Winners of the 2019 ARIJ Awards

The Best Prize For ARIJ Multimedia
“Cleopatra made outside Egypt”

Ahmad al-Shamy

Egypt


He revealed the involvement of an organized ring of businessmen and politicians from various countries to protect companies that manufacture and smuggle Egypt’s popular Cleopatra cigarettes in boxes labeled as “Made in Egypt”. The goods are then sold in Egypt and other countries as locally-made.

The Best Prize For ARIJ Arab Multimedia Investigation
“Corrupt Aid under UN supervision”

Aseel Saria

Yemen


The investigation, broadcast on VICE Arabia, uncovered how large amounts of non-conforming humanitarian aid were sent to Yemen by international aid organizations. The consumption of these batches led to fatal health complications in light of the deteriorating health system in Yemen.

The Best Prize For ARIJ Short-form Investigations
Forced Retirement

Ahmad Assar

Egypt


The investigation looked at the case of Egyptian sports’  commissions who avoid paying the expenses of players within individual sports who get injured while participating or preparing for tournaments as part of the Egyptian national team. This pushes athletes to retire since they cannot afford the treatment of their injuries.