The Ministry of Labour held the inaugural Qatarisation Award in the Private Sector ceremony yesterday, under the patronage of HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani.
HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defence Affairs Sheikh Saud bin Abdulrahman bin Hassan bin Ali al-Thani honoured the winning enterprises and individuals across the award’s sector-specific and cross-cutting categories.
HE the Minister of Labour Dr Ali bin Samikh al-Marri, chair of the Award’s Board of Trustees, attended the ceremony, which recognised the winners’ achievements and contributions to advancing Qatarisation efforts and empowering national talent.
Also in attendance were HE the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Labour and vice-chairperson of the Award’s Board of Trustees Sheikha Najwa bint Abdulrahman al-Thani, Assistant Undersecretary for National Manpower Affairs in the Private Sector and chief executive of the Award Khames Mohammed al-Nuaimi, and several chief executives and officials representing relevant entities.
This edition recorded a significant level of engagement, attracting 426 applications from establishments and individuals across nine sectors, HE Dr al-Marri said, highlighting that individuals accounted for 59% of submissions, while establishments made up the remaining 41%.
The Minister stressed that QatariSation should not come at the expense of private-sector efficiency or establishments’ ability to grow and compete.
The ministry’s responsibility, he explained, is to develop policies and support mechanisms that align QatariSation with establishments’ needs and growth paths while helping them secure, develop and retain suitable national talent.
HE Dr Al-Marri noted that competition in the award’s inaugural edition was intense, explaining that the evaluation process involved 56 field visits to shortlisted establishments and 59 personal interviews with shortlisted individuals, culminating in the recognition of 14 establishments and eight individuals.
He commended Qatar National Bank Group (QNB) for its incredible performance, having won four awards in the establishments category and one in the individuals category, emphasiSing that the results demonstrated what an institution can achieve when investment in national talent becomes integral to its practices and future plans.
The minister said the decision to withhold two awards in the establishments category, covering the healthcare services and manufacturing sectors, because the submissions did not meet the approved criteria, underscored the commitment to preserving the award’s credibility and ensuring that recognition reflects clear standards of excellence and merit.
He expressed hope that the next edition would attract broader participation and stronger competition from establishments in both sectors.
The list of honorees at the inaugural Award in the Private Sector comprised 14 enterprises and eight individuals, in recognition of their distinction in supporting Qatarisation efforts and empowering national talent in the private sector.
In the sectoral individual awards category, Ali Turki al-Subaie of the Education Above All Foundation (EAA), received the leadership excellence award; Dana Hussein al-Ishaq of Sidra Medicine received the outstanding national talent award – Group 1 (5-10 years of experience); Haya Rashid al-Khater of Qatar Foundation received the outstanding national talent award – Group 2 (11-15 years of experience); Khalid Ahmed al Sada of QNB received the outstanding national talent award – Group 3 (16 years or more of experience); and Kholoud Mohammed al-Dosari of Qatar Rail received the future national talent award.
The Core Individual Awards also recognised Nouf Ali al-Jassem of Ahlibank with the outstanding scholarship recipient award; Jaber Rashid al-Marri of Doha Bank with the professional initiative and innovation award; and Shatha Qahtan al-Shammari of Qatar Airways Group with the leading Qatari woman award.
In the sectoral enterprise awards category, Ooredoo received the leading enterprise in Qatarisation in information technology and digital services award; Katara Hospitality received the leading enterprise in Qatarisation in tourism award; the Education Above All Foundation (EAA) received the leading enterprise in Qatarisation in education award; Hassad Food received the leading enterprise in Qatarisation in food and agriculture award; United Development Company received the leading enterprise in Qatarisation in construction and building award; QNB received the leading enterprise in Qatarisation in financial services award; and the Economic Zones Company received the leading enterprise in Qatarisation in logistics services award.
The leading enterprise in Qatarisation award was withheld in both the healthcare services and manufacturing sectors because the submissions did not meet the approved criteria.
In the core enterprise awards category, QNB received the excellence in attracting and hiring national talent award; Microsoft Doha received the excellence in flexible work arrangements award; QNB also received the best new employee programme for university graduates award and the best new employee programme for high school graduates award; Commercial Bank received the excellence in leadership skills development award; Visit Qatar received the excellence in empowering Qatari women employees award; and the Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) received the excellence in preparing future talent award.
The Qatarisation Award in the Private Sector, established under Amiri Decision No. 27 of 2025, is one of the initiatives supporting the Ministry of Labour’s efforts to foster positive competition, develop Qatarisation practices, and cement successful partnerships with the private sector.