The UAE Pioneers Award

On 1 December 2014, in conjunction with the 43rd UAE National Day celebrations, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, recognised 43 Emiratis with The UAE Pioneers Award. The Award was given in honour of their service to the nation and their pioneering spirit and for being the first in their field.

The Awards were the culmination of a social media initiative that was launched with a tweet from Sheikh Mohammed’s Twitter account in November 2014. The hashtag campaign prompted Emiratis to nominate fellow countrymen and women who they believed were pioneers in their respective fields. The social media campaign galvanised the community, with nominations rolling in from all segments of Emirati society. Within two weeks there were more than 137,000 entries, all nominated with the hashtag #UAE_Pioneers.

View 2014 UAE Pioneers

"Throughout the history of our development march, the UAE has recognised sons and daughters who have never accepted any substitute for the number one position. We want history to remember them and let the future generations know that every hard work in the service of the nation and the society will be appreciated and honoured. We do not want to honour such pioneers simply within the confines of a celebration or a year book; rather we want our youth to adopt them as positive role models who will continue to inspire future generations."

Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum