Saudi Educator Wins $1 Million Global Teacher Prize

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A Saudi educator known for his charity work and instructing prisoners, Mansour al-Mansour, has won the prestigious $1 million Global Teacher Prize. The award was presented at the end of the World Governments Summit in Dubai, an annual event that draws leaders from across the globe.

Al-Mansour, an author and community leader, is recognized for his extensive charity work, including a program that ensured people had access to air conditioning maintenance during Saudi Arabia’s scorching summer months. His efforts in educating prisoners have also been widely acknowledged.

The prize is awarded by the Varkey Foundation, whose founder, Sunny Varkey, established the for-profit GEMS Education company that runs dozens of schools in Egypt, Qatar, and the UAE. Al-Mansour is the ninth teacher to win the award from the foundation, which first began handing out the prize in 2015.

Past winners have included a Kenyan teacher from a remote village who gave away most of his earnings to the poor, a Palestinian primary school teacher who teaches her students about non-violence, and a Canadian educator who taught a remote Arctic village of Inuit students.

Al-Mansour’s dedication to education and his community has made him a deserving recipient of this prestigious award.