Majid Bin Mohammed awards winners of the 2nd Social Media Awards organized by du

• His Excellency Lieutenant General Dhahi Khalfan Tamim, Chief of Dubai Police and Deputy Chairman of Police and General Security,delivers speech emphasizing the importance of responsible social networking on the digital space
• Operetta by the People of the UAE performed live by winners

Dubai, UAE, 26 November 2013:His Highness Sheikh Majid Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum,Chairman of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority,awarded winners of du's National Day competitions the 2nd du Social Media Awards and the Operetta by the UAE People.

The event brought together members of the UAE community in a celebration of the UAE's 42nd National Day, demonstrating the love and patriotism the Emirati people have for their leadership and nation. In its role as an innovative telecommunications provider, du encouraged members of the community to express their patriotism in exciting, community-beneficial ways.

His Highness was accompanied by UAE dignitaries, celebrities, and members of the community, including more than 700 students from both Dubai Men's College and Dubai Women's College, in addition to volunteers from amongst the students who helped to organize the event. They were joined by representatives from du, at the event's location in Dubai Men's College, Dubai Academic City.

Ahmad Bin Byat, Chairman, du, delivered an opening address at the event, followed by an inspirational speech by His Excellency Lieutenant General Dahi Khalfan Tamim, Chief of Dubai Police and Deputy Chairman of Police and General Security.

Ahmad Bin Byat started by thanking His Highness Sheikh Majid Bin Mohammed for attending the event. “We are honored to be joined by His Highness Sheikh Majid Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority today. His presence reflects our leadership's vision and support of the UAE society's prosperity and happiness. Today, we are celebrating something very dear to all our hearts – the story of our founding fathers, who created our homeland and set us on a path to success. We have always been, and will always be proud Emiratis, continuing the journey to greatness that they began for us, and that our leaders today continue to steer us towards. I personally feel that the sincerest way in which to mark the occasion of the UAE's 42nd National Day is to consider the hard work, impeccable image and triumphs that our country has achieved, which is what we, as du, celebrate today. In our role as a responsible Emirati company, we are committed to stimulating the spirit of determination, innovation and patriotism amongst the people of the UAE, by opening channels through which they can express their love of their homeland. Our National Day initiatives highlight the pride and creativity of our young people, who are ambitious, innovative, unafraid of taking the initiative and forward-thinking.”

During his speech, His Excellency Lieutenant General Dahi Khalfan Tamim said: “The wise policies adopted by our leadership have made us the happiest people on Earth, as per the United Nations' criteria. This was only possible through the powerful unity of our leadership and the people of the UAE. On this national occasion, I salute all young people who use social media for the benefit of connecting the society. Social media has become a vital channel for communication. We urge the youth of the nation, particularly students at university and college, to use social media responsibly and for the benefit of the community.”

The winners of the 2nd du Social Media Awards are:

Best Social Responsibility Award
Hessa Sultan, for her project ‘1971 Team'

Best Blogger Award
Hind Mezaina, for her project ‘The Culturist'

Best Video Content
Saeed Mohammed Abdullah, for his video ‘WinVictoryLove'

Best Social Supporter of Expo 2020
Karam Raeed, for ‘Here is Dubai'

People's Choice Award, as decided by more than 10,000 voters
Karam Raeed, for ‘Here is Dubai'

The winners were selected by a judging panel comprising Dherar Belhoul, General Manager, Watani; HE Marwan Bin Jassim Al Sarkal, CEO, Sharjah Investment and Development Authority – Shurooq; Salem Buti Bel Youha, Director, Media Development and Innovation, Government of Dubai Media Office, and Hala Badri, Executive Vice President, Brand and Communications, du.

Also revealed during the 2nddu National Day Forum was the Operetta by the UAE People, a collaborative song created and sung by the Emirati community and performed by du's competition winners, Khalifa Al Shehi, Hessa, and Ali Al Ketheri. They performed the song at the Forum alongside Mohammed Al Mazroui, Shamma Hamdan and Faysal Al Jassem. 

The Operetta by the UAE People was written by UAE poets Saud Al Kabi, Rashid Bin Ghalita, Saeed Al Katbi, Khalifa bin Musbih Al Kabi, Saeed Bin Tmeshan, and Hamdan Al Mahrami, with music composed by Jasem and Mohammed Al Ahmed.

“On behalf of everyone at du, we congratulate the winners of the 2nd du Social Media Awards, and the winners of the Operetta by the UAE People competition,” said Hala Badri, Executive Vice President, Brand and Communications, du. “We would like to thank everyone for attending today's event, especially His Highness Sheikh Majid Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, and His Excellency Lieutenant General Dahi. Our thanks also go out to the participants in the 2nd du Social Media Awards and the Operetta by the UAE People competition. Every entrant into both competitions demonstrated a strong sense of patriotism and love for the UAE, but our chosen winners in particular represented the spirit of loyalty to the nation and our leaders that we truly admire. We encourage others in the UAE to look to them as an inspiration, as they demonstrate the power of social media to positively affect the community.”