Middle East companies have a strong showing in this year’s British Safety Council International Safety Awards
The International Safety Awards, sponsored by HSI donesafe, are open to organisations of all types, sizes and sectors in the UK and internationally, both members of the British Safety Council and non-members, and relate to the health and safety management at a specific site or business unit. The awards include a range of auto enter awards as well as free to enter awards.
British Safety Council held its annual Gala Dinner on 19 June in London to celebrate the winners of its International Safety Awards (ISAs) 2026. It was combined with a daytime conference, themed “Designing Safer Workplaces”, which explored practical and strategic approaches to improving health, safety, and wellbeing performance.
851 organisations won an International Safety Award. They span a wide range of sectors with significant representation from the construction, manufacturing, oil, gas, mining, power and utility sectors. Winners were drawn from 51 countries worldwide. 234 organisations were awarded a Distinction, 428 organisations were awarded a Merit and 189 organisations achieved a Pass.
Middle East winners
Country winners In the Middle East included Kuwait National Petroleum Company – Projects Directorate; China State Construction Engineering Corp Ltd (EGYPT) and China State Construction Overseas Development Co Ltd – The Cairo New Administrative Central Business District Project (Package 8&11); Qatar Free Zone Authority; ENGIE (Fadhili Operations & Maintenance Company), Saudi Arabia; and Roads and Transport Authority – Dubai.
Sector winners in the Middle East included Roads & Transport Authority Dubai (local government); ENGIE (Fadhili Operations & Maintenance Company) (power and utilities); Ecolog International, Dubai (hospitality & catering); and Dubai Duty Free (retail).
Health Safety and Wellbeing Ambassador of the Year Award went to Mayasa, Dubai Municipality - Health & Safety Department, while Rising Female Star Award in collaboration with SOWSHE was won by Dr. Hessa Al Jawi, Dubai Municipality - Health & Safety Department. Bashar Al Malik, Saudi Arabia Railways won the CEO Award, while Wellbeing Initiative Award went to WSP Middle East.
Speaking at the event, chief executive of the British Safety Council, Mike Robinson said, “The nature of our profession is such that success is often invisible. When safety systems work, nothing happens. When cultures are healthy, incidents do not occur. When leadership is strong, risks are identified and addressed before they become tragedies.
“That invisibility is, in one sense, the highest form of achievement. But it can also mean that the people responsible for it go unrecognised, their contribution unacknowledged by those around them.
“But our International Safety Awards have always striven to reward the unseen, to celebrate the invisible, and to shine a light on success; because success in safety is measured in lives unchanged by tragedy. That is worth celebrating, even when no one sees it.”
Chairman of the British Safety Council, Peter McGettrick said, “Last year alone, over 13,000 people in more than 100 countries came through our training programmes. But for me, it’s not really about the numbers.
“It’s about the fact that every one of those people leaves better equipped to look after the person working next to them. And that’s how change really happens. One decision, one action, one workplace at a time.”
