The photo has been used for illustrative purposes.

Jamil Khan, Senior Reporter

Out of 155 applications submitted for the Princess Haya Award for Special Education, 33 winners in 5 categories will be announced today (Sunday) in a ceremony.

The award is in its 7th cycle and have been given under the patronage of HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, wife of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

The winners of the seventh cycle of Princess Haya Award for Special Education will be unveiled and honoured in an official ceremony at the Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai.

Mohammed Al Emadi, Head of the Award Executive Committee, said: “This year, the Award received at its seventh cycle 155 applications from Arab countries and the region, of which 33 candidates will be recognized as winners.

“The Award has five main categories: specialist excellence, institutional excellence, management excellence, family excellence, and corporate social responsibility,” he added.

Al Emadi pointed out that this cycle features a new category that provides the opportunity for ‘inclusive teachers’ in the mainstream schools to participate and submit their applications together with their nomination letters.

The ceremony will be held under the sponsorship of the Award Strategic Partners: Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa), DP World, Memories Events Management; besides Al Maktoum Foundation as a Golden Sponsor and Aramex as an Official Courier Partner.

The sub-sponsors are emaratech, Dubai Investments, UAE Exchange and Dubai Civil Aviation Authority.

Launched in November 2008, Princess Haya Award for Special Education (PHASE) is the first initiative of its kind in the region that targets the role models in the special education sector through various categories according to high international standards. The initiative also aims to encourage people working in the special education sector to excel and set higher service standards in all fields.