H.H. Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, UAE Minister of Finance, and the patron of Hamdan Award for Distinguished Academic Performance, has made a significant donation of more than $6 million (USD) to UNESCO during his visit to the headquarter of the Organization in Paris, France, on the first day of the 38th session of its General Conference.

 

Also, H.H. Sheikh Hamdan witnessed the signature of two agreements by the UNESCO’s Director-General Irina Bokova and the AUE Minister of Education, H.E. Hussain Al Hammadi. These agreements formalize the donation for the project “Implementing the Postgraduate Diploma in Curriculum Design and Development in the Arab region” and for the renovation and improvement of Room I, the main assembly hall, at UNESCO headquarters. 

 

In his speech before the General Conference attended by more than 150 member countries in the UN, H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid al Maktoum said: “The desire of the United Arab Emirates drives us toward working more and exerting our efforts, in cooperation with UNESCO, to provide more opportunities to reward outstanding practices of teachers in developing countries”. 

 

At the signing ceremony, the UNESCO’s Director-General Irina Bokova, the Director General stated that: “This cooperation strengthens the Organization at headquarters and bolsters our action in a key priority area on the ground. It reflects the deep commitment of His Highness and the United Arab Emirates to UNESCO to the values we share and to the objectives we hold in common, for which I am deeply grateful.” 

 

The donations are in the spirit of the successful cooperation established between UNESCO and the “Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Prize for Outstanding Practice and Performance in Enhancing the Effectiveness of teachers” since 2008.

 

Among those in the delegation that accompanied H.H. Sheikh Hamdan in his visit were H.H. Rashid Bin Hamdan, son of Sheikh Hamdan, H.E. Hussain Al Hammadi, Minister of Education, H.E. Abdulrahman Al Owais, Minister of Health, H.E. Dr. Rashid Ahmed Bin Fahad, Minister of Environment and Water.