Dubai, United Arab Emirates: Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation for Medical and Educational Sciences today (Sunday, 17 August 2025) launched the opening session for the evaluation of its local and Gulf awards for the 2025 cycle, with the participation of judging panels and a distinguished group of experts and educators. The initiative aims to ensure a rigorous and transparent assessment process that reflects the Foundation’s long-standing commitment to supporting excellence in education.
Dr. Ali Al Kaabi, General Coordinator and Head of the Arbitration Committees, emphasized the Foundation’s commitment to upholding international best practices in the arbitration process, stating: “The evaluation process is a pivotal stage in the journey of the awards. We rely on scientific foundations and objective criteria to select models that provide real added value to the educational sector. We are not only looking for academic excellence, but also for initiatives that make a tangible positive impact in their educational environments and promote a culture of innovation and quality. The significance of these awards lies in their ability to inspire individuals and institutions to adopt best practices and improve performance, thereby contributing to raising the quality of education in our communities.”
Dr. Al Kaabi further commented: “This stage gives us the opportunity to explore diverse and innovative experiences from different educational settings, fostering knowledge exchange among participants and winners, and helping to build a regional network of pioneers in educational excellence. We believe that these efforts, aligned with the vision of the Foundation, represent a genuine investment in human capital and in nurturing the talents that will lead the future of education in the region.”
The 2025 cycle witnessed wide participation, with a total of 288 nominations across the local and Gulf levels. At the local level, the Foundation received 189 nominations distributed across the following categories: Distinguished Student Award (122), Local Distinguished Teacher Award (30), Local Distinguished Educator Award (20), Distinguished Undergraduate University Student Award (7), Local Distinguished School Award (8), and Education Supporting Institutions (2). At the Gulf level, there were 105 nominations, including 31 in the Distinguished Student Award category (academic and non-academic), 30 in the Distinguished Teacher Award, 16 in the Distinguished Educator Award, and 28 in the Distinguished School Award.
This year’s cycle also recorded notable growth compared to last year, with broader participation across categories and a higher level of competitiveness. This reflects the increasing interest of individuals and educational institutions in showcasing best practices and achievements in the field of education. The judging committees—comprising leading experts in various educational fields—will evaluate the entries based on rigorous methodologies that ensure transparency and fairness, leading to the selection of winners who will be honored at a special ceremony to be held later this year.
