The United Arab Emirates’ Ministry of Interior believes that raising awareness on safety and social issues is vital to ensuring the welfare of the community. In recognition that film can reach out and touch various segments of society in a meaningful way, the decision has been made to utilize cinema as a platform to shift attitudes and influence behavior in the interest of advancing safety as well as security in the community. As a result the Ministry of Interior launched two cinematic awards, one for the Abu Dhabi Film Festival and one for the Dubai International Film Festival.