Dubai: His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, presented the first ‘Mohammad Bin Rashid Award for Investing in Scientific Research’ to Dr Wael Al Mohammad, Consultant Cardiologist at the Heart and Vascular Institute at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.
The award, to be given annually, was presented at a gathering of Emirates Scientists Council and the Mohammad Bin Rashid Academy of Scientists (MBRAS).
Receiving members of the council and MBRAS, Shaikh Mohammad said: “The UAE is renowned for being an incubator for creative minds and expertise of people of various nationalities and a thriving hub that seeks to develop scientific research in service of humanity.”
Present at the event was Shaikh Maktoum Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai.
Dr Al Mohammad received the award in recognition of his efforts to support research and the scientific community in the UAE.
He has invested his own money to support various medical researches carried out at the Mohammad Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences. The grant seeks to support a variety of scientific researches within the university and equip its scientific facilities and labs with the latest technologies, making him “the most prominent private supporter of research in the country’s universities”.
“We are delighted to announce the Mohammad Bin Rashid Award for Investing in Scientific Research, which recognises the role of individuals who support science and scientists, and highlights the important role private investors, including entrepreneurs and philanthropists, play in the advancement of scientific research and knowledge creation,” Shaikh Mohammed said.
“We take pride in the generous contributions made by Dr Wael and others like him, who invest their expertise and money to enrich the scientific sector in the UAE and for the benefit of humanity. They are the ones who will help us attain our goals and our vision in this vitally important sector. We expect others like him to intensify efforts in the bid to achieve more successes in making the UAE a hub for advanced sciences and knowledge creation.”
The event was attended by Shaikh Ahmad Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, chairman of Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation; Shaikh Mansour Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum; Mohammad Bin Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and the Future; Dr Ahmad Al Falasi, Minister of State for Higher Education; and Sara Al Amiri, Minister of State for Advanced Sciences and chair of the Emirates Scientists Council.
Al Amiri said: “The [award] aims to honour businessmen, investors and philanthropists in the UAE and highlight their financial and moral contributions in support of the scientific community. It also aims to encourage these individuals to further support the country’s science priorities and help in achieving the sector’s coveted objectives in enhancing scientific research outputs and increasing R&D productivity, thereby positioning the UAE as a leading country in scientific research. This award also aims to spread awareness about the various scientific areas that need support and development.”
