News

Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation (MBRF) and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Award, MBRF has officially opened the door to submissions for the annual Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Award (MBRKA.

The award seeks to recognise and honour individuals and organisations who have made significant contributions to the field of knowledge, and to encourage them to innovate and play an influential role in building the knowledge economy.

His Excellency Jamal bin Huwaireb, CEO of MBRF and Secretary-General of the Award, said: “The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Award has underlined the necessity to produce, disseminate, and localise knowledge in the region. It is a prestigious award that plays a critical role in building a knowledge economy at the local, regional, and international levels. The award embeds knowledge into the cultural fabric of our societies and promotes intellectual and creative achievements.”

“Over the course of the past few years, the Award has successfully driven individuals across all segments of society to get involved in the knowledge industry,” H.E. bin Huwaireb continued. “We look forward to carry on with our mission again this year, bringing a new set of innovations and innovators before our panel of regional and international knowledge experts and academics.”

With the deadline set for July 31, 2017, written submissions (in Arabic or English) will be received on the award’s website (www.knowledgeaward.com), where candidates that meet the necessary criteria can register for consideration, even if they have won the award in previous years. Candidates can be individuals (in the UAE and abroad); government departments; or local, regional, and international companies and organisations. The Award, however, cannot be granted posthumously.

As for the eligibility criteria, the Foundation has reaffirmed that any individual or organisation –is welcome to apply, provided they have made significant and measurable contributions to the knowledge industry, within one of the following categories: knowledge, development and innovation; developing academic and research institutions; information and communication technologies (ICT); printing, publishing and documentation (both paper-based and electronic); as well as other fields specified by the Award’s Board of Trustees.

Furthermore, nomination conditions and criteria for the Award indicate that applications must be accompanied by reference letters from referees with expertise in the field of nomination; and that the nomination request must be accompanied by supporting documents about the nominee’s contribution to knowledge. Nominations must also adhere to the standards and ethics of scientific research, integrity and intellectual property.

H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, issued Decree No 36 of 2015, establishing the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Award to encourage those working in knowledge-related fields to innovate and create new ways to spread knowledge around the world.

In 2016, H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid issued a Decision forming the Award’s Board of Trustees under the chairmanship of H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Members of the Board include H.E. Jamal bin Huwaireb, Vice Chairman of the Board, and representatives of United Arab Emirates University, Cairo University, Nanyang Technological University, Oxford University and National Geographic.

In late 2016, H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum issued a decision appointing Jamal bin Huwaireb as Secretary General of the Award.