• Artificial intelligence is one of the key criteria used in evaluating candidates’ submissions.

• The Award has firmly established its position at the forefront of specialized educational awards worldwide.

The General Secretariat of the Khalifa Award for Education, one of the institutions under the Erth Zayed Philanthropies, announced on Tuesday, July 29, 2025, the launch of the Award’s 19th cycle for 2025–2026. This cycle includes 10 fields across 17 categories at the local, Arab, and international levels. The submission of applications is open through the Award’s website from July 29 until December 31, 2025. The General Secretariat will announce the names of the winners in April 2026, followed by the honoring ceremony in May, in accordance with the timeline of the current cycle.

Humaid Al-Houti, Secretary-General of the Khalifa Award for Education, praised the support of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, President of the UAE, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister, Chairman of the Presidential Court, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Khalifa Award for Education, along with Their Highnesses the Rulers of the Emirates, for their continued commitment to advancing national development. He noted their dedication to maintaining the UAE’s leadership in global competitiveness indicators in education, through modern learning environments that embrace innovation, future-readiness, and strong national identity, and instill a strong sense of national identity, while reinforcing the values of belonging and loyalty to the country and its wise leadership among students across all educational stages.

Al-Houti also commended the support of His Highness Sheikh Theyab bin Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Court for Development and Fallen Heroes’ Affairs, Chairman of the International Humanitarian and Philanthropic Council, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Erth Zayed Philanthropies, for empowering the Award to fulfill its mission locally, regionally, and globally in alignment with the UAE’s vision of investing in people as they are the foundation for a thriving future.

Artificial Intelligence 

The Secretary-General of the Award emphasized the importance of this cycle, which coincides with a number of distinguished national initiatives across all stages of the education sector —including the launch of national AI initiatives and the integration of AI tools across development fields, foremost among them education, as it is witnessing a qualitative shift and rapid development in transforming the learning environment to keep pace with the digital age and its technological and knowledge-based advancements, which the educational institution embodies as a hub of science and knowledge.

He emphasized that artificial intelligence has become a core criterion used by the Award in evaluating and distinguishing between submissions. The Award’s assessment framework prioritizes the integration of AI applications that demonstrate measurable positive impact on the relevant field.

He pointed that the 19th cycle will further enhance the role of AI in strengthening outstanding submissions and elevating their competitiveness, noting that the criteria this year place strong emphasis on the effective use of AI tools and the educational outcomes they generate—especially those that enhance student learning as the central focus of the educational process.

Fields of the 19th Cycle

In regard to the fields and categories of the Award's 19^th cycle, Al-Houti announced: “In this cycle, the Khalifa Award for Education has introduced the following fields and categories: Distinguished Educational Personality, awarded to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the education sector at both the local and Arab levels; General Education, including the Creative Teacher category (Local and Arab) and Institutional Educational Performance; Education and Community Service, including Institutions, and Outstanding Emirati Families; People of Determination, including Individuals, and Institutions and Centers; Innovation in Teaching Arabic, including Distinguished Teacher and Distinguished University Professor (Local and Arab); Higher Education, including Distinguished University Professor; Educational Research, including the Educational Research category; Educational Authoring for Children, including Educational Innovations and Studies in Children’s Literature; and Educational Projects and Programs, including Individuals, Institutions, and Students. In addition, the fourth cycle of the Khalifa International Award for Early Learning has been launched, which includes the categories of Research and Studies, and Programs, Curricula, Methodologies, and Teaching Approaches.”

Al-Houti explained that the Early Learning Award aims to promote excellence in early childhood development worldwide by highlighting leading research and innovative practices, and providing an environment that encourages growth, creativity, and excellence. This field includes two categories: Research and Studies, and Programs, Curricula, Methodologies, and Teaching Approaches. An expert committee of international early learning specialists oversees the evaluation and judging process.

Timeline

Humaid Al-Houti explained that the current cycle follows a timeline starting with the submission of applications from 29 July to 31 December 2025, followed by the initial screening process, then the judging and evaluation of the submissions, in addition to field visits to assess the nominated projects. The Secretariat will announce the winners in April 2026, and the award ceremony will take place in May 2026.

Digital Platform

Al-Houti noted that the Award’s website has been upgraded according to best practices to streamline the application process and support candidates throughout their submission journey until the winners are announced.
He emphasized that the Award has developed its workflow stages, starting from the submission of applications to the announcement of the winners, in addition to enhancing the effectiveness of the judging committees across the various fields and categories. He added that all judging committees, composed of academic, educational, and community experts, conduct their work electronically in alignment with the Award’s mission to promote a culture of excellence across all stages of the educational process.

He further explained that since its establishment in 2007, the Khalifa Award for Education has succeeded in expanding awareness of excellence as a fundamental pillar of educational development and quality.

Al-Houti called on all individuals in the education and academic sectors, as well as relevant community institutions, to participate in the current cycle and enrich it with outstanding submissions that reflect impactful educational contributions and pioneering initiatives enhancing the student’s character and opening up future opportunities for them, and developing the overall learning environment.