Dubai, UAE – His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, honoured the winners of the 2026 Mohammed bin Rashid Government Excellence Award at a ceremony at Expo City Dubai on 5 November 2026.
Mohammed bin Rashid Sash
Sheikh Surour bin Mohammed Al Nahyan received the Mohammed bin Rashid Sash in recognition of his decades of national service. Sheikh Mohammed described him as his brother.
Prime Minister’s Medal winners (selected)
- Iman Mohammed Al Khouri – Best Teacher
- Maimouna Hashem Al Muaini, Principal of Zayed Educational Complex in Dubai – Best School Principal
- Abdullah Ghuloom Al Bastaki, Federal Tax Authority – Best Chief AI Officer
Emirati diplomat Afra Mahash Al Hameli, Director of Strategic Communications at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was also among those honoured – recognition welcomed by Dr Anwar Gargash, Diplomatic Adviser to the UAE President, as a tribute to her dedication and national service.
Institutional winners
- Federal Authority for Government Human Resources – Best Entity in AI Applications
- Ministries of Interior, Finance and Foreign Affairs – leading federal entities in sustained excellence
- Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation – leading ministry with more than 500 employees
- Special recognition for MoHAP’s Hayat organ donation programme and MoIAT’s Make it in the Emirates initiative
About the award
Held every two years, this edition featured 10 main and sub-categories for entities, 13 Prime Minister’s Medals and four new categories focused on AI and future readiness, with more than 130 Emirati and international experts involved in evaluation.
Sources: The National, Gulf News.
