- Film was produced by Sharjah Broadcasting Authority in partnership with Sharjah Government Media Bureau and Bee’ah
The Emirati documentary “Urban Solutions for a Greener World” has won the prestigious Impact DOCS Awards for February 2026, an international recognition that marks another milestone for the Emirate of Sharjah in purposeful media production and global environmental storytelling.
Headquartered in La Jolla, California, in the United States, the annual awards honour outstanding documentary work that drives positive global impact.
The accolade recognises the film’s integrated visual and knowledge-driven approach, documenting the environmental transformation led by the Emirate of Sharjah.
It showcases the emirate’s leading model in waste management, clean energy transition and biodiversity protection within a sustainable urban vision designed to address global environmental challenges.
Sharjah’s vision: The heart of the environmental narrative
Across its two parts, the documentary explores the environmental progress led by Bee’ah, chaired by Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher Bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Wife of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah.
Over the past few years, the company has successfully diverted more than 90 per cent of waste from landfills, transforming it into construction materials, fuel and clean energy, while advancing carbon reduction efforts and building a low-waste society.
Documenting institutional collaboration and nature protection:
The documentary also highlights the strong partnership between Bee’ah and Environment and Protected Areas Authority in Sharjah, showcasing field initiatives aimed at protecting wildlife and marine ecosystems.
These efforts included seabed clean-up campaigns across several coastal areas, tree-planting drives in natural reserves, and large-scale environmental programmes supported by broad community participation from government entities and educational institutions.
Emirati production with global standards:
The documentary was produced by Sharjah Broadcasting Authority in partnership with the Sharjah Government Media Bureau and Bee’ah. It was executed by the UAE-based media production company Sharq Media Production, in collaboration with Canada’s Griffon. Mohammed Hassan Khalaf served as executive producer, while Ashraf Ali oversaw the project as artistic producer.
The film was directed by internationally acclaimed filmmaker Peter von Puttkamer, known for his documentary work in environmental, wildlife, anthropological and biographical storytelling, and the recipient of more than 80 international awards. The production was completed to the highest global technical standards and released in both its original version and an Arabic-dubbed edition.
This international recognition further reinforces Sharjah’s position as a global platform for sustainable environmental ideas, while underscoring the role of documentary media in sharing inspiring local experiences with global audiences.
Global award celebrating impactful storytelling:
The Impact DOCS Awards is an international platform dedicated to honouring documentary films with significant human, environmental and social impact.
The award is built on a strong belief in the power of documentary filmmaking to drive change and bring critical global issues to wider attention.
The competition operates as an independent global platform that evaluates entries according to rigorous standards of quality and creativity, rather than direct competition among films.
Submissions are assessed based on artistic and narrative excellence, the strength of their message and their real-world impact. The award is also officially recognised and documented in the global IMDb database.
Entries undergo a thorough judging process overseen by a panel of documentary filmmakers and industry professionals, including nominees and recipients of prestigious honours such as the Emmy, Telly and Communicator Awards. This rigorous evaluation process reinforces the credibility and standing of the prize within the international documentary landscape.
Photos: Impact DOCS Awards, Beeah and During filming
