Sheikh Rashid bin Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Supreme Chairman of Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation for Medical and Educational Sciences, honored 62 winners of this year's educational awards from a total of 459 participants at a ceremony held today (Tuesday, May 21) at Theater Hall, Mohammed Bin Rashid Library in Dubai.

The ceremony also witnessed the honoring of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Dubai Airports and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group. The Foundation's Board of Trustees selected His Highness as the as the ‘Personality of the Year 2024’ in recognition of his role in supporting education and improving the lives of thousands of people in need across many regions of the world through his leadership of the Emirates Airline Foundation. This has strengthened the UAE's presence on the global charitable and humanitarian map. His Highness has also supported numerous community organizations that assist government efforts in caring for children, students, and people of determination.

The awards ceremony was attended HE Humaid Mohammed Al Qatami, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Foundation; Dr. Khalifa Al Suwaidi, Secretary-General and CEO of Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation; and H.E. Dr. Mohamed Ould Amar, Director-General of the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO). The event also saw the presence of senior officials from the education sector, representatives from international, regional, and local organizations and ministries, officials from the Foundation, students, and their parents.

In his speech, HE Humaid Mohammed Al Qatami, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Foundation, welcomed His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Dubai Airports and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group, and Sheikh Rashid bin Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Supreme President of Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation for Medical and Educational Sciences.

He added, “With great warmth and hospitality, we welcome you today as honoured guests to the twenty-sixth cycle of the Educational Awards ceremony of Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation for Medical and Educational Sciences. Today, we renew our celebration of those who have excelled in their performance and demonstrated mastery in their achievements, deserving recognition and honours. This celebration takes place under the ongoing patronage of the Hamdan Foundation in its new structure, while continuing to promote excellence in both the medical and educational sectors. This endeavour aligns with the national development journey under the leadership of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, may God protect him, and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai, may God protect him, along with the esteemed rulers of the Emirates.”

His Excellency added, “Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation for Medical and Educational Sciences has received exceptional attention from the Dubai government, which has been keen to support and endorse its efforts to continue its journey towards achieving its noble goals. This underscores the importance of the cultural legacy that this Emirati-Arab message carries to the world, serving knowledge and human enlightenment. It reflects the authenticity and purity of the initiatives launched by the late Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, may God rest his soul, in 1998 and 1999, through the establishment of awards for outstanding educational performance and medical sciences. Over the course of twenty-five years, these awards have achieved remarkable accomplishments, constructing a legacy of innovative programs and projects in medical and educational excellence, and nurturing talented individuals. With this rich legacy, the Foundation embarks on a new institutional framework and an inspiring strategic system, meeting the aspirations of the future.”

His Excellency congratulated the winners in the various categories of the award in its 26th cycle, which included two winners of the international awards from the World Giftedness Center, three winners of Hamdan-ALECSO Award for Distinguished Educational Research, seventeen winners of the Foundation's awards at the GCC level, and forty winners of the local awards. His Excellency emphasized that awareness of social responsibility and the necessity of continuing to support local and international efforts in empowering education played a significant role in driving Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation for Medical and Educational Sciences to continue working with other partner organizations and institutions towards enhancing the development capacity of education.

HE Humaid Mohammed Al Qatami added, “Awareness of the importance of social responsibility and the necessity of continuing to support local and international efforts in empowering education motivates us at the Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation for Medical and Educational Sciences to continue our work with our partners from organizations and institutions towards enhancing the capacity of education to evolve. Based on our firm belief in the vitality of innovative thinking in achieving sustainable excellence, we have launched the "Future Science Challenge", which has achieved remarkable success both locally and regionally. It has provided opportunities to harness students' passion for innovation and knowledge, and it opened new horizons for learning in the context of artificial intelligence. To ensure the dissemination of benefit and the expansion of the beneficiary base, and to implement the directives of His Highness the Supreme Chairman, the Foundation will work on extending this competition to the Arab world starting from the next cycle, hoping that this contributes to the development of innovative thinking trends in education.”

His Excellency concluded, “I would like to express my gratitude to Sheikh Rashid bin Hamdan Al Maktoum, the Supreme Chairman of the foundation, for his wise guidance, continuous support, and significant assistance to the foundation, which has provided ideal conditions for it to work with proficiency and stability towards achieving its goals. I also extend my gratitude to my fellow brothers and members of the board of trustees, and all the employees in the foundation for their great efforts. I also commend our partners from organizations, ministries, institutions, individuals, and media outlets. Their diligence, cooperation, and support have had a visible impact on our continuous success, reflecting the extent of our collective commitment to the principles of responsibility, human values, social responsibility, and patriotism.”

In his speech, H.E. Dr. Mohamed Ould Amar, Director-General of the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO), expressed his gratitude to His Excellency Dr. Khalifa Al Suwaidi, Secretary-General and CEO of Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation, and to the personnel of Hamdan-ALECSO Award for Distinguished Educational Research for inviting him to the ceremony and for their efforts in enhancing cooperation and partnership with ALECSO through this distinguished award. He highlighted the award's unique vision and objectives in supporting researchers and encouraging creative educational actors in the field of education, as well as valuing good educational experiences for investment and benefit to develop practices and educational systems. This is part of the efforts to ensure quality, equitable, and inclusive education for all by 2030 in Arab countries and to achieve the transition towards knowledge societies. He also extended his congratulations to the winners of this cycle and to all participants from Arab countries, wishing them further success in their academic, research, and professional paths.

His Excellency added that ALECSO is committed to encouraging educational researchers and maximizing the benefits of the educational research they produce through its plans and activities. The organization works to value these efforts by publishing them in all its journals, especially the Arab Journal of Education, which has been issued periodically by the organization for more than forty years. Furthermore, through its partnerships in organizing awards and competitions with Arab bodies concerned with the development of education and the growth of educational scientific research, ALECSO highlights the importance of these awards in motivating researchers to innovate in the field of education, showcasing and valuing best practices, and fostering communities of practitioners who exchange ideas and experiences. These efforts help to enhance the status of educational research within the broader scientific research framework in Arab countries. This blessed partnership between ALECSO and Hamdan Foundation for Medical and Educational Sciences is a testament to this commitment.

The number of winners in the local awards reached 40 out of a total of 198 participants across all categories. In the Gulf awards, there were 17 winners out of 89 participants. A total of 146 research papers from 17 Arab countries were submitted for Hamdan-ALECSO Award for Distinguished Educational Research, with three winning papers from Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Egypt.