Maldives Business Awards, recognizing exceptional performance in the business sector of the country, has successfully concluded its ceremony for 2018, on Saturday.
While awards were given to individuals in 23 different areas this year, the award was conferred under three main segments which are, Enterprise Excellence, Industry Excellence and Individual Excellence.
This year, the awarding ceremony was held at Paradise Island Resort with over 200 attendees and was honored by the presence of former Minister during Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s administration and has served as leader at the Center for Dhivehi Language and Heritage, Abbas Ibrahim, who attended as Chief Guest.
The ceremony also conferred awards to the Business of the Year and Lifetime Achievement.
As such, current Speaker of Parliament and renowned business tycoon Qasim Ibrahim had taken home the Lifetime Achievement Award and Allied Insurance had won the Business of the Year Award.
While the ceremony was hosted by Blazon Inc, Chief Executive Officer of the company, Hassan Hilmy stated that awards under some areas had not been conferred this year, stressing that the company had prioritized conferring awards rightfully and fairly. CEO Hilmy stated that Maldives Business Awards will also be held in the approaching new year.
Awards recipients:
- Award for Excellence in Finance (Banking and Finance) to Housing Development Finance Corporation (HDFC),
- Award for Excellence in Finance (Insurance) to Allied Insurance,
- Award for Excellence in Hospitality (Hotels and Guest Houses) to Reveries Diving Village and Spa,
- Award for Excellence in Hospitality (Tour Operators) to Inner Maldives,
- Award for Excellence in Fisheries and Agriculture to Ensis Fisheries,
- Award for Excellence in Utilities to Maldives Water and Sewerage Company (MWSC),
- Award for Excellence in Construction and Real Estate to SASE Construction,
- Award for Excellence in Wholesale and Retail to AtollMarket,
- Award for Excellence in Information and Communication to Ooredoo Maldives,
- Award for Excellence in Transport and Logistics to Total Transport Solutions,
- Award for Excellence in Health Care to Medica,
- Award for Excellence in Professional Services to MHPA LLP
- Award for Public Enterprise of the Year to Dhiraagu,
- Award for Innovative Business of the Year to Allied Insurance,
- Award for Allied Presents Employer of the Year to Maldives Water and Sewerage Company (MWSC),
- Award for FDI of the Year to Ooredoo Maldives,
- Award for Dhiraagu Presents MSME of the Year to Ember Fire and Safety,
- Award for Young Entrepreneur of the Year to Ali Haris, Co-Founder and CEO of Payer,
- Award for Businesswoman of the Year to Raidha Shafeeq, Owner of Raidha’s Maldives,
- Award for Inspirational Leader of the Year to Abdul Majeed, CEO of Bison Maldives and
- Award for Entrepreneur of the Year to Mohamed Ali Janaah, Chairman of Hotels and Resort Construction.
The ceremony’s judging panel consisted of experience judges:
- Hamdhoon Abdulla Hameed, Head of Judges Panel and also Maldives Ambassador to Singapore,
- Dr. Aishath Muneeza, Associate Professor at INCEIF,
- Dr. Mariyam Waseema, Managing Director of Life Support,
- Dr. Azmiralda Zahir, Partner at Litica Law Associates,
- Ahmed Mazin, Chairman at Capital Maldives Development Authority (CMDA),
- Ashraf Rasheed, Founder of the Lawhouse,
- Abdulla Giyaz, President of Maldives Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators (MATATO),
- Fathmath Shaanaa Farooq, Director General at the Ministry of Housing and Infrastructure and
- Ibrahim Athif Shakoor, Managing Director of United Food Suppliers.
Host Blazon Inc revealed that they had received 185 applications for nominees under different categories and that the panel of judges had spent over 100 hours to shortlist finalists.
Blazon Inc, 2016, specializes in Marketing and Business Management and has been hosting the Maldives Business Awards annually, which focuses on celebrating achievers and business that have shown excellence and extraordinary performance in the field.
