'Superhuman' UAE teachers urged to apply for GEMS Education Global Teacher Prize
Most recent winner, Mansour bin Abdullah Al-Mansour, says teachers have demonstrated 'superhuman powers' in empowering students
Dubai, UAE: 'Superhuman' UAE teachers are urged to apply for the GEMS Education Global Teacher Prize, a Varkey Foundation initiative organised in collaboration with UNESCO. The $1 million award is the biggest prize of its kind. Since its launch in 2015, the award has received over 100,000 applications and nominations from around the globe.
Mansour bin Abdullah Al-Mansour has transformed the lives of hundreds of orphans and spends his free time teaching prisoners how to read and write. As the most recent winner, he received his trophy during a ceremony at the World Governments Summit in Dubai in February 2025.
Mansour bin Abdullah Al-Mansour, the most recent winner of the GEMS Education Global Teacher Prize, said: 'Every day across the UAE, teachers are using their superhuman powers to transform young lives. With remarkable resilience, bold innovation, and unwavering courage, they go above and beyond to protect, guide, and shape the futures of their students.
'I invite every inspiring educator to step into the light and apply for the GEMS Education Global Teacher Prize. I also urge students and parents to nominate teachers who are making a lasting difference in their lives. These are stories of passion, dedication, and brilliance the world needs to hear – and their achievements deserve to be celebrated on a global stage.'
Sunny Varkey, Founder of the Global Teacher Prize, the Varkey Foundation, and GEMS Education, said: 'The GEMS Education Global Teacher Prize was created to spotlight the critical role of education in addressing the major challenges of our time – from combating climate change to reducing inequality and navigating technological change.
'I encourage all inspiring teachers in the UAE to step forward and apply for this year's prize. This is your moment to join a global movement of educators who are leading the charge toward a better, more just future for all.'
Stefania Giannini, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education, said: 'UNESCO is proud to stand with the GEMS Education Global Teacher Prize in honouring the incredible dedication and impact of teachers around the world. At a time of growing teacher shortages, increasing challenges, and rapid technological change, one truth remains clear: teachers are essential. If we are to build a just, inclusive, and sustainable world, investing in teachers is not optional – it's imperative.'
The UAE has an incredible track record when it comes to the GEMS Education Global Teacher Prize. Moza Mohammed Rashid Saadan Al-Hafiti, a teacher at Zayed Educational Complex, Dibba Al Fujairah, was included in the top 50 in 2025. In 2021, Riadh Zammali, a physical education teacher at the Ghayathi Centre for Special Needs in Abu Dhabi, made the top 50.
The GEMS Education Global Teacher Prize is open to working teachers who teach children who are in compulsory schooling or are between the ages of five and 18. Teachers who teach children age 4+ in an Early Years government-recognised curriculum are also eligible, as are teachers who teach on a part-time basis, and teachers of online courses.
Teachers must spend at least 10 hours per week teaching and plan to remain in the profession for the next five years. It is open to teachers in every kind of school and, subject to local laws, in every country in the world.
Teachers applying for the GEMS Education Global Teacher Prize will be assessed on teaching practices, how they innovate to address local challenges, achieve demonstrable learning outcomes, impact the community beyond the classroom, help children become global citizens, improve the teaching profession, and gain recognition from external bodies.
The prize will be narrowed down to a Top 50 shortlist and Top 10 finalists, helping to raise the bar of respect for the teaching profession. The winner will be chosen from the top 10 finalists by the Global Teacher Prize Academy made up of prominent individuals.
If teachers are being nominated, the person nominating them will write a brief description online explaining why. The teacher being nominated will then be sent an email letting them know they have been nominated and inviting them to apply for the prize. Applicants can apply in English, Mandarin, Arabic, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Russian.
About GEMS Education
Every day, GEMS Education has the privilege of educating more than 200,000 students from over 176 countries through its owned and managed schools around the world. With nearly half a million alumni who have influenced countless lives, GEMS is recognised as one of the most impactful education groups globally.
Founded in the UAE in 1959, GEMS Education is the largest and most respected K–12 private education group in the world, with a track record of providing diverse curricula and educational opportunities to families from all socio-economic backgrounds.
What began as a single school in a private home in Dubai remains a family business to this day. Its inspiring Chairman and Founder, Sunny Varkey, and his sons, Dino Varkey, the Group Chief Executive Officer, and Jay Varkey, the Deputy Group Chief Executive Officer, continue to provide vision, insight, and strategic leadership across the organisation.
Through its growing school network and philanthropic initiatives, GEMS is committed to fulfilling its vision of putting a quality education within the reach of every learner, everywhere.
Each year, GEMS students graduate to join the world's leading universities. Over the past five years alone, they have been accepted into over 1,050 universities in 53 countries – including all eight Ivy League institutions in the United States and all 24 Russell Group universities in the United Kingdom. GEMS alumni have gone on to successful careers in all sectors around the world, including a large proportion reaching CEO and C-suite status.
For further information about GEMS Education, visit www.gemseducation.com or contact:
Shilpa Johnson, Account Director, Four
Shilpa.johnson@four.agency | +971 52 118 9045 | +971 4 568 3444
About The Varkey Foundation
The Varkey Foundation believes every child deserves a vibrant, stimulating learning environment that awakens and supports their full potential. The foundation believes nothing is more important to achieving this than the passion and quality of teachers. They support global teaching capacity and seed excellence and innovation in the next generation of educators. They also founded the Global Teacher Prize to shine a spotlight on the incredible work teachers do all over the world. For further details: www.varkeyfoundation.org
About UNESCO
UNESCO is the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. It contributes to peace and security by promoting international cooperation in education, sciences, culture, communication and information. UNESCO promotes knowledge sharing and the free flow of ideas to accelerate mutual understanding and a more perfect knowledge of each other's lives. UNESCO's programmes contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals defined in the 2030 Agenda, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2015.
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