H.E. Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Khalifa Award for Education one of the Zayed Humanitarian Legacy Foundation’s institutions has approved the names of the winners of the 19th cycle (2026), totaling 40 winners across local, Arab, and international levels. H.H. Sheikha Mariam bint Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice Chair of the Education, Human Development and Community Council, was awarded the Educational Personality of the Year in recognition of her outstanding contributions and visionary role in advancing the education system and shaping its future in line with global scientific and technological developments, as well as her efforts to empower the UAE’s education ecosystem in alignment with the directives of H.H. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE. The winners list includes 25 recipients from within the UAE, including four Emirati families honored with the Distinguished Emirati Family Award, in addition to 11 winners from across the Arab world and four international winners in the Khalifa International Award for Early Learning the first award of its kind globally. The General Secretariat of the Award will host the honoring ceremony on May 13 at Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental in Abu Dhabi, with the participation of leading educational and academic figures from within the UAE and abroad.
H.E. Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan emphasized that the Khalifa Award for Education continues its pioneering journey inspired by the legacy of the Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, whose vision established a unique model centered on human development, education, national identity, and openness to modern knowledge. He noted that this approach reflects a deep strategic vision that places education at the core of sustainable development and the preparation of generations capable of innovation and meaningful contribution to national progress, adding that this vision continues under the leadership of H.H. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan through advanced educational policies and forward-looking national strategies that enhance the UAE’s global competitiveness. He also praised the directives of H.H. Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in supporting the development of the education sector and promoting a culture of excellence and innovation.
Humaid Al Houti, Secretary General of the Khalifa Award for Education, affirmed that the current cycle witnessed strong participation from candidates representing 52 countries worldwide, reflecting the award’s growing international stature and global confidence in its mission to promote excellence and innovation in education. He added that the award includes 10 main fields across 17 categories, and congratulated all winners for joining the Award’s network of excellence ambassadors since its launch in 2007 and contributing to the development of education systems and positive global impact. He also congratulated the four Emirati families honored this year, noting that their recognition coincides with the UAE’s Year of the Family 2026 and highlights the vital role of families in nurturing generations and strengthening national identity.
At the international level, the winners of the Khalifa International Award for Early Learning included,
in the Research and Studies category,
- Abu Sayeed Mohammed Parves Shonchoy from Florida University – United States of America for his study “Doing More with What Exists: Scaling Early Childhood Development through Public Infrastructure,”
- Florencia Clara Lopez Boo from New York University – United States of America for her research “Research Study to Inform Quality Improvement at Scale in Early Childhood Development Interventions in Low and Middle-Income Countries.”
In the Programs, Curricula, Methodologies, and Teaching Methods category, winners included
- Rebecca Sayre Mojgani from ECD Measure – United States of America for the “Brief Early Childhood Quality Inventory Together in Practice (BEQI TIP),”
- Susan Place Everhart representing Sabre Education – United Kingdom.