Abu Dhabi Police General Headquarters won the best interactive Facebook application Award for its "Facebook" page on a government level in the Pan Arab Region. This Award represents a new addition to its achievements in communication and ways of dealing transparently with the public.
The award was received by Colonel Mohammed Abdullah Al Zaabi, Deputy Director of Information Technology and Telecommunications Department at Abu Dhabi Police, from Elizabeth Linder, Facebook's Politics & Government Specialist for the Europe, Middle East and Africa regions during a ceremony held by the Pan Arab Web Awards Academy in the Jordanian capital, Amman.
The Award is presented by the Arab Administrative Development Organization, affiliated with the Arab League of States, in conjunction with the Pan Arab Web Awards Academy.
Colonel Al Zaabi explained that a specialized committee nominated the Abu Dhabi Police General Headquarters’ Facebook social network page for the Award between a number of other pages, according to the Award’s criteria, which is based on the extent of professionalism used by competitive entities with Facebook, making its pages a real platform for communication and interaction with the public; in a way that promotes the proper sense of transparency and e-communication.
The Award took into account how the application treats the comments received directly from the page’s visitors, and take them into account.
For his part, Lt. Col. Saeed Al Khaja, Deputy Director of Tactical Affairs and Security Media stated: "The Award earned by Abu Dhabi Police is an indicator for its ongoing quest to use its Facebook page to communicate with the public and interact with them around the clock; to spread a culture of security among the various segments of society, by answering questions and inquiries received through the page, with respect to the services provided to citizens, residents and visitors alike.”
Al Khaja stressed that the Abu Dhabi Police is keen to interact and communicate with the public via social network sites, through its pages on Facebook and Twitter. He added that these pages represent a media tool to deliver its news to the public, and acquaint them with its activities and services, as well as to receive and directly address suggestions, queries and complaints, and fight rumors of concern to the community.
Moreover, Al Khaja explained that the success of Abu Dhabi Police, in a short period, to achieve its goal to communicate effectively with the audience of Internet users, 24 /7, is evidence of the significant turnout of participants, who find answers to their queries and a platform to express their feedback, which proves the importance of these means of modern technology to strengthen ties, and increase the public’s confidence.
It is noteworthy that the Abu Dhabi Police General Headquarters’ Facebook page was created in October 2009, and is active 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, thanks to a team of specialized staff, under the supervision of Lieutenant Fatima Al Shehhi, Head of the Internet branch at the Securty Media Department.