Today's Edition
ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)
Under the directives of Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Khalifa Award for Education, the General Secretariat of the Khalifa Award for Education, one of Erth Zayed Philanthropies’ institutions, has launched the award's 20th Edition (2026–2027).
Marking a major milestone in the award's journey since its establishment in 2007, this edition introduces, for the first time, the Innovation and Artificial Intelligence in Education category. The introduction of this new category reflects the UAE leadership's vision to harness advanced technologies and artificial intelligence across all sectors to enhance quality of life and human well-being. It also aims to highlight outstanding research, innovative practices, and applied solutions that leverage artificial intelligence across all stages of education, in line with the UAE National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence.
The General Secretariat stated that the 20th edition features 10 award fields comprising 18 categories, covering a broad spectrum of educational, applied, and community initiatives at the UAE, Arab and international levels.
It was also announced that online nominations are now open and will continue until 31 December 2026.
Humaid Al Houti, Secretary-General of the Khalifa Award for Education, said that the 20th edition marks a significant milestone as the award celebrates two decades of educational, academic and community excellence. Since its establishment in 2007, the award has served as a pioneering national initiative dedicated to promoting excellence across the education sector.
Over the past two decades, the award has made a significant educational and humanitarian impact across all areas and levels of education, firmly establishing itself as one of the leading specialised education awards regionally and globally.
Al Houti reaffirmed the Khalifa Award for Education's pride in the unwavering support of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, whose vision continues to drive the nation's comprehensive development agenda, with education at its core. He noted that the UAE's education system has benefited from His Highness's sustained attention and support, enabling it to achieve leading positions in global competitiveness rankings.
Al Houti emphasised that the Khalifa Award for Education will continue to stand as one of the UAE's flagship national initiatives, having made significant contributions to fostering a culture of excellence across the education sector at the local, Arab and international levels.
He also praised the directives of His Highness Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Court for Development and Fallen Heroes' Affairs, Chairman of the International Humanitarian Affairs Council, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Erth Zayed Philanthropies. He said His Highness’s vision ensures that the Award continues to keep pace with the rapid scientific and technological transformation taking place across the education sector.
These directives open new horizons for learning environments to embrace innovation, expand knowledge, and prepare future generations for an increasingly technology-driven world.
Al Houti further commended the continued support of Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Khalifa Award for Education, whose guidance has ensured that the award's fields and categories remain aligned with the latest global developments in education.
Al Houti said: "The launch of the 20th edition represents a landmark occasion for the Khalifa Award for Education as we celebrate two decades since the award's establishment. Over the past two decades, the award has played a transformative role in building a comprehensive culture of excellence across the education sector, one of the key pillars of national development envisioned by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the Founding Father of the UAE.
"We remain committed to carrying forward this legacy by advancing the vision and mission of Erth Zayed Philanthropies and by creating a lasting positive impact on individuals and communities through education."
Al Houti added that the Founding Father firmly believed that education is the cornerstone of nation-building and sustainable development, a vision that continues to inspire the award's mission today.
He also highlighted the award's strategic partnerships with a wide range of national, regional and international institutions, noting that these collaborations have played a vital role in enabling the award to fulfil its mission and strengthen its position as a leading platform of educational excellence and knowledge advancement.
Speaking about the award fields and categories featured in the 20th edition, Al Houti said that this edition comprises 10 award fields across 18 categories, reflecting the award's continued commitment to recognising excellence across all areas of education. These include the Distinguished Educational Personality field, which honours distinguished public figures whose outstanding contributions have advanced the education sector at both the UAE and Arab levels.
The award also continues to present the Khalifa International Award for Early Learning, which was launched four years ago as the world's first award dedicated exclusively to early childhood education. This pioneering initiative reflects the UAE leadership's vision of investing in early childhood as an investment in the future and underscores its commitment to shaping brighter prospects for future generations.
Since its launch, the Khalifa International Award for Early Learning has attracted widespread recognition from leading international institutions, reinforcing its position as one of the UAE's flagship initiatives carrying a global message centred on enhancing quality of life and creating a lasting positive impact on individuals and communities.
The award highlights outstanding practices in early childhood education through two categories: Research and Studies and Programmes, Curricula, Methodologies and Teaching Practices. It is overseen by an independent awarding committee comprising internationally recognised experts and specialists in early childhood education.
Al Houti explained that the 20th edition also includes the General Education field, comprising the Creative Teacher – UAE, Creative Teacher – Arab World, and Institutional Education Performance categories.
The Education and Community Service field includes the Institutions and Distinguished Emirati Family categories, while the People of Determination field comprises the Individuals and Institutions and Centres categories.
The Innovation in Arabic Language Teaching field includes the Innovative Teacher, Innovative University Lecturer – UAE, and Innovative University Lecturer – Arab World categories, while the Higher Education field features the Distinguished University Lecturer category.
The award also includes the Educational Research field with the Educational Research category, the Educational Authorship for Children field with the Educational Innovations and Children's Literature Studies Research categories, and the Innovative Educational Projects and programmes field, comprising the Individuals, Educational Institution, and Secondary and University Students categories.
For the first time since the Award was established in 2007, the Innovative Educational Projects and Programmes field has been expanded to include the new Innovation and Artificial Intelligence in Education category. Introduced as part of the award's 20th edition, the category aims to recognise outstanding research, applied initiatives and innovative educational solutions that harness digital technologies and artificial intelligence to advance teaching and learning. It seeks to showcase projects that enhance the quality of education, modernise teaching and assessment practices, improve learning outcomes, and strengthen institutional performance across educational institutions.
The category is open to individuals, multidisciplinary teams, educational institutions and innovative students, as well as educational artificial intelligence projects that have demonstrated, through practical implementation over the past three years, their ability to deliver sustainable educational impact within learning environments.
Al Houti further noted that the award has recently upgraded its official website in line with the latest technological and digital best practices, transforming it into an advanced interactive platform for prospective applicants. The enhanced platform streamlines the online nomination process, saving applicants time and effort while ensuring the highest standards of accuracy, transparency and efficiency throughout the screening, judging and evaluation processes, leading up to the announcement of winners in April 2027.
