Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, Abu Dhabi Government has launched a new model for the Abu Dhabi Award for Excellence in Government Performance (ADAEP).
The award’s new model aims to empower government entities to embed a culture of excellence and continuous improvement across all aspects of government work, while strengthening collaboration, integration and coordination within a unified, agile and resilient government system.
The new model also evaluates participating entities’ initiatives, projects and programmes against clear criteria throughout a rigorous multi-stage assessment process, reinforcing the award’s role as a platform for enhancing excellence in government performance centred on improving quality of life and advancing institutional development across the emirate.
The new model is built on years of accumulated expertise, as well as advanced studies and research, and has been developed within a comprehensive framework aimed at enabling entities to raise their institutional performance through embedding a culture of collaboration and integration across entities, and leverage the latest technological solutions to deliver a sustainable, positive impact across all aspects of community life in the emirate.
In alignment with Abu Dhabi’s vision to expand the adoption of advanced technological solutions, the current ADAEP cycle incorporates AI across each stage of its evaluation process. This is enabled through three key tools: the AI Consultant, the AI Juror and the AI Grand Jury Assistant, all designed to provide precise data analysis and deliver objective, comprehensive insights.
His Excellency Saif Saeed Ghobash, Secretary General of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council and Chairman of the Office of the Crown Prince, said: “Excellence has always been embedded in how Abu Dhabi operates, shaping a culture that consistently raises standards and delivers tangible value to the community. The Abu Dhabi Award for Excellence in Government Performance strengthens this foundation through a structured framework that drives united, government-wide impact and ensures sustainable, tangible value for society. By recognising high-performing entities and teams, the award reinforces a culture of accountability, continuous improvement and cross-government collaboration.”
In the current cycle of the award, 37 government entities and 103 initiatives are being assessed by more than 90 local and international experts, alongside a grand jury comprised of distinguished leaders from the public and private sectors, as well as international experts.
There are six awards across two tracks: three excellence awards recognising the highest performing entities (first, second and third place), and three awards recognising collaborative initiatives that highlight partnership and innovation across entities: the Strategic Impact Initiative Award, the Digital and Artificial Intelligence Initiative Award, and the Community and Family Impact Initiative Award.
The multi-layer evaluation framework used to select the winning entities and initiatives includes an independent assessment by specialised experts, supported by AI tools to ensure the accuracy and consistency of results.
The outputs are then reviewed by quality assurance teams, followed by a technical review by the evaluation committee, before being submitted to the grand jury for deliberation and final approval, guaranteeing a comprehensive, independent assessment that reinforces a culture of government excellence and enhances the quality of institutional performance.
The official ADAEP awards ceremony will be held in April 2026, to celebrate the winning entities and initiatives and highlight their contributions and efforts in advancing the government ecosystem across the emirate.
For further information on the award framework and evaluation process, visit: www.adaep.gov.ae.
