Winner Mansour bin Abdullah Al-Mansou plans to spend prize money on building a school for orphans 

Dubai, Feb 13, 2025: Saudi Arabian teacher Mansour bin Abdullah Al-Mansour has been named the winner of the GEMS Education Global Teacher Prize. Mansour has volunteered more than 3,000 hours helping his community, including transforming the lives of hundreds of gifted orphans. He was announced as the winner during a ceremony at the World Governments Summit in Dubai. 

The Global Teacher Prize is a Varkey Foundation initiative organised in collaboration with UNESCO. Now in its ninth year, the prize offers a $1 million reward.  

Mansour, a teacher at Prince Saud bin Jalawi School in Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia, was selected from more than 5,000 nominations from 89 countries around the world.  

On winning the GEMS Education Global Teacher Prize, Mansour said, “Thank you to GEMS Education, the Varkey Foundation, and UNESCO for this incredible honour. It is humbling to be recognised among such remarkable educators from all around the world. Through this powerful new platform, I hope to uplift the lives of many more children in Saudi Arabia and beyond. Every child deserves the chance to shine, regardless of their circumstances, and I will continue to work towards breaking barriers so that no young person is left behind.”  

Sunny Varkey, Founder of the Global Teacher Prize and GEMS Education, and Chairman of the Varkey Foundation said, “Congratulations to Mansour on winning the GEMS Education Global Teacher Prize 2025. Your inspiring journey is a true reflection of your passion, dedication, and the life-changing power of education.” 

Since 2001, Mansour has been teaching in low-income neighbourhoods, supporting students facing academic challenges, including those with disabilities, learning difficulties, and children from illiterate families. Initially teaching in a small, rented school building, from what was essentially the school kitchen, Mansour transformed the school into being recognised as one of the top 10 learning environments in Saudi Arabia for gifted education.  

To achieve this, he provided his students with training at the top talent and creativity centres in the Kingdom, connected them with renowned professors at King Faisal University through a mentorship programme, established an innovation incubator to nurture their ideas, and worked to enhance their economic conditions. As a result, his students have earned prestigious accolades on global stages.  

Mansour also helped his students take part in the ‘Riyali Financial Awareness Initiative’, aimed at empowering low-income students by equipping them with entrepreneurship skills and financial literacy training to become financially independent.  

In collaboration with charitable organisations, Mansour provided interest-free loans of SAR500 per student to establish small businesses (kiosks), with students earning between SAR1,300-1,500 within two months. One student now owns a small business, generating a stable income of SAR1,500-2,500 monthly.  

Mansour has also donated more than 3,000 hours of voluntary service. This includes giving his time to teach close to 250 gifted orphans, equipping them with key life skills. These orphans are scattered across different schools, and Mansour plans to spend the $1 million Global Teacher Prize money on building one school for talented orphans.  

Outside of official hours, Mansour leads a programme for prison inmates, helping them to read and write, giving them a second chance at life. As a result of Mansour’s tutoring, several prisoners have seen their sentences reduced. Mansour has also co-founded several charitable, educational, and humanitarian associations, including the Qabas Educational Association providing literacy programmes to 3,250 learners.  

Beyond his work with students, Mansour supports other teachers. He has authored more than 21 books on education, including subjects like innovative teaching and professional ethics, and provided more than 300 training hours to educators across the Gulf region.  

Mansour’s contributions have been so impactful that he was appointed as an international ambassador for Hamdan Bin Rashid Foundation in Dubai, where he travels across the Gulf countries sharing his expertise and training teachers. 

The top 10 finalists for the GEMS Education Global Teacher Prize were Brett Dascombe from Australia; Céline Haller from France; Erick Hueck from the US; Karina Sarro from Argentina; Mohammad Imran Khan Mewati from India; Muhammad Nazmi from Malaysia; Ramón Majé Floriano from Colombia; Subash Chandar K from New Zealand; and Tionge Mtambo from Malawi.  

 The Global Teacher Prize was set up to recognise one exceptional teacher who has made an outstanding contribution to the profession as well as to shine a spotlight on the important role teachers play in society. Since its launch, the Global Teacher Prize has received over 100,000 applications and nominations from around the glob