across the region.

Waleed Al Sayegh highlighted how the next cycle aims to widen its Arab and international footprint. "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 planning team examined a proposed timetable for the fourth cycle, which will include awareness events in several countries before the final ceremony. The schedule covers introductory seminars, specialised meetings, and technical workshops. These activities are designed to help institutions and individuals understand eligibility requirements, prepare their submissions, and benchmark their financial practices against the Award’s updated standards.

Sharjah Award for Public Finance development and structure

The Sharjah Award for Public Finance was created under an Emiri Decree in 2016 to recognise excellence in managing public funds across the Arab world. Three cycles have taken place between 2018 and 2025, during which the Award has become a recognised regional reference for institutional and individual performance in public finance. It focuses on both technical financial outcomes and broader themes such as sustainability and transparency.

Over these cycles, the structure of the Award has been adjusted several times in response to sector developments. Institutional categories increased from four in the first cycle to eleven in the third, while individual categories rose from two to eleven. This expansion reflects the Award’s aim to cover more functional areas, from budgeting and risk management to public-sector innovation and capacity development.

The growth in entries illustrates how participation has changed between cycles, especially for individuals working in public finance. The first cycle attracted 19 institutional participants and 32 individual entries. By the third cycle, those numbers had increased to 54 institutions and 290 individual entries, with 13 institutional winners and 34 individual winners recognised. The pattern indicates rising competition and wider engagement with the Award’s objectives.

{TABLE_1}

Sharjah Award for Public Finance outreach and forums

To support this expansion, the Award’s Secretariat, in partnership with ARADO, has run a series of outreach programmes in different Arab states. During the first cycle, four introductory seminars took place in four countries. The second cycle featured seven seminars in seven countries, and the third cycle reached eleven Arab countries with eleven seminars. These events were complemented by workshops and training programmes aimed at knowledge transfer and skill development.

{TABLE_2}

The Award has also been linked to several Arab financial forums designed for the exchange of experiences and the presentation of leading public finance practices. Events 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. This series culminated in the Public Finance Forum in Istanbul 2025, which brought together more than 135 participants and received media coverage across participating and non-participating Arab countries.

The combination of structured award cycles, expanding categories, higher participation rates, and regional forums has positioned the Sharjah Award for Public Finance as a recognised reference point in Arab public finance. The fourth cycle’s preparatory work in Cairo, with its focus on updated criteria, broader outreach, and stronger institutional coordination, is set to continue this trajectory while maintaining emphasis on financial sustainability, governance, and professional excellence.

With inputs from WAM