Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation honours 61 winners in its local, regional, and international educational awards
Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai, UAE, April 23, 2025: Sheikh Rashid bin Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Supreme Chairman of the Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation for Medical and Educational Sciences, today (Wednesday, April 23) honoured 61 winners in the Foundation’s educational awards across the local, Gulf, and international levels in applied research for nurturing talent. Additionally, 13 student teams from the Arab world who won the Future Science Challenge competition were felicitated. The awards ceremony took place at the Rashid Hall at the Dubai World Trade Centre.
The ceremony was attended by HE Lieutenant General Dhahi Khalfan Tamim, Deputy Chief of Police and General Security in Dubai, HE Saeed Al Kindi, former Speaker of the UAE Federal National Council, HE Sarah Al Amiri, UAE Minister of State for Public Education and Advanced Technology, HE Hajer Ahmed Al Thehli, Secretary-General of Education and Human Resources Council (EHRC), HE Humaid Al Qatami, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Foundation, His Excellency Dr. Mohammed bin Saud bin Abdulaziz Al-Moqbel, Director General of the Arab Bureau of Education for the Gulf States, HE Rashid bin Fahd, along with several senior officials from the UAE representatives from international, regional, and local organizations, and a large audience of students and their families.
In his speech during the ceremony, Sheikh Rashid bin Hamdan Al Maktoum said, “In each edition of the Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Awards, we celebrate creativity and excellence, honouring a select group of innovators who have worked hard and contributed to the advancement of education and science. We are pleased in this edition to celebrate 61 winners from local, Gulf, and international levels, alongside 13 student teams from the Arab world who won the Future Science Challenge. This educational achievement is the result of sincere efforts and promising abilities that deserve recognition and honour.”
Sheikh Rashid bin Hamdan added, “Supporting education and empowering leading educational practices remains at the core of our vision at the Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation for Medical and Educational Sciences, driven by the empowerment that education receives from the wise leadership of the UAE. Therefore, the awards system we launch complements our training and innovation programs, reflecting our steadfast commitment to enhancing the quality of education and motivating excellence in light of contemporary educational and cultural challenges.”
He also stated, “As part of this commitment, we are proud to sponsor one of UNESCO’s most significant global studies on the conditions of teachers, and to launch a new award in partnership with the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO) to encourage digital innovations in education. We also introduced a new award for outstanding educators in the Gulf, in cooperation with the Arab Bureau of Education for the Gulf States. Furthermore, we directed the Board of Trustees of the Foundation to launch a research grant in health worth one million dirhams, stemming from our deep belief in the role of scientific research in supporting preventive policies and enhancing the health system.”
Sheikh Rashid concluded by saying, “We congratulate all the winners and remind them that this honour is only the beginning of a path of sustainable excellence. Together, we carry the message of excellence, high morals, and creative minds, and together, we will create the generations of the future.”
For his part, His Excellency His Excellency Dr. Mohammed bin Saud bin Abdulaziz Al-Moqbel, gave a speech in which he said, “We gather today on this blessed occasion to honour excellence, revive hope, and celebrate knowledge and giving. We honour a distinguished group of students, teachers, and schools who have illuminated the path to the future with their knowledge and diligence, embodying the highest forms of creativity. This recognition is the fruit of a long journey of hard work and dedication in the service of education and represents the vision of the Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation for Medical and Educational Sciences, which has been, since its inception, a beacon of excellence and a launchpad for quality initiatives.”
He added, “Hamdan bin Rashid Educational Excellence Award is not just a celebratory event but an effective tool for driving educational development across the region and a living proof of what fruitful partnerships can achieve, as evidenced by the productive cooperation between the foundation and the Arab Bureau of Education for the Gulf States. We look forward to continuing this blessed journey, serving the generations to come and enhancing the status of education in our nations. On this occasion, we remember the late Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum and ask Allah to reward him abundantly for the good seed he planted, which continues to yield knowledge, excellence, and creativity.”
His Excellency Humaid Mohammed Al Qatami, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation for Medical and Educational Sciences, expressed the Foundation’s pride in continuing to recognize distinguished individuals in the educational field. HE Al Qatami said, “Today, we celebrate a new group of distinguished individuals during the closing ceremony of the Foundation, which continues to fulfil its mission of promoting educational excellence and embedding a culture of innovation and creativity. These awards were established over a quarter of a century ago by the late Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, may his soul rest in peace, to serve as a reference of academic leadership, a lever for performance improvement, and an investment in creative minds. The Foundation is making steady progress to deepen its impact locally and regionally, within a strategy that responds to the changes of the times and meets the aspirations of the future. The diversity of the submissions reflects the global, regional, and local educational community’s confidence in the Foundation’s leading role, confirming its position as a catalyst for excellence and knowledge.”
HE Al Qatami added, “I extend my gratitude to Sheikh Rashid bin Hamdan Al Maktoum for his continuous support, and to all the partners from educational and media institutions, whose cooperation has played a key role in the continued success of this program, reflecting our shared commitment to the values of excellence, empowering future generations, and building a bright future based on knowledge and innovation.”
An Australian research paper won the international award for applied research in nurturing talent. The number of winners in the local awards was 42 from a total of 195 participants across all award categories. In the Gulf awards, there were 17 winners out of 98 participants.
