Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, will honour the six winners of the Great Arab Minds Award 2025 on Thursday.
The ceremony at the Museum of the Future in Dubai marks the third edition of the largest award of its kind in the Arab world.
It will be attended by the winners’ families, as well as academics, diplomats, officials, scientists, and specialists from a range of sectors.
Members of the Higher Committee of the Great Arab Minds Initiative, the Nominations Committee and the specialised committees for each of the award's six categories will also be present.
The winners are Prof Majed Chergui in the natural sciences category; Prof Abbas El Gamal in the engineering and technology category; Dr Nabil Seidah in the medicine category; Prof Badi Hani in the economics category; Dr Suad Amiry in the architecture and design category; and Prof Charbel Dagher in the literature and arts category.
Who are the winners?
Majed Chergui, emeritus professor at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, was honoured in the natural sciences category.
Prof Chergui was recognised for his work in shaping techniques that enabled scientists to observe ultra-fast atomic motion with great precision.
Abbas El Gamal, 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 his pioneering contributions to network information theory, which laid the foundation for many modern digital networks around the world.
Dr Nabil Seidah received the award in medicine in recognition of his contributions, particularly in the generation of medication to lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease.
He has published more than 820 scientific papers, and his research has been cited more than 71,000 times.
Badi Hani received the award in economics in recognition of his contributions particularly 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 published more than 200 peer-reviewed papers and written several influential academic works.
Suad Amiry won the award for architecture and design. She is known for preserving the architectural heritage of Palestine.
As founder of Riwaq Centre for Architectural Conservation, she was instrumental in one of the largest documentation initiatives in Palestine, establishing a registry of more than 50,000 historic buildings.
Prof Charbel Dagher received the literature and arts award in recognition of his contributions to poetry, writing, literary criticism and the study of Arabic arts.
He has published more than 90 books 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, allocating Dh100 million ($27.2 million) to fund the initiative. 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 to be inspired by and imitate.
The award’s prestige has risen in stature since its first iteration, with one of the 2024 winners, Prof Omar Yaghi, going on to win the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2025.
Mohammed Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs, said that 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.
