Twenty years since the Kingdom of Bahrain launched the UNESCO King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa Prize for the Use of Information and Communication Technologies in the Field of Education, which was established in 2005 with a generous initiative and support from the Kingdom of Bahrain, and a strategic partnership with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
The award represents an embodiment of the vision of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the King of the country, may God protect and preserve him, and His Majesty’s belief that investing in knowledge is the ultimate investment in humanity and the future. It is also considered a consolidation of the Kingdom of Bahrain’s position as a global beacon that celebrates human creativity in employing technology to serve education.
The award was established pursuant to Official Resolution No. (56) approved by the Executive Council of UNESCO during the 172nd session in 2005, in appreciation of the Bahraini royal initiative aimed at promoting e-learning globally. The award documents were prepared in the six official languages of UNESCO: Arabic, English, French, Spanish, Russian, and Chinese.
The UNESCO King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa Prize for the Use of Information and Communication Technologies in the Field of Education aims to honor individuals, institutions and non-governmental organizations that implement innovative projects that contribute to improving the quality of learning, developing teaching methods, and disseminating best educational practices, in line with UNESCO’s strategic goals and the 2030 Sustainable Development Plan, especially the fourth goal related to quality education for all. It also seeks The award seeks to narrow the digital gap and expand educational opportunities for marginalized and vulnerable groups, so that education is truly available to all.
Over the course of two decades, the award has honored 34 innovative projects from 21 countries around the world. It is awarded annually to two winners based on the recommendation of an international jury consisting of five experts, and is approved by the Director-General of UNESCO. It is a financial reward that goes equally between the two winners. Thus, the award has become a leading global platform for recognizing distinguished initiatives in employing information and communication technology to advance education, and constitutes confirmation of the pivotal role that the Kingdom of Bahrain plays as a major partner with UNESCO in promoting responsible and sustainable digital education, preserving cultural and linguistic diversity, promoting a culture of innovation and experimentation, and enabling the exchange of experiences and best educational practices between countries.
This award is unique in that it is the only international award specifically concerned with the field of information and communication technologies in education, which is a field that is witnessing rapid development and touches every aspect of contemporary life. It is also distinguished by its philosophy that links education with technology in a functional connection that enhances the quality of education and makes the educational process an intelligent response to the needs of the digital age and its changing requirements.
From this standpoint, this year’s award for 2025 was allocated under the slogan “Preparing learners and teachers for the ethical and responsible use of artificial intelligence.” Four winners of the award were also honored – exceptionally – not two as stipulated in the founding document. It was presented at the ceremony hosted by the Kingdom of Bahrain today, Thursday, for the first time and also exceptionally, outside the headquarters of UNESCO in Paris, on the occasion of the twentieth anniversary of the launch of the award.
The award targets three main categories: creative individuals in e-learning, educational and research institutions, non-governmental organizations and other entities working in the field of education.
It focuses on projects that employ integrated solutions for modern technology, including: overcoming infrastructure obstacles, reducing the cost of obtaining education, innovations in online learning, smart learning management systems, machine translation, big data, and imaging technology.
The UNESCO King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa Prize for the Use of Information and Communication Technologies in Education is a milestone in the international educational scene. It honors creativity and innovation in the use of technology to modernize and develop education, and also emphasizes the Kingdom of Bahrain’s commitment to its educational leadership and international cooperation through continuous support and encouragement and its effective partnership in spreading sustainable and comprehensive education and educational innovation globally, in addition to consolidating the Kingdom’s global position in the field of education and culture and highlighting the best practices and distinguished models in digital education.
Over the course of two decades, the UNESCO King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa Prize has become a symbol of global excellence in digital education, and a source of inspiration for thousands of scholars, researchers and educators around the world, who compete every year to present projects that embody the spirit of innovation that His Majesty the King wanted as a basis for the educational process in the Kingdom of Bahrain and the world.
