Introduction

Sheikh Mohammed established the Ideal Arab Mother Award and the Ideal Arab Family Award as part of the Dubai Shopping Festival calendar in 2000. The theme of the Festival that year was "To Mother With Love".

The awards reward those families who benefit their society and religion through their everyday lives.

Sheikh Mohammed presenting a prize to a distinguished mother

The Ideal Arab Mother Award is open to women aged 45 or over who are responsible for looking after a family. The winner could, therefore, be an older sister or aunt who has had to raise a family as her own. The judges assess five areas of the candidates' lives:

1. Psychological - the candidate's personality and approach to life
2. Social interaction - with particular emphasis on her relationship with her neighbours
3. Family relationships - including her in-laws
4. Education - her own as well as her children's
5. Religion - how she has introduced religious values into her children's lives

The awards are presented at the Dubai Shopping Festival closing ceremony.

Prizes

		Sheikh Hamdan honouring an ideal mother from Sudan

Winners

Ideal Arab Mother Award:

2000 - Nahed Ashayji -Kuwait
2001 - Laila Bashar -Sudan
2002 - Mariam Sadeeq -Bahrain
2003 - Sheikha Ibrahim Al Ansari -UAE
2004 - Maryam Ali Abdul Rahman Al Sabbagh -Bahrain
2005 - Fatima Fadhel Al Mazrooi - UAE

Ideal Arab Family Award:

2000 - Dr. Salah Ridah and family -Syria
2001 - Ali Al Mansouri and family -UAE
2002 - Wahab Kareem Mohammed and family -Iraq
2003 - Hassan Mahmoud Al Saeed and family -Egypt
2004 - Abbas Ahmed Jassim Al Khezae -Qatar
2005 - The late Dr. Mohammed Al Bashir - Jordan