The awards will be presented at a gala ceremony on May 29 in the UAE 

Abu Dhabi, May 26, 2024: The 18th edition of the annual Khalifa Award for Education and Khalifa International Award for Early Learning Field have been announced.

A total of 48 winners have been selected for 14 different categories including 28 from the UAE, 16 from the Arab region and four others from the rest of the world. Among the awardees are three Emirati families who won this year in recognition of their efforts to support their children’s excellence.

Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler’s Representative in the Al Ain Region has been awarded the Distinguished Educational Personality of the Year Award in recognition of his efforts and contributions to supporting the education sector both locally and globally.

Humaid Al Houti, Secretary-General of the Khalifa Award for Education says the award ceremony will be held on May 29 under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE, Minister of Presidential Affairs, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Khalifa Award for Education. The award ceremony to honor the winners will be held at the Mandarin Oriental Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi.

The annual awards, according to Al Houti are in recognition and honour of exemplary work by both individuals and organisations in the education sector and with an aim to support the advancement and future of education.

The nominations for the awards came from over 48 nations, including the USA, UK, China, Argentina, Egypt, Morocco, Ethiopia, France, Germany, Hungary, Tunisia, Lebanon, Libya, Syria, USA, Portugal, Ireland, Canada, Algeria, Afghanistan, and many more.

The Khalifa International Award for Early Learning for Best Research and Studies, is the first of its kind in the category globally aimed at highlighting the most prominent scientific and practical practices in early childhood care and empowerment.

The winners are, Dr. Alexander Ebel, Associate Professor of Economics and Education at Teachers College, Columbia University, USA, for his research entitled “The Case for Foundational Literacy and Numeracy in Low-Income Countries,” and Dr. Filipa de Castro, Senior Advisor in the Research, Evidence and Learning Department at Save the Children USA, for her research entitled “Ten Years of Building Brains: Synthesis of Uptake and Impact to Date.”

In the Best Programs, Curricula, Teaching Methodologies and Practices category, the winners are Stephanie Selle, Founder of Planète Enfants & Développement, France, for the project “Community Based Childcare Center Cambodia for Garment Factory Workers,” funded by the Japan Social Development Fund through the World Bank and Nisreine Inn Abdeljalil, General Manager of the Moroccan Foundation for the Promotion of Early Childhood Education, Kingdom of Morocco, for the project “Moroccan Foundation for the Promotion of Preschool Education.”

The list of local winners from within the United Arab Emirates are:

General Education Field:

• Shaikha Saeed Rashed Alsereidi in Mathematics from Masafi School for Basic Education, Al Fujairah
• Shamsah Ahmed Aldhanhani in Arabic Language from Zayed Education Complex – Al Badiyah, Al Fujairah
• Nourah Mohamed Abdulrahman Almadhaani in Arabic language from Zayed Education Complex, Al Fujairah
• Dr. Omar Husein Al Naoursi in English language from Tahnoun Bin Mohammed Educational Complex, Al Ain
• Mohamed Elsayed Abdulwahab Tarabai in Arabic language from Al Qoua, Al Ain
• Raeda Faisal Shafiq Saleh in Arabic language from Sheikh Zayed Private Academy for Girls, Abu Dhabi
• Firas Ahmad Shawakh in Arabic language from Emirates National Schools, Ras Al-Khaimah and
• Yasmine Marwan Zahra in English language from Al Nokhba Private School.

Institutions which won the award under the same category are:

• Atika Bent Zaid School, Sharjah
• Al Tomouh School, Al Ain;
• Mohammed bin Khalid Generation School – Al Ain and
• Khalifa City School, Abu Dhabi

People of Determination Field

• Dr. Khaled Mohamed Barakat Ali Hasan, an Autism Specialist working for Hemam for Inclusive Education Services won the individual award
• Abu Dhabi Autism Center within Zayed Higher Organization for People of Determination was awarded the same in the institutions category.

Education and Community Service Field

• Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalid Al Nahyan Cultural Center won the award in the institutions category for its project in Green Innovation Curriculum for a Sustainable Environment: “Together towards Environmental Awareness for Sustainable Education.”

Distinguished Emirati Family Category awards

• Khalil Sahako Sultan Al Dhuhoori family, Sharjah
• Abdalla Mohammed Al Naqbi family, Sharjah and
• Ahmed Salem Al Kaabi family, Sharjah

Innovation in Teaching Arabic Language Field

• Mahra Masoud Al Nuaimi from Alhosoon school, Al Ain in the K-12 level
• Prof. Saif Al Dien Taha Al Fuqara, an Arabic Language and Literature Professor at Sharjah University at the university level

Distinguished University Lecturer Category in the Higher Education Field

• Prof. Fathalla Ali Fathalla Rihan from UAEU in Mathematics
• Prof. Jamal Eldin Abubaker Abdalla from the American University, Sharjah in Civil Engineering
• Prof. Zafar Saeed Nadar Sheir from UAEU in Advanced Materials for Energy Systems and
• Prof. Riyad Aly Mohammed Eid, also from UAEU in Marketing.
• Ahmad Ghandi Al Qawasmi from American University, Sharjah, is the winner of the individual level award for Innovative Educational Projects and Programs Field for the project – 3D Green.

Educational Research Field

• Aysha Saeed Al Ghfeli is the winner of the lead researcher along with Farah Gouda Ibrahim Khalid, secondary researcher for the research titled: The Effectiveness of an Educational Program based on Self-Regulated Learning and Interactive Learning Strategies in Enhancing Motivation and Academic Achievement in Mathematics among 2nd Cycle Students: An Experimental Study within the Vision of ‘We are the UAE 2031’
• Musab Yousef Biroutieh from the UAE won the award for Educational Authorship for Children Field for her work: Shade Your Imagination – “A book of Verse”

Winners from the The Arab World

General Education Field – Creative Teacher Category:
• Taghreed Masoud Abdul Raheem Bajneaid in Mathematics from Fifth High School for Girls, Saudi Arabia,
• Zakiah Saleh Muhsen Allahayani in English Language from The 134th Primary School, Saudi Arabia,
• Isa Husain Ali Mohammed as a Class teacher from Abu Saiba Primary Boys School, Bahrain,
• Huda Al Mutairi in Psychology from Awatif Al-Athbi Al Sabah High School for Girls, Kuwait,
• Hossam Hassan Ibrahim Asal in Science from Hamza Bin Abdul Mottalib Preparatory School for Boys, Qatar,
• Mustafa Ali Salim Al Yahyaaimi in Biology from Alsinina, Oman,
• Dr. Fatima Ali Wazan Al Sarhan, Class teacher, from Hay Alarkoub Elementary Mixed School, Jordan,
• Hafsa Hadj Boulenouar in English Language from Mahi Boumedienne School, Algeria.

Innovation in Teaching Arabic Language Field – Innovative University Lecturer Category
• Dr. Saber Lahbacha, Ph.D. in Arabic Language and Literature at the University of Sousse, Tunisia.

Higher Education Field -Distinguished University Lecturer Category:
• Prof. Hassan Mohamed El Badawi in Biochemistry from The American University in Cairo, Egypt
• Prof. Swellam Wafa Ali Abdullatif Sharshir in Mechanical Engineering from Kafrelsheikh University, Egypt.

Innovative Educational Projects and Programs Field – Educational Institutions Category:
• Khaira Boukhari for creative work titled: “Reading City and Distinguished Reader’s Kit”, Ministry of National Education, Algeria.

Educational Research Field – Educational Research Category:
• Dr. Nesreen Mohammad Al Jaafreh, with Prof. Sana Mahmoud Salem al Dharhiri, co-authored a research titled: The Impact of Employing Educational Applications-Based on Artificial Intelligence on Improving the English-Speaking Skill of Jordanian Basic Stage Students and the Opinions of Teachers and Students about them, Jordan.

Educational Authorship for Children Field – Educational Innovations Category:
• Najoua Abdullah Ahmed Al Daraaoui from Oman who authored a story titled: A Voyage to the Northern Realm.