Matilda Rice, a student at British International School Abu Dhabi, won the inaugural UAE Young Journalist Award, a competition run by The National and the UK embassy.
Three finalists, including Matilda, were shortlisted for the prize after pupils aged 16 and above were asked to contribute an opinion piece, using any form of media, on the theme of the Year of Tolerance.
The two runners-up were Mayed Saeed bin Bwayd, 17, a student at Al Ghail School for Boys in Ras Al Khaimah and Alia Naidj, 16, who attends Raffles World Academy in Dubai.
The quality of all the entries was really impressive, making it tough to narrow the field down to the final three
Nick March, The National
Matilda contributed an opinion piece titled “an enduring paradox”, which discussed how the UAE worked to create a more tolerant society.
Her work was published in The National's Opinion section on Wednesday.
Nick March, an assistant editor-in-chief at The National, was on the judging panel and praised the entrants for developing and maintaining persuasive arguments.
“The quality of all the entries was really impressive, making it tough to narrow the field down to the final three. All of the submissions showed good awareness of societal trends and values, while also demonstrating a strong sense of how to conduct a balanced and engaging discussion,” he said.
The three finalists' work was recognised at an awards ceremony hosted by the UK's deputy ambassador to the UAE Sophia Brecknell and The National's editor-in-chief Mina Al-Oraibi.
“Our finalists came from Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah to join us for the awards ceremony. I was lucky to meet them, to celebrate their work and to hear about their ideas for the future," Ms Brecknell said.
"It was inspiring to see their passion and commitment to developing their skills, and to witness how well they are supported and encouraged in the pursuit of their goals by families, teachers and friends."