Sheikh Mohammed honors federal entities and employees at 2026 Government Excellence Award
Federal institutions, public-sector leaders and employees received the 2026 Mohammed bin Rashid Government Excellence Award from Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid at Expo City Dubai on November 5. The UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai also presented the Mohammed bin Rashid Sash to Sheikh Surour bin Mohammed Al Nahyan for decades of national service.
Mariam Al Mansoori
Recognition for Sheikh Surour's national service
Sheikh Surour's honor recognized his contributions to the UAE's development, including during its founding and institution-building years. According to Gulf Today, he worked alongside the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan to build a modern state and develop vital sectors.
"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," Sheikh Mohammed wrote on X.
"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 said.
He added: "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."
Those attending included Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court, and Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Chairman of the Executive Council of Dubai, Gulf Today reported.
Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Second Deputy Ruler of Dubai, also attended, along with Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, and Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs.
AI awards and institutional performance
The 2026 edition added four categories reflecting the UAE's increasing focus on artificial intelligence and readiness for the future. Among the winners were the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources, named Best Entity in AI Applications, and Abdullah Ghuloom Al Bastaki of the Federal Tax Authority, who received the Prime Minister's Medal for Best Chief AI Officer.
For sustained excellence, the awards recognized three ministries as leading federal entities: Interior, Finance and Foreign Affairs.
The leading federal entity awards also distinguished institutions by size. Among ministries, Human Resources and Emiratisation took the award for those with more than 500 employees, while Economy and Tourism won in the category for fewer than 500 employees.
Among federal authorities, the winner in the category for more than 500 employees was the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security. The Federal Authority for Government Human Resources received the corresponding award for entities with fewer than 500 employees.
The ministries of Education and Community Empowerment shared the Most Improved Performance Award for ministries. In the federal authorities category, that distinction went to the General Authority of Islamic Affairs, Endowments and Zakat.
Two initiatives received special recognition: Hayat, the Ministry of Health and Prevention's organ donation program, and Make it in the Emirates, an initiative of the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology.
Innovation, legislation and public value
The institutional subcategories recognized several aspects of government work. The Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority received Best Entity Contributing to the UAE's Leadership and Competitiveness, while the Ministry of Interior took Best Entity in Adopting Innovative Solutions.
Best Entity in Delivering Distinctive Value went to the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security. The Ministry of Justice received Best Entity in Developing Legislation and Laws.
The ministries of Energy and Infrastructure and Climate Change and Environment shared Best Entity in Partnership and Integration. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs received Best Entity in Proactiveness and Future Readiness.
Medals for teachers, diplomats and government employees
Education honorees included Iman Mohammed Al Khouri, who received the Prime Minister's Medal for Best Teacher, and Maimouna Hashem Al Muaini, principal of Zayed Educational Complex in Dubai, who received Best School Principal.
The diplomatic medals recognized Ahmed Waheeb Al Attar, UAE Ambassador to Germany, as Best Ambassador, and Dr. Al Sagheera Wabran Hamad Al Ahbabi, UAE Ambassador to Paraguay, as Best Female Ambassador.
In health care, Dr. Noura Salem Marzouq, a general practitioner at Al Qassimi Hospital, received Best Doctor. Emirates Health Services had two medal recipients: Abdullah Ahmed Al Naqbi for Best Executive Director and Ali Abdulkarim for Best Customer Happiness Employee.
Afra Mahash Al Hammadi of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs received Best Government Communications Director. Captain Sultan Mohammed Al Nuaimi of the Ministry of Interior was named Best Young Employee, while Abdullah Talal Al Hammadi of the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure received Best Employee in Future Jobs.
Other leadership medals went to Eng. Sharif Salim Al Olama of the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure for Best Undersecretary; Fatima Abdullah Al Jabri of the Central Bank of the UAE for Best Director-General; and Dr. Mohammed Al Hammadi of the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment for Best Assistant Undersecretary.
How the awards were assessed
The event covered 10 main and subcategories for institutional awards and 13 Prime Minister's Medals. The assessment cycle involved 30 federal government entities, with 57 leaders and 236 government employees nominated for the medals. More than 130 Emirati and international experts and assessors participated in the evaluation.
Gulf Today reported that evaluators used a 360-degree methodology centered on results and impact, considering performance from the perspectives of government, society, customers and employees.
The award forms part of the UAE's government-excellence efforts that began with the establishment of the Sheikh Khalifa Government Excellence Programme in 2006. Launched in 2009 and held every two years, the award is among the country's highest honors for government performance.
