EIAST Honours Outstanding Employees & Dubai Sat-2 Team

Institution recognizes scientific innovation & organizational excellence at annual award ceremony
UAE, January 21, 2014 – As part of its efforts to consolidate a culture of innovation and organizational excellence, the Emirates Institution for Advanced Science and Technology (EIAST) celebrated its annual award ceremony. The institution recognized the scientific innovation and organizational excellence of the Dubai Sat-2 team of engineers and staff as well as outstanding employees who made invaluable contributions to support EIAST’s vision to transform the UAE into one of the leading global centers in the space industry.
During the event, EIAST presented honorary shields to the Dubai Sat-2 team in recognition of their vital role in the successful launch of the satellite which represents one of EIAST’s finest achievements in the fields of space and advanced sciences. The team which supervised the launch, operations and testing of Dubai Sat-2 was also honored.
Furthermore, as part of its intensive efforts to improve internal performance and develop the capacities of Emirati citizens, EIAST bestowed Hamad Al Jazeeri with the ‘2013 Distinguished Employee Award’ for his contribution towards improving the performance of his department by developing operational plans and administrative systems that match the skills of the staff. In addition, Saeed Al Mansouri was awarded under the ‘Outstanding Scientific Innovation’ category for his success in developing a watermarking technique for the protection of intellectual property rights for space images taken by Dubai Sat-1.
Finally, in the ‘Extra Miles’ category, Ghariba Salem was honoured for her entrepreneurial and volunteering spirit, willingness to lend a helping hand to others, teamwork skills and continuous commitment to support work teams of different departments. The ‘Outstanding Employees’ were chosen based on the ‘Bravo’ program – an integrated methodology based on the principles of transparency, excellence and innovation.
H.E. Yousuf Al Shaibani, Director General, Emirates Institution for Advanced Science and Technology, said: “The annual award ceremony is part of our strategy to develop UAE nationals as well as strengthen their capacity for scientific, technical and organizational excellence. This will enable us to aspire for higher achievements to enhance the position of the UAE in the space industry as a leading hub for satellite manufacturing. EIAST is keen on developing and investing in the human element which is part of the vision of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, to position Dubai as a global leader.”
“We organized this event to express our gratitude to our teams for their intensive efforts towards the success of our research initiatives and vital projects covering aerospace, energy, water and the environment. The team that supervised the operations and launch of Dubai Sat-2 was the highlight of this year’s award ceremony. The success we achieved collectively gave us a massive boost to continue to work hard to play an integral role regionally and globally in the aerospace field. We are very proud of the high levels our National talents have reached and are confident that they are 100 per cent ready and qualified to develop Khalifa Sat, the first satellite to be fully developed by Emirati engineers on UAE soil,” concluded Shaibani.
EIAST was established by the Dubai Government in 2006 with the goal of promoting a culture of advanced scientific research and technology innovation in Dubai and the UAE, and enhancing technology innovation and scientific skills among UAE Nationals. It is mainly involved in outer space research and development; satellite manufacturing and systems development; space imaging; and ground station services and support for other satellites.