Dubai: His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, attended a ceremony honouring government entities, leaders and outstanding professionals who won the Mohammed bin Rashid Government Excellence Award 2026. His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court, and His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, attended the event.
Organised by the UAE Government, the award ceremony was also attended by His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Second Deputy Ruler of Dubai; Lt. General His Highness Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior; and His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, along with ministers, senior officials, and government leaders.
The winners included federal entities that achieved remarkable impact in government performance, and national leaders and professionals who set outstanding examples of dedication and service. Exceptional achievers and projects that advanced national priorities and strengthened the UAE’s leadership and global competitiveness were also recognised.
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum said: “Today, we attended the ceremony honouring the winners of the Government Excellence Award 2026. We honoured the leading federal entities and the government’s finest directors and specialists. The highlight of the ceremony was honouring my brother, His Highness Sheikh Suroor bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, with the Mohammed bin Rashid Sash, in recognition of his distinguished record of national service and his contributions to the country over many decades.”
His Highness added: “We congratulate all the winners of the excellence awards, which we introduced more than 30 years ago. We will continue them, because excellence is not a destination. It is a mindset and a culture. A mindset that strives for a perfection it never reaches. A mindset that constantly redefines success and has the courage to keep changing and experimenting. Excellence is one of the virtues of good governance.”
During the ceremony, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum presented His Highness Sheikh Suroor bin Mohammed Al Nahyan with the Mohammed bin Rashid Sash in recognition of a lifetime of national service and his significant contributions to building the UAE and developing its institutions. Sheikh Suroor was among the men who stood alongside the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan during the founding of the nation. He helped bring Sheikh Zayed’s vision of a modern state to life and develop vital sectors that became cornerstones of the UAE’s development.
Government entities honoured
His Highness also honoured three government entities with the Leading Federal Entity Award for Excellence in Sustainability. The award recognises their success in maintaining excellence over successive cycles, embedding it as a lasting institutional approach, and sustaining advanced levels of performance and continuous improvement. The winners were the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Leading federal entities, exceptional projects
His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court, honoured the winners of the main institutional categories. The Leading Federal Entity Award for ministries with more than 500 employees went to the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, while the award for ministries with fewer than 500 employees went to the Ministry of Economy and Tourism.
Among authorities, the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security won in the category of more than 500 employees, and the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources won in the category of fewer than 500 employees. The Most Improved Entity award for ministries was shared by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Community Empowerment, while the Most Improved Entity award for authorities went to the General Authority of Islamic Affairs, Endowments and Zakat.
National achievers and distinguished entities
His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, honoured the winners of the institutional subcategories. The Best Entity Contributing to the UAE’s Global Leadership and Competitiveness award went to the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority, and the Best Entity in Adopting Innovative Solutions award went to the Ministry of Interior.
The Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security was recognised as the Best Entity in Outstanding Value, and the Ministry of Justice won the award for Best Entity in Developing Legislation and Laws. The Best Entity in Partnership and Integration award was shared by the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure and the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs was recognised as the Best Entity in Proactivity and Future Readiness, and the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources as the Best Entity in Artificial Intelligence Applications.
Special Recognition awards
His Highness also presented two Special Recognition awards to projects that delivered tangible national impact and advanced the UAE’s priorities. The first went to the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology for the Make it in the Emirates initiative. The second went to the Ministry of Health and Prevention for Hayat, the National Programme for Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation.
Distinguished government leaders and professionals
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed said: "Excellence is one of the virtues of good governance.” Picture credit: WAMThe ceremony also honoured the recipients of the Prime Minister’s Medals, in recognition of their contributions to advancing government performance and their outstanding achievements across various sectors.
Lt. General His Highness Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, honoured the recipients of eight Prime Minister’s Medals. The Medal for Best Young Employee was awarded to Captain Sultan Mohammed Al Nuaimi from the Ministry of Interior. The Medal for Best Employee in Future Jobs went to Abdulla Talal Al Hammadi from the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, and the Medal for Best Chief AI Officer to Abdulla Ghuloom Al Bastaki from the Federal Tax Authority.
The Medal for Best Undersecretary went to HE Eng. Sharif Salim Al Olama from the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, and the Medal for Best Director General to HE Fatma Abdulla Al Jabri from the Central Bank of the UAE. HE Dr. Mohammed Salman Al Hammadi from the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment received the Medal for Best Assistant Undersecretary, and HE Abdulla Ahmed Al Naqbi from Emirates Health Services received the Medal for Best Executive Director. The Medal for Best Department Director was shared by Colonel Mohammed Abdulla Abushehab from the Ministry of Interior and Colonel Mohammed Abdulla Burahimah from the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security.
His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, honoured the recipients of eight Prime Minister’s Medals. The Medal for Best Ambassador was awarded to HE Ahmed Wahib Al Attar, UAE Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Germany. The Medal for Best Female Ambassador went to HE Dr. Al Saghira Wabran Hamad Al Ahbabi, UAE Ambassador to the Republic of Paraguay.
Maimoona Hashim Al Muaini, Principal of Zayed Educational Complex in Dubai, received the Medal for Best School Principal. Eman Mohammed Al Khoori from Madinat Al Riyadh School in Abu Dhabi received the Medal for Best Teacher in the Top 5 category. The Medal for Best Doctor went to Dr. Noura Salem Marzouq, General Practitioner at Al Qassimi Hospital, and the Medal for Best Government Communication Director to Afra Mahash Al Hameli from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Ali Abdulkarim Ali from Emirates Health Services received the Medal for Best Customer Happiness Employee, and Fatima Khalifa Al Anezi from the General Civil Aviation Authority received the Medal for Best Specialist Employee.
The Mohammed bin Rashid Government Excellence Award is the UAE’s highest honour for government excellence and a key pillar of the UAE’s government performance system. It aims to inspire entities, leaders and professionals to deliver outstanding results, encourage positive competition, share best practices and raise the quality of government services.
The 2026 evaluation cycle saw the participation of 30 federal government entities, with 57 leaders and 236 government employees nominated for the Prime Minister’s Medals. More than 130 Emirati and international experts and assessors took part in the evaluation. It applied a comprehensive 360-degree methodology focused on results and impact, measuring performance from the perspectives of government, society, customers and employees.
The award builds on a journey that began with the launch of the Sheikh Khalifa Government Excellence Programme in 2006. Since then, the UAE has continued to build an integrated government system founded on excellence, innovation and proactivity, one that delivers tangible results in people’s lives and reinforces the nation’s position as a global model in government administration.
