Khalifa Award for Education honours 18th cycle winners

His Highness Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler’s Representative in Al Ain Region, was named Distinguished Educational Personality in recognition of his extensive contributions to developing the education system locally, regionally and internationally, at an award ceremony held in Abu Dhabi.

The ceremony was held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister, Chairman of the Presidential Court, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Khalifa Award for Education, one of the Zayed Charitable and Humanitarian Foundations initiatives.

He stressed education is a national priority and a cornerstone of the vision of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. He noted the UAE’s continued transformation in education, driven by AI integration across all levels and a deep-rooted culture of excellence.

He affirmed that education is instrumental in shaping future generations who are proud of their national identity and capable of adapting to scientific and technological progress.

Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence and Deputy Chairman of the Board of Trustees, presented the Distinguished Educational Personality trophy to His His Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who received it on behalf of His Highness Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed.

Humaid Al Houti, Secretary-General of the Khalifa Award for Education, highlighted the support of the UAE leadership in strengthening the educational sector, tracing its foundations to the UAE's Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. He noted that nominations for this edition came from over 48 countries, including the US, UK, China, Argentina, France, Germany and many others.

Al Houti said the Distinguished Educational Personality Award remains a cornerstone of the Khalifa Award, honouring those with significant impact in advancing education systems. He concluded the ceremony by presenting a commemorative shield to Sheikh Mansour in appreciation of his continued support.

UAE-level honourees included:

Creative Teacher – General Education: Sheikha Saeed Al Suraidi, Shamsa Al Dhahani, Noora Al Madhani, Dr Omar Al Noursi, Mohammad Tarabay, Raeda Saleh, Firas Shawakh and Yasmine Zahra.

Institutional Performance: Atika Bint Zaid School, Al Tamouh School, Mohammed bin Khalid Generation School, and Khalifa City School.

People of Determination: Dr Khaled Barakat (Individual); Abu Dhabi Autism Center (Institution).

Education and Community Service: Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalid Al Nahyan Cultural Centre.

Outstanding Emirati Family: Families of Khalil Al Dhuhoori, Abdalla Al Naqbi and Ahmed Al Kaabi.

Innovation in Arabic Language Teaching: Mahra Al Nuaimi (teacher); Dr Saif Al Fuqara (university professor).

Higher Education – Distinguished Professors: Dr Fathalla Raihan, Dr Jamaluddin Abdullah, Dr Zafar Sher, and Dr Riad Eid.

Innovative Student Projects: Ahmed Al Qawasmi (American University of Sharjah).

Educational Research: Aisha Al Ghafli and Farah Khaled.

Educational Writing for Children: Musab Beyrouti for his poetry collection Shade Your Imagination.

Arab and international winners included educators from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Jordan and Algeria in the Creative Teacher category; Tunisia’s Dr Saber Lahbacha for Arabic teaching in higher education; Egypt’s Dr Hassan El-Badawi and Dr Suwailem Sharsheer in higher education; and Algeria’s Khaira Boukhari for her City of Reading project.

In Educational Research, Jordan’s Dr Nasreen Al Jaafreh and Dr Sanaa Al Samadi were honoured for their study on AI-powered learning applications. Oman’s Najwa Al Darawi won in Educational Writing for her story A Voyage to the Northern Realm.

Khalifa International Award for Early Learning winners included:

Best Research and Studies: Dr Alexander Eble (Columbia University, US); Dr Filipa De Castro (Save the Children US).

Best Programmes and Practices: Stéphanie Seyll (France) for a community daycare model in Cambodia; Nisreine Ben Abdeljalil (Morocco) for a preschool education initiative.

The ceremony also featured a documentary on the award’s evolution and its role in promoting educational excellence.