Doha: Minister of Social Development and Family HE Buthaina bint Ali Al Jabr Al Nuaimi emphasized that the Rawda Award for Excellence in Social Work represents a qualitative national milestone for consolidating the culture of institutional social work in the State of Qatar, and enhancing the status of community initiatives as an active partner in the path of national development.
At the award ceremony honoring the winners on Sunday, Her Excellency said that the Amiri Decision No. 16 of 2025 establishing the Rawda Award for Excellence in Social Work is evidence of the special attention the state pays to supporting pioneering initiatives that enhance the quality of life, and enshrine the values of cooperation and solidarity, and is a certificate of appreciation for everyone who has made community service a constant approach in his journey.
Her Excellency said that this award is not just a platform for honoring, but a national platform that monitors initiatives, celebrates achievements, and creates positive competition to achieve a real and sustainable impact on human life.
Her Excellency added that today the award celebrates those who give back, who, through their initiatives, programs, and humanitarian and charitable campaigns, strive to uplift their community, make a positive difference in the lives of those around them, and dedicate their resources and capabilities to the common good.
Her Excellency addressed those who won the award saying that this honor is not the end of the road, but rather a doubled responsibility. She said that their winning today is a testament to their excellence, but it is also a national commitment to continue the journey with the same determination and sincerity. The society that trusted them today expects from them tomorrow innovations and initiatives that are deeper in impact and wider in scope. True giving is that which knows no limits, and excellence is that which is born from the continuity of benefit.
For his part, CEO of the Rawda Award for Excellence in Social Work Abdulaziz Ibrahim Al Ishaq said that the ceremony represents the culmination of a comprehensive national process built on appreciation, encouragement, and motivation, within a rigorous evaluation and judging system that ensures transparency and credibility.
He added that the award not only aims to honor the winners but also seeks to celebrate the winning initiatives as outstanding models in social work, reflecting the award's objectives of cultivating a culture of social work, strengthening community values, and encouraging various groups to take the lead in community service in the State of Qatar.
The ceremony witnessed the honoring of the winners in its main categories, where in the individuals category the "War and Disability: Sports and Peace" initiative of the late Sheikha Hessa bint Khalifa bin Ahmed Al-Thani won the "Rawda Award," while the "sponsorship and empowerment of value initiatives with community impact" initiative of Dr. Buthaina Abdullah Abdulghani Al Abdulghani won the "Shield of Excellence."
In the non-profit category, the "Wayakom" initiative presented by the Qatar Cancer Society won the "Rawda Award," along with the "Together" project through the Education Above All Foundation Assalam Schools, while the "Generational Impact Maker Challenge" initiative presented by Qatar Charity won the "Shield of Excellence," and the "premarital rehabilitation program" initiative presented by the Family Consulting Center (Wifaq) won a "Certificate of Appreciation."
To reflect the scale of the institutional work that preceded the announcement of the results, the first session witnessed the monitoring of (258) nominations for social initiatives, through specialized experts, and the monitoring team of the award settled on (174) nominations after the initial sorting, with a survival rate of 67 percent.
The evaluation stages of the award progressed through a clear professional path that began with nomination by specialized experts and relevant parties, then the initial screening of nominations, followed by the completion of initiative files and the collection of information, evidence and proofs, then the technical evaluation by 25 evaluators distributed across the award categories, leading up to the arbitration stage by 5 arbitrators from the public figures, before submitting for final approval according to the approved mechanisms.
This sequence reflects the award's commitment to separating the nomination, evaluation, judging, and final accreditation stages, ensuring integrity, transparency, fairness, and independence of decision-making, and enhancing public trust in it as a neutral national platform for honoring genuine excellence in social work.
The Rawda Award for Excellence in Social Work is the first national award in the field of social work. It was established by Amiri Decision No. (16) of 2025, to form an institutional framework for honoring the most impactful and sustainable social initiatives, within five main categories that include: individuals, families, non-profit institutions, the private sector, and the media.
