Hamdan Award for Academic Excellence enters final phase

Notes and media contacts

About the Hamdan Award for Excellence
In March 1998, His Highness Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and the UAE Minister of Finance & Industry issued a decree to announcing the prestigious Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for the Distinguished Academic Performance. This was announced to undertake the task of upgrading the educational performance in all stages and sectors that are under the supervision of the Ministry of Education.

The awards are: The Distinguished Teacher, The Distinguished Student, The Distinguished Social Worker, The Distinguished Supervisor, Best Scientific Innovation, Best Applied Project and The Distinguished Parent.

Encouraged by the unprecedented success of the Award and the positive community response, His Highness issued a decree to include all the Emirates. Additionally, His Highness ordered an increase in the Award's financial remuneration, the quotas, and the categories. Two new categories were included - The Distinguished School Administration and The Distinguished Educational Zone. With these two additions the number of prizes rose up to 172.

In November 2000, His Highness the Late Shaikh Maktoum Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, then Ruler of Dubai, issued Decree 25 of 2000 to give the Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award its legal status.

In the same year, by the end of the second session, His Highness Sheikh Hamdan added a new category - Distinguished Teacher, confirming his sentiments on the high status of the teacher and his message in raising generations of educated citizens. In the same year, the parent category was amended to The Distinguished Family Category, with an increase in its quota and financial remunerations.

In March 2001 His Highness issued a directive to establish the National Centre for The Gifted and The Distinguished to be affiliated to the Award. Shortly after its establishment, the Centre became a member in The World Council for Gifted and Talented Children. In March 2002, His Highness added two more categories - The Best Educational Research and The distinguished Central Administration. With these new categories The Award covered all the elements in the educational system.

In March 2003, His Highness issued a decree to include The Gulf Cooperation Council Countries in the categories of the Distinguished Student and the Distinguished School Administration.
These new additions initiated a new historical phase in the educational performance in the region, based on the philosophy of creativity and excellence.

In the conclusion of the Eighth Session in 2006, His Highness extended the scope of the Award for the benefit of the educators in the Arab Countries by adding a new category - Best Applied Research in the Arab Nation.