During its 172nd session in 2005, the Executive Board of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) adopted the King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa Prize for the Use of Information and Communication Technologies, with the aim of honoring individuals and governmental and non-governmental institutions that contribute to the development of innovative projects to support education through information and communication technologies, improving the quality of learning, developing innovative teaching methods, and disseminating best educational practices in line with UNESCO’s goals and Sustainable Development Goal 4 of the 2030 Agenda, which calls for ensuring access to quality education for all.
This award is significant because it bears the name of His Majesty the King, may God protect and preserve him, and provides broad support for innovative programs, projects, and technologies that enhance teaching and learning methods through the use of information and communication technology, in line with international plans to achieve quality education for all. Since its inception in 2005, the award has honored nearly 38 innovative projects from more than 20 countries around the world. It is awarded annually based on the recommendation of an international jury and approved by the Director-General of UNESCO.

The 2025 edition of the award was titled “Preparing Learners and Teachers for the Ethical and Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence,” and honored four winners, each of whom received a cash prize and a certificate of appreciation, in addition to widespread international recognition during the award ceremony. The event also featured panel discussions and an exhibition highlighting the winning experiences from the past two decades. In light of this year’s award, the ethical and responsible use of artificial intelligence is of paramount importance to ensure that this technology serves the goals of justice, transparency, and human development in the educational and community sectors. Irresponsible use of these technologies can lead to bias and discrimination in data, compromise student privacy, and weaken critical thinking skills and human accountability for important educational decisions. Therefore, it is important to seek innovative and advanced ways to train individuals to understand how artificial intelligence works in light of this year’s award theme.

This award has a profound impact, primarily as a prestigious platform for highlighting projects that serve educational technology, teaching, learning, performance, and educational quality, and reward them. In turn, this award contributes to social development by promoting education, addressing the digital divide, and focusing on contemporary challenges. By honoring outstanding models, the award encourages the expansion of best learning practices around the world.
The profound impact of this award extends beyond the education sector, as it has changed the role of the Kingdom of Bahrain in international forums and organizations, and the positive implications of this award are reflected around the world. It affirms its leadership and commitment to supporting innovation and excellence. In doing so, the King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa Award places the Kingdom of Bahrain at the forefront of international efforts to promote the creation of a more sustainable and innovative international knowledge society, serving as an effective model for achieving the fourth Sustainable Development Goal.

 Note: This article has been automatically translated, the full article is available in Arabic.

Ali Faqeeh, Research associate