Dubai(News Desk)::Hossam Ibrahim Hassan Asal, a science teacher at Hamza bin Abdulmotalib Preparatory School in Doha, Qatar, has been named in the top 50 shortlist for the GEMS Education Global Teacher Prize 2026, a Varkey Foundation initiative organised in collaboration with UNESCO.

Hossam, shortlisted for the GEMS Education Global Teacher Prize, was selected from over 5,000 nominations and applications from 139 countries around the world.Now in its 10th year, the $1 million Global Teacher Prize is the largest prize of its kind. It was set up to recognise one exceptional teacher who has made an outstanding contribution to the profession as well as to shine a spotlight on the important role teachers play in society. By unearthing thousands of stories of heroes who have transformed young people’s lives, the prize hopes to bring to life the exceptional work of teachers all over the world. Since its launch, the Global Teacher Prize has received over 100,000 applications and nominations from around the globe.

Hossam Ibrahim Hassan Asal is an award-winning science educator and mentor whose career spans over 30 years in Egypt and Qatar. Known for his innovative approach, Hossam transforms classrooms into inclusive, engaging, and multicultural learning environments. His methods integrate STEAM, project-based learning, digital tools, and global citizenship education, ensuring that students develop critical thinking, problem-solving, and leadership skills.

Hossam has dedicated his career to supporting marginalised learners, including orphans, students with disabilities, and those from low-income backgrounds. He has created initiatives such as free literacy classes for parents, educational enrichment programmes, and digital learning platforms like the “Half an Hour of Honey” channel, which sustained student learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Committed to environmental sustainability and community engagement, he has launched campaigns in recycling, conservation, and climate education, instilling responsibility and civic awareness in his students. Beyond the classroom, Hossam has mentored teachers, published research, and led professional development programs, raising teaching standards across schools in Qatar.

His work has earned numerous honors, including the Khalifa Educational Award, national recognition as Inspirational and Influential Teacher, and multiple community awards. If awarded the Global Teacher Prize, Hossam intends to establish the Ray of Hope Center, providing high-quality education and vocational training to underprivileged students, continuing his mission to empower the next generation of learners, innovators, and global citizens.

“Congratulations, Hossam. The Global Teacher Prize was created with a simple mission: to shine a light on teachers like you – educators whose dedication, creativity, and compassion deserve to be celebrated and shared with the world. Teachers shape minds, spark confidence, and open the doors through which young people create brighter futures for themselves and others. Your work extends far beyond the classroom – it touches lives and shapes the world.”

“Congratulations to this year’s top 50 finalists. UNESCO is honoured to stand alongside the Global Teacher Prize in celebrating the extraordinary commitment of teachers everywhere. Our world is navigating profound challenges – from teacher shortages and rapid technological shifts to the urgent demands of climate action. If we are to build a just, inclusive and sustainable future, we must recognise a simple truth: we cannot rise to this moment unless we invest in teachers.”

GEMS Education is one of the world’s leading private K-12 education providers, educating more than 200,000 students from 176+ nationalities across its global network of owned and managed schools. With nearly half a million alumni, GEMS has built a legacy of impact that spans generations and continents. Established in Dubai in 1959, GEMS remains a family-founded and family-led organisation, guided by its visionary founder and chairman Sunny Varkey, and his sons Dino Varkey (Group CEO) and Jay Varkey (Deputy Group CEO).

The prize is open to working teachers who teach children who are in compulsory schooling or are between the ages of five and 18. Teachers who educate children age 4+ in an Early Years government-recognised curriculum are also eligible, as are teachers working on a part-time basis, and teachers of online courses. Teachers must spend at least 10 hours per week teaching and plan to remain in the profession for the next five years.  It is open to teachers in every kind of school and, subject to local laws, in every country in the world.

The Global Teacher Prize, Global Schools Prize and Global Student Prize, which Sunny Varkey also founded, complete a powerful trilogy that celebrates educators, learners, and schools as institutions of innovation and change. Together, the three prizes will spark a 360-degree conversation about what it takes to deliver the best possible education, equipping children to face the future with confidence – while rethinking the future of learning for generations to come.

Teachers applying for the Global Teacher Prize are assessed on teaching practices, how they innovate to address local challenges, achieve demonstrable learning outcomes, impact the community beyond the classroom, help children become global citizens, improve the teaching profession, and gain recognition from external bodies.

Interested teachers were able to apply for the Global Teacher Prize at www.globalteacherprize.org before the December closing date.

The prize will now be narrowed down to top 10 finalists, helping to raise the bar of respect for the teaching profession. The winner will be chosen from the top 10 finalists by the Global Teacher Prize Academy, made up of prominent individuals, and will be announced at the World Governments Summit, taking place in Dubai from 3-5 February 2026.–END–