UAE’s best teacher and school principal celebrated at government excellence awards
Two women working in the UAE’s classrooms and school leadership were among the professionals recognised at the 2026 Mohammed bin Rashid Government Excellence Award, bringing education into the spotlight at a ceremony celebrating the people behind the country’s public services.
Iman Mohammed Al Khouri received the Prime Minister’s Medal for Best Teacher, while Maimouna Hashem Al Muaini, principal of Zayed Educational Complex in Dubai, was honoured with the medal for Best School Principal.
Held at Expo City Dubai on November 5, the ceremony recognised federal institutions, government employees and projects whose work has contributed to improving services and preparing the UAE for the future.
Recognition for the people shaping young lives
Al Khouri teaches Islamic education at Madinat Al Riyadh School in Abu Dhabi. Reflecting on her award, she described excellence as a continuous journey that requires creativity, perseverance and a commitment to serving the country.
Her message was to keep looking ahead, developing new ideas and striving to contribute more. She spoke about the importance of sustaining achievements and continuing to give back to a country that has provided so much.
For Al Muaini, who leads Zayed Educational Complex in Dubai’s Al Barsha district, the recognition brought both pride and a renewed sense of responsibility. She described the award as the beginning of another commitment to continue working and improving performance.
Their individual honours were accompanied by recognition for the wider education sector. The Ministry of Education shared the Most Improved Ministry award with the Ministry of Community Empowerment.
Education Minister Sarah Al Amiri congratulated both educators, praising their contributions and describing their achievements as encouragement to continue improving education for students.
New awards reflect changing government priorities
The 2026 edition introduced four categories covering artificial intelligence applications, proactivity and future readiness, chief AI officers and chief future-readiness officers.
The Federal Authority for Government Human Resources received the award for AI applications. Abdullah Ghuloom Al Bastaki of the Federal Tax Authority was recognised with the Prime Minister’s Medal for Best Chief AI Officer, while the Ministry of Foreign Affairs won for proactivity and future readiness.
These additions extended the awards’ scope to recognise both the adoption of new technology and the professionals responsible for guiding its use across government.
Honouring service across generations
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, attended the ceremony and presented the Mohammed bin Rashid Sash to Sheikh Surour bin Mohammed Al Nahyan.
The distinction recognised decades of national service and his contributions to building the UAE and developing its institutions.
The ministries of Interior, Finance and Foreign Affairs were also honoured for sustaining excellence across successive award cycles. Special recognition went to two national initiatives: Make it in the Emirates and Hayat, the organ and tissue donation and transplantation programme.
Speaking about the awards, Sheikh Mohammed described excellence as “a mindset and a culture”, emphasising the importance of continually redefining success and remaining open to change.
An assessment focused on results
The 2026 evaluation covered 30 federal entities, with 57 leaders and 236 government employees nominated for Prime Minister’s Medals. More than 130 Emirati and international experts and assessors participated.
The process examined performance from the perspectives of government, society, customers and employees, placing results and practical impact at the centre of the assessment.
Held every two years under the Sheikh Khalifa Government Excellence Programme, the awards recognise achievements across institutions and individual careers, including the work of teachers and school leaders whose influence begins in the classroom.
