Dubai Sports Council announces 3rd Hamdan bin Mohammed sports education award for schools

The Dubai Sports Council has announced the launch of the evaluation cycle for the third edition of the ‘Hamdan bin Mohammed Order of Merit for Sports Education School’.

Launched by the Dubai Sports Council, the ‘Hamdan bin Mohammed Order of Merit for Sports Education School’ is a prestigious accolade aimed at encouraging public and private schools within the emirate of Dubai to identify sporting prodigies at an early stage, develop sports training infrastructure, and promote physical activity as a vital aspect of student life and character-building. Guided by Dubai’s leadership, the Order of Merit is an initiative undertaken as part of the Sports Innovation Lab.

Participation this year is not subject to any classification and is open to all public and private schools in Dubai, ensuring equal opportunities while encouraging new schools to join the initiative. It is also aimed at building an integrated database of athletically gifted students at the emirate level in a way that supports sports development blueprints, future planning, and integration with broader strategies to inspire sporting success.

His Highness Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Sports Council, welcomed the launch of the third edition of the Order of Merit. “This initiative reflects the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to inspire sporting champions in every school and foster broad engagement in the quest for excellence, ultimately reinforcing the base of the pyramid that leads to sporting success at the highest level.”

His Highness said that the third edition marks the most comprehensive one to date as it enables public and private schools across Dubai to vie for the prestigious award bearing the name of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Winners are decided on the basis of efforts and activities spanning the whole year to advance sports in educational institutions.
His Highness Sheikh Mansoor added: “This year, the initiative ensures greater support for schools’ efforts to identify and hone sporting talent, further strengthening Dubai’s standing as a leading destination for sports events and talent across every discipline.”

Instilling leadership qualities
The new evaluation cycle highlights leadership concepts that are consistent with the values of the Dubai Sports Council, with a focus on promoting peace, tolerance, and sportsmanship. Participants are also expected to reiterate their commitment to the principles of mutual respect and fair play, while educating students to reject sports fanaticism of any kind.

His Excellency Khalfan Belhoul, Vice Chairman of the Dubai Sports Council, emphasised the strategic importance of the initiative. “The Hamdan bin Mohammed Order of Merit for Sports Education School represents a pivotal pillar within Dubai’s broader strategy to advance community sports participation within the framework of the Dubai Sports Sector Strategic Plan 2033,” he noted.

“Our real investment lies in building a healthier and more cohesive society, starting with the sporting environment at the school level. 

This initiative is one of the basic pillars of the Dubai Sports Council’s policy to discover sporting talent and fulfill the goals of the Dubai Government in consolidating the emirate’s position as a global centre for attracting and developing talent in diverse fields.”

To advance the goal of nurturing exceptional talent, sports directors at schools will gather data on talented students and share the information exclusively with the Dubai Sports Council, thus forming the nucleus for creating an integrated database of sporting talent within the emirate, HE Khalfan Belhoul added.

Evaluation criteria
The Order of Merit features an integrated electronic evaluation mechanism to ensure accuracy and transparency. The evaluation is based on five main axes, with the weightage for each factor set after careful consideration.

The ‘Sports Excellence’ axis accounts for 40 per cent of the evaluation, followed by ‘Culture of Health and Well-Being’ with 30 per cent, the ‘Education, Integration and Awareness’ aspect with 15 per cent, the ‘Sports and Recreation Facilities’ with 10 per cent, and the remaining 5 per cent for ‘Utilisation of Technology and Innovation’.

As per the criteria, as many as ten schools will be selected to form the shortlist for the final stage to undergo field visits and evaluations, with all finalists receiving certificates of appreciation, in addition to final reports highlighting their areas of development and opportunities for improvement.

Integrated time-table
An integrated time-table has been developed for the implementation of the initiative. The first phase starts with organising awareness workshops for public and private schools through November 2026. This will be followed by the electronic platform going live, receiving applications and conducting initial interviews, in November.

This process will continue till the closing of the nomination period on 1 February 2027. The final review on 1 March 2027 will mark the start of the third phase, followed by field visits starting 8 March 2027 to the ten schools that make it to the final shortlist. The initiative will conclude with the selection and honouring of two schools on 15 April 2027 – one from the public sector and one from the private sector.

The initiative seeks to inspire public and private schools across Dubai to strive for excellence in both academics and sports, supporting their efforts at every stage and enabling them to achieve the best outcomes possible while actively involving them in promoting sports as a way of life for the community.

The initiative also aims to improve the health, vitality and active participation of school students, fostering a culture of teamwork and healthy behaviours in the school setting, thus contributing to a healthy and safe school environment. It also serves to develop sports programmes and facilities in educational institutions, providing the optimal environment for promising young athletes to showcase their skills and motivating them to compete fairly and in good spirit.