The Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF) launched the Israr Award  to reward young Saudis’ perseverance in overcoming major personal challenges en route to finding a job and perseverance in becoming an entrepreneur.



In a world culture that increasingly focuses on celebrities, this award is to look behind the glitz and glamour of success. For most, success does not come easy and Israr award brings the challenges, disappointments and sheer perseverance needed to succeed into the spotlight with the aim of sending the message to young Saudis, “reward comes from perseverance”.



Israr award seeks to develop and celebrate a mind-set in Saudi youth that, in an increasingly competitive world, having the perseverance to actively find, pursue, and develop opportunities is a key characteristic for success. The award concentrates on stories of dreamers who turn fantasy into reality against all the odds, taking the first necessary steps towards their career paths despite all the obstacles. 



Submitted stories will go through a filtration and an evaluation processes by a panel of experts and judging committee of well-known perseverant figures in the community to carefully select the candidates.



The winners of the two categories in Israr Award; most perseverant employee and most perseverant entrepreneur, will each receive a prize of SR100,000.

Saudi Arabia's Minister of Labor Adel Fakieh observed that the entrants in the scheme shared one central characteristic; they faced severe challenges that could have crushed them, but they turned a negative challenge into a positive incentive. “Modern science labels this ‘cognitive reappraisal”, he said.



According to Fakieh, the first stage in building perseverance is to come flexible, which is achieved through enhancing a person’s resilience. Cognitive reappraisal was achieved through a positive approach, gained through understanding what went wrong with a failed plan and adapting to best practice in the future. “Mindful mediation and a strong belief structure has proved to help in recovering from a trauma or a bad experience by living today, in the moment with a positive plan.”

 

Ibrahim Al-Moaiqel, Director General of the Human Resources Development Fund and the Chairman of the Israr Awards Judges Committee, said the Committee would be looking for the quality of a person’s character and his or her determination to succeed against all odds. “This is all about strength of character, guts, and determination during the struggle for success in an individual’s life,” he said. “It might be a very small success in global, local or financial terms, but the award is about rewarding the candidate’s determination and not their achievements, to deliver a message to the Saudi youth that perseverance reaps rewards.” — SG