Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, said the winners of the Great Arab Minds Award 2025 were chosen for "advancing civilisation and building societies".
He honoured the six winners of the Great Arab Minds Award 2025 on Thursday. The ceremony, at the Museum of the Future in Dubai, was the culmination of the third annual awards, the largest such event in the Arab world.
It was attended by the winners’ families, as well as academics, diplomats, officials, scientists and experts from various sectors.
Members of the Higher Committee of the Great Arab Minds Initiative, the Nominations Committee and the specialised committees for each of the six award categories were also present.
The winners were Prof Majed Chergui in natural sciences; Prof Abbas El Gamal in engineering and technology; Dr Nabil Seidah in medicine; Prof Badi Hani in economics; Dr Suad Amiry in architecture and design; and Prof Charbel Dagher in literature and arts. Each winner received Dh1 million ($270,000).
Sheikh Mohammed heaped prize on the winners for their achievements.
“Today, we honour Great Arab Minds in recognition of achievements that advance civilisation and build societies," said Sheikh Mohammed. "From the Museum of the Future in Dubai, we reaffirm our support for Arab talent committed to innovation, creativity and excellence.
"We encourage them to continue their journey of achievement and contribution, serving as true role models for younger generations in our region and around the world, inspiring them to shape a better future through science and knowledge.”
Dr Seidah told The National he will share his prize money with his students.
“This is one of the biggest recognitions I have ever seen," he said. "I’m are very proud to be recognised by Arabs for what we do. It is an international award. I was recognised many times but to be recognised by an Arab country is very important. My scientific journey was crowned with this award.”
He thanked his students and his family for the success. "They are the ones who allowed me to be a compass," he said.
"I worked for more than 50 years for this. My family were my backstone in this success. They always believed in me. I will continue serving science with the same passion."
Prof Chergui said he studied in Europe from the age of 18 and was inspired by previous winners.
"This award has become a prominent one and equal to some of the most prestigious awards in the world. Dr Omar Yaghi getting the [2025] Nobel Prize in chemistry is a testament as he won it a few months after winning a Great Arab Minds award," he said.
“It is not only a recognition for my work. It's touched me deeply as it comes from an Arabic country. I have many prizes and awards, but this is the highest for me, it’s like a Nobel Prize."
Who are the winners?
Prof Chergui, from Morocco, emeritus professor at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, was honoured for his work in natural sciences, specifically for shaping techniques that enabled scientists to observe ultra-fast atomic motion with great precision.
Prof El Gamal, from Egypt, Hitachi America professor in the school of engineering at Stanford University in the US, was honoured in the engineering and technology category.
He is known for pioneering contributions to network-information theory, which has laid the foundation for many modern digital systems around the world.
Dr Seidah, from Egypt, received the award in medicine in acknowledgement of his contributions, particularly in the generation of medication to lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease.
He has had more than 820 scientific papers published and his research has been cited more than 71,000 times.
Prof Hani, from Lebanon, won the award in economics primarily for his work in panel-data analysis, a field that allows researchers to study trends more accurately by combining data across time periods and numerous sources.
He has written several influential academic works and had more than 200 peer-reviewed papers published.
Dr Amiry, from Palestine, received the award for architecture and design. She is known for preserving the architectural heritage of Palestine.
As founder of the Riwaq Centre for Architectural Conservation, she was instrumental in one of the largest documentation projects in Palestine, establishing a registry of more than 50,000 historic buildings.
Prof Dagher, from Lebanon, was given the literature and arts award in recognition of his contributions to poetry, writing, literary criticism and the study of Arabic arts.
He has had more than 90 books published and his works are considered references for studying Arabic literature and art throughout history.
What is the Great Arab Minds Award?
Sheikh Mohammed launched the Great Arab Minds Award in January 2022, with funding of Dh100 million. The first winners were announced in 2023.
The award aims to “celebrate scientists, thinkers and innovators every year”. The winners’ contributions span various fields including medicine, natural sciences, economics, engineering, architecture and the arts.
It also aims to present young people with leading examples for inspiration.
The awards' prestige has risen in stature, with one of the 2024 winners, Prof Omar Yaghi, going on to win the Nobel Prize in Chemistry the following year.
Mohammed Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs, said honouring Great Arab Minds represents recognition of Arab achievement in knowledge, science and creativity, and its contribution to the advancement of societies and human civilisation.
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Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, with the six winners of the Great Arab Minds Award 2025. All photos: Antonie Robertson / The National -
Majed Chergui, Emeritus Professor at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, is presented with the award in natural sciences -
Sheikh Mohammed presents Badi Hani with the Great Minds Award in economics -
Prof Charbel Dagher, from Lebanon, was given the literature and arts award for his contributions to poetry, writing, literary criticism and the study of Arabic arts -
Sheikh Mohammed with Dr Nabil Seidah, winner of the award in medicine -
Prof Abbas El Gamal receives first prize for his work in the field of engineering and technology -
Sheikh Mohammed presents the award in architecture to Dr Suad Amiry. Each category winner takes home Dh1 million -
Mohammed Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs, speaks on stage at the awards ceremony -
The prize-giving ceremony took place at Museum of the Future in Dubai
