DUBAI, UAE, November 16, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

The Board of Trustees of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Award held its first-ever meeting at the offices of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation (MBRF), to discuss the general policies of the Award.

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The meeting - chaired by H.E. Jamal bin Huwaireb, Managing Director of MBRF, Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees and Secretary General of the Award - was attended by Members of the Board, Nick Rawlins, Professor of Behavioural Neuroscience at the University of Oxford; David Bennett, Vice President, Global Corporate Partnerships at National Geographic; Dr. Ali Ahmed Al Ghafli, Vice Dean for Social Sciences at the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, UAE University; Alexander J.B. Zehnder, Visiting Professor and Member of the Board of Trustees of Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore.

The Award's main objective is to galvanise the shift towards a knowledge economy in the UAE, the region, and the world, as well as to establish a culture built on exchanging knowledge and honouring intellectual and creative achievements that serve to produce and disseminate knowledge.

H.E. bin Huwaireb said: "The Knowledge Award seeks to raise awareness about the importance of spreading knowledge as a means to achieve sustainable development by honouring the pioneers working to revolutionise the knowledge industry."

The Board of Trustees will hold a series of executive meetings to determine application requirements and selection criteria for the winners, H.E. bin Huwaireb revealed, as well as to prepare for the Award ceremony, part of the Knowledge Summit 2016 (December 5-7).

Meanwhile, Dr. Al Ghafli said that the Arab World played a pivotal role in spreading knowledge in past centuries; the Award places Arabs back on the right track to reclaim that commendable history.

Professor Zehnder lauded the Award, noting that it would benefit all of mankind, underlining the role that knowledge plays in their lives and, consequently, motivating them to participate in the creation and dissemination of knowledge.

David Bennett said that the award is an important initiative honouring those who make knowledge available to people everywhere. Professor Rawlins, meanwhile, pointed out that the University of Oxford has extensive experience in evaluating contributions to the field of knowledge and will, therefore, play an active role within the Board of Trustees.

The Award seeks to contribute to the sustainable development of the UAE and the world. The monetary value of the award is a generous $1 million. In late 2015, H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum issued Decree No. 36 of 2015, establishing the Knowledge Award.

H.H. also issued Decree No. 17 of 2016, establishing the Board of Trustees and appointing its members for three renewable years. The Board is headed by H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum as Chairman, with H.E. Jamal bin Huwaireb as Vice Chairman. Members include representatives from the United Arab Emirates University; the University of Cairo; Nanyang Technological University, Singapore; the University of Oxford; and National Geographic.

SOURCE Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation (MBRF)