Alizz Islamic Bank unveils ‘Hiyya’ awards for women
The announcement of the first edition of the prestigious ‘Hiyya’ award augurs well for the growing number of women in the business stratum
MUSCAT: In a move to honour female entrepreneurs and business executives, Alizz Islamic Bank unveiled its special and exclusive ‘Hiyya’ awards for women, recently, and announced that the grand award ceremony would coincide with the Omani Women’s Day, which is celebrated all over the nation on October 17, every year.
The announcement of the first edition of the prestigious ‘Hiyya’ award augurs well for the growing number of women in the business stratum and reflects rightly on the country’s stand towards empowerment of women in general. As per the set protocol, Alizz Islamic Bank has adopted rigorous steps to maintain transparency and credibility to the selection of nominees and short-listing of winners. Beginning with a 10-day nomination period - starting from September 22 to October 1, 2021 – it will follow through by opening the voting process on its website from October 2 to October 14, 2021. The nomination process will be available for everyone, with the option of self-nomination or nomination of other women deemed worthy of ‘Hiyya’ awards. Winners will be selected from the final tally of the public vote and the awards will be distributed on October 17.
Designed to recognise and felicitate women, the ‘Hiyya’ awards come as an expression of appreciation and gratitude for the pioneering role played by women in building the nation; it is a formal acknowledgement of their contribution in various fields as they continue to demonstrate their expertise and experience in the social and economic arena. The awards have been classified into several categories, including the award for Best New Business, Best Online Business and the Most Inspiring Businesswoman Award, which is considered as an important catalyst for the growth of female-owned businesses.
Other award categories are: Made in Oman Award for the Best Business Owned by Women in the field of locally produced goods; Best Service Customer Service Award for businesses – owned by women - that provide customer service; Social Responsibility Award, which will be given to the woman who gives back to the community through dedicated social responsibility programme; an Award for the Best Online Business that provides its services via the Internet; and, finally, the most coveted of them all, the Role Model of the Year Award.
This award will be given to that woman who has proven to be an idol with her leadership skills and successful portfolio.
Throwing the spotlight on the upcoming Hiyya awards, Mohammed Al Ghassani, AGM - Chief Consumer Banking Officer at Alizz Islamic Bank, said, “Women have, since the beginning of the Renaissance, partnered with men in building our beloved nation. They have taken strong and steady strides to ensure that the nation runs smoothly on all levels. This devotion is pronounced in all the development projects that have started and are still growing to this day. They have been a part of all-round development and have received equal rights, which have ensured their place alongside men in all departments.”
Al Ghassani added, “These awards come as an appreciation and gratitude from the executive management of the Bank and as an expression of solidarity with Omani Women’s Day. It is our way of celebrating this great day and we spare no effort to support women’s creative energies in various fields, and at all levels. Besides the awards, we have also organized several events and celebrations to enhance the spirit of cooperation among women working in our bank, while establishing a sense of belonging to the workplace, which is reflected in their continuous productivity at work.”