Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the UAE has launched the second edition of the Great Arab Minds Award, the largest Arab initiative.

Hailed as the “Arab Nobel Prize” for its pioneering role in recognizing and honouring Arabs who have made extraordinary achievements to humanity and improving human life across its six categories. This initiative seeks to restore the Arab world’s position at the forefront of scientific progress and rekindle the region’s vital contribution to the advancement of human civilization. The Great Arab Minds’ initiative aims to reignite the Arab world’s remarkable spirit of scientific enquiry and leadership in such quests throughout history.

Sharing on his X account, Sheikh Mohammed said: “Brothers and sisters, a year ago, we launched the Great Arab Minds Award — a monumental initiative designed to honour exceptional Arab individuals within their communities and families, while strengthening their confidence in their potential and capabilities. The Great Arab Minds Award is a seed we plant today for the future. While we are immensely proud of the Arab world’s historical achievements, it is just as important to empower the Arab individual in shaping the future. Today, we begin accepting entries for the second edition of this prestigious award.”

In its second edition, the Great Arab Minds’ initiative honours exceptional Arab individuals who have made groundbreaking contributions across its six pivotal categories aimed at accelerating growth and enriching knowledge both regionally and globally. The awards’ six categories encompass medicine, engineering and technology, economics, natural sciences, architecture and design, and literature and arts Nominations for both individuals and institutions close on 31 October 2024.

While celebrating pioneers, innovators, and creators whose exceptional achievements blaze new trails for their nations, Arab communities and the world, the initiative also shines a spotlight on brilliant Arab minds who serve as role models for younger generations by showcasing their innovative ideas that elevate the Arab world’s position in knowledge, science, and culture on the global stage.

Mohammad Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and Chairman of the Committee overseeing the Great Arab Minds initiative, emphasised that His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s vision, from the very inception of this pioneering initiative, has been to create an enduring legacy. The initiative aims to inspire Arab intellectuals, highlight role models, and honour talented individuals, laying the groundwork for a more impactful Arab scientific movement in the future.

Al Gergawi stated: “The Great Arab Minds is a strategic initiative designed to highlight the capabilities and potential of Arabs and to revive their historical role in shaping the future of the world. The initiative aims to strengthen the foundations of human knowledge through the values of partnership, cooperation, and future readiness. Our mission today is to celebrate the Arab minds contributing to driving the progress of civilization.”

He added: “The initiative is focussed on cultivating Arab role models who can serve as beacons for future generations in key sectors. We are committed to achieving an even greater positive impact in this second edition. Through the Great Arab Minds initiative, our goal is to reignite the Arab world’s centuries-long legacy of scientific leadership and its invaluable contribution to humanity.”

Al Gergawi urged academic, cultural, and knowledge institutions across the Arab world, as well as individuals, to nominate exceptional Arabs with remarkable achievements. He highlighted that the Great Arab Minds initiative is increasingly becoming a catalyst for reversing brain drain, encouraging talented Arabs to return to the region to contribute to development, innovation and creativity.

The second edition of the Great Arab Minds initiative will culminate in the selection of six winners across its categories, following the completion of all nomination, qualification, and judging stages. The initiative offers a total prize pool of Dh 6 million, with Dh1 million allocated for each category. The new edition is expected to attract thousands of nominations from the Arab region and beyond, reflecting the initiative’s growing prominence and impact.

The Great Arab Minds initiative continues its tradition of appointing expert judging panels for each category. This model, established in the inaugural edition, ensures a thorough and tailored evaluation of nominations based on the unique criteria of each category. The judging panels are composed of ministers, officials, experts, and specialists from the UAE, the Arab world, and from across the world, ensuring a broad and diverse perspective in the selection process.

Nominations undergo a rigorous evaluation process based on comprehensive criteria, including the achievement itself, tangible results, certifications, patents, publications, books, research and projects. This thorough assessment leads to the selection of the final competing nominations before the winners are ultimately crowned.

The panels for the second edition include the Economy Panel, chaired by Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy. Its members consist of Essa Kazim, Governor of the Dubai International Financial Centre; Dr. Jihad Azour, Director of the Middle East and Central Asia Department at the International Monetary Fund; Mohamed Madi, Dean of the College of Business and Economics at the UAE University; Rabah Arezki, Senior Fellow at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government; and Farid Belhaj, World Bank Vice President for the Middle East and North Africa.

Sarah Al Amiri, Minister of Education, chairs the Engineering and Technology Panel, which includes Arif Sultan Al Hammadi, Executive Vice President of Khalifa University; Mohammed Qassim, Advisor at the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences; Ismael Al Hinti, Chancellor of Al Hussein Technical University; and Adel Darwish, Regional Director of the International Telecommunications Union.

The Literature and Arts Panel is chaired by Mohammed Ahmed Al Murr, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Library Foundation. The panel includes Ahmed Abdullah Zayed Hegab, Director of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, and Rima Mismar, Executive Director of the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture (AFAC).

The Medicine Panel is presided over by Dr. Amer Ahmad Sharif, President of the Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences and CEO of Dubai Academic Health Corporation. The panel includes Elias Zerhouni, Professor Emeritus at Johns Hopkins University; Dr. Alawi Al Sheikh, Deputy Director General of the Health Authority; Amin Arnaout, Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School; and Huda Aqeel, Professor of Neuroscience in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Michigan School of Medicine.

The Natural Sciences Panel is chaired by Professor Sehamuddin Hussain Galadari, Senior Vice Dean for Research at NYU Abu Dhabi. The panel includes Noureddine Melkchi, Dean of the Kennedy School of Science at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell; Nader Masmoudi, Professor at the Core Anth Institute of Mathematical Sciences at NYU Abu Dhabi; Latifa Oudghiri, Researcher at Thomas Jefferson Laboratory in the United States; and Jihan Noureddine Ragaei, Professor Emeritus of Chemistry at the American University in Cairo.

The Architecture and Design Panel is headed by Hashim Sarkis, Dean of the School of Engineering and Planning at MIT. The panel includes Adrian Lahoud, Dean of the Faculty of Architecture at the Royal College of Art; Ali Malkawi, Director of the Harvard Centre for Green Building; and Salma Damluji, Professor of Architecture in the Islamic World at the American University of Beirut.

Nominations undergo a series of comprehensive and detailed evaluation stages, beginning with the receipt, classification and sorting of submissions, ultimately leading to the selection of final nominees that precede the crowning of winners.

Creative Arab minds with advanced knowledge, ingenuity and proactivity—who serve as role models in shaping the future within their respective disciplines—are encouraged to apply for the opportunity to compete for this prestigious title.