Sheikh Mohammed Celebrates Excellence: Dubai Honors Top Government Achievers for 2026

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has recognized the recipients of the 2026 Mohammed bin Rashid Government Excellence Award. The prestigious ceremony took place at Expo City Dubai, where awards were presented to outstanding federal entities, government leaders, and employees for their significant contributions to public sector excellence. During the event, Sheikh Mohammed bestowed the Mohammed bin Rashid Sash upon Sheikh Surour bin Mohammed, acknowledging his extensive national service and lifelong dedication to the UAE's development.

Reflecting on the ceremony, Sheikh Mohammed shared on X, "The most memorable moment of the ceremony was honouring my brother, Sheikh Surour bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, with the Mohammed bin Rashid Sash, in recognition of his distinguished national career and his contributions to the country's progress over many decades of his life." He added, "We congratulate all the winners on their excellence awards, which we introduced more than 30 years ago as a new concept in our country. We will continue this journey because excellence is not a goal, but a mindset and a culture." He further elaborated, "It is a mindset that strives for perfection without ever reaching it, one that constantly redefines success and has the courage to embrace continuous change and experimentation. Excellence is one of the virtues of good governance."

Among the individual accolades, Iman Mohammed Al Khouri was honored with the Prime Minister's Medal for Best Teacher, and Maimouna Hashem Al Muaini, principal of Zayed Educational Complex in Dubai, received the Prime Minister's Medal for Best School Principal.

In line with the UAE's focus on innovation and future readiness, four new award categories were introduced, emphasizing artificial intelligence. The Federal Authority for Government Human Resources secured the award for Best Entity in AI Applications, while Abdullah Ghuloom Al Bastaki from the Federal Tax Authority was presented with the Prime Minister's Medal for Best Chief AI Officer.

Leading federal entities recognized for sustained excellence included the ministries of Interior, Finance, and Foreign Affairs. The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation received the award for leading federal entity among ministries with over 500 employees. Special commendations were also given to the Ministry of Health and Prevention's organ donation program, Hayat, and the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology's Make it in the Emirates initiative.

The 2026 awards cycle featured 10 main and subcategories for institutional awards and 13 Prime Minister's Medals. The evaluation process involved over 130 Emirati and international experts. The Mohammed bin Rashid Government Excellence Award, established in 2009 and held biennially, stands as one of the UAE's highest honors for government performance.